Research & Innovation
Financial support
Current funding announcements
Funding opportunities
You don't have to realize your idea entirely on your own. Research and development projects in the commercial sector can receive financial support from federal, state, and EU funding programs – through grants, loans, or equity investments. If you wish to take advantage of these programs, you should consider which funding options exist and how you can best utilize them for your project even before you begin planning. There are a number of funding opportunities specifically tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Thuringia MOTIVation - move to innovation
Under the roof Thuringia MOTIVation The Thuringian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society consolidates innovation funding in the areas of business, science, and research. The programs and measures united under this ministry support the development of new products, processes, and services with tailored funding.
Funding focus: Technology
Making R&D projects specifically for SMEs easier, more continuous, and more quickly funded – that is the aim of the "Integrated Thuringian Research, Technology, and Innovation Funding" (FTI-Thuringia). A key focus for companies is the technology funding area. It offers various options for receiving support for collaborative R&D projects or for implementing R&D into market-ready products, processes, or services. A complete overview for companies is available on the Thuringian Development Bank's website
Funding programs in Germany and the EU
Research and development as well as innovation consulting in SMEs are eligible for funding not only in Thuringia. Federal ministries also offer a wide range of financial support options through long-term funding programs and time-limited calls for proposals.
Overview of funding programs
The biggest program is the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM), which supports market-oriented research and innovation projects by SMEs and collaborative projects with research institutions. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy provides a comprehensive overview on its website Innovation funding for SMEs, including the promotion of start-ups, pre-competitive research or innovation consulting.
The funding initiative SME-innovative Since 2007, this has been the central program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to promote innovation in technology fields of particular relevance for the future in Germany. This also applies within the program family Innovation & Structural Change Companies can actively participate as partners in interdisciplinary alliances, including RUBIN – Regional entrepreneurial alliances for innovation or WIR! – Change through innovation in the region.
The European Commission also supports companies through numerous programs and initiatives. For example, the program supports Eurostars Research-oriented SMEs and their partners in European cooperation on R&D projects.
The EU's 9th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation – Horizon Europe – also supports the inclusion of SMEs with funding opportunities. In principle, SMEs are eligible to apply in all areas of the framework programme EIC Accelerator is an instrument specifically aimed at SMEs and start-ups, and with which concrete innovations can be developed to market maturity and beyond.
Companies in Thuringia can obtain information and advice on EU funding via the Enterprise Europe Network Thuringia (EEN Thuringia)This network also publishes current and short-term calls for proposals/tenders for EU funding. The Enterprise Europe Network also operates a comprehensive database Database with current cooperation offers and requests from more than 60 countries worldwide, which can be used free of charge.
The federal funding advisory service Research and Innovation It provides information on all aspects of research and innovation funding from the federal government, the states, and the European Commission. It also offers a free guidance service for SMEs.
Here we publish current funding announcements with limited submission deadlines (calls for proposals). The focus is on relevant state and federal programs and selected EU funding calls, e.g., for strategic projects funded by the European Commission (IPCEIs), in which companies can participate. Please feel free to contact our specialization field managers for further information.
