Central Innovation Programme For Medium-Sized Companies - "ZIM"

This nationwide funding programme provides support for medium-sized companies as well as the research institutions which collaborate with them in their different innovation projects, regardless of the technology or sector involved.

Read below for details of funding opportunities.

Funding covers individual R&D projects to develop innovative products, processes or technical services without limitation to any particular technology or sector.

In addition to R&D projects for small and medium-sized companies, funding is available for market launch activities.

Grant Recipients:

• small and medium-sized enterprises according to the definition of SMEs as well as
• additional medium-sized companies with fewer than 500 employees

Type of Funding:

• non-repayable grant

Funding Amount:

• 25 – 45 percent of costs eligible for funding (maximum costs eligible for funding: 380,000 euros)

You can find further information on the site of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy.

Funding is provided for collaborative projects between SMEs or of SMEs with public or private non-profit research institutions.

In addition, the collaboration with foreign partners is possible.

To implement their R&D projects, small and medium-sized companies can also apply for funding for third-party services for market launch activities.

Beneficiaries include companies (SMEs) of any legal form which operate in Germany, as well as German research institutions in Germany which are not economically active and which act as partners of companies funded in the collaborative project.

See on the site of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy for detailed information.

The ZIM collaborative networks serve the dual role of funding network management services and the development of projects of a particular network. They comprise at least six small and medium-sized companies. Other partners can also participate (e.g. research institutions, higher education institutes, large companies and other bodies such as associations). There is no restriction to any particular field of technology or sector.

The companies involved in the network receive funding. The grant is issued to the network management institution (i.e. companies are funded indirectly) for the funding network management services. Where development projects are concerned, participating companies and research institutions receive the grant directly. The companies make their own contributions to the respective project costs.

Eligible applicants for network management funding include the external network management institution authorised by the participating companies, or a research institution involved in the network.

The same requirements as for individual or collaborative projects apply to beneficiaries of the development projects generated from the networks.

Contact information can be found on the site of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy.