Apply for funding for the "KMU-innovativ: Photonics and quantum technologies" program

The application procedure has 2 stages.

Stage 1: Project outline

• All project partners jointly submit a project outline of a maximum of 10 A4 pages via the "KMU-Innovativ" internet portal.
• In addition, the project sheet of the outline generated on the Internet portal must be signed and submitted to the project sponsor VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH.
• The project outline should contain a presentation with the following structure:
  • Topic and objective of the project
  • State of the art in science and technology, novelty of the solution approach, patent situation
  • Necessity of the grant: scientific-technical and economic risk with justification of the need for state funding
  • Market potential, market environment, economic and scientific competitive situation
  • Brief description of the applicant companies, concrete presentation of the business models and market prospects with time horizon and target figures, presentation of the own contribution to be made
  • Work plan, if applicable, network structure with work packages including presentation of the workload of all partners involved
  • Financing plan for all partners involved in the work
  • Exploitation plan (economic and scientific/technical prospects of success, potential uses and connectivity) with time horizon and target figures
• The project outline will be evaluated in a competitive process with the involvement of external experts, if necessary, according to the following criteria:
  • Importance of the research objective, technological and economic potential, market perspective, contribution to market positioning, exploitation plan
  • Quality and presentation of the solution approach, the work plan and the project and milestone targets
  • Level of innovation, risk assessment, necessity of the grant
  • Network structure, qualification of partners, coordination, project management
  • Suitability for the program line, presentation of the financing, comprehensibility of the cost estimates, compliance with the formal framework conditions of the funding guideline
• You will be informed of the result of the assessment in writing. If your project idea is selected, you will receive a written request to submit an application (stage 2).

Stage 2: Application

To apply for funding, proceed as follows:

• Contact the responsible project management organization VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH and seek advice on the steps required before submitting an application. You will then also receive further information on the documents to be submitted.
• Applications are submitted electronically via the "easy-Online" portal.
• Call up the "easy-Online" Internet portal. There you will be guided step by step through the application process.
• Complete all the fields required for the application and submit the application online with a qualified electronic signature.
  • If you do not have a qualified electronic signature, you must print out the application in addition to submitting it electronically, sign it and send it to the project management organization together with the other application documents in the next step.
• Once the project management organization has received the application, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
• The responsible administrator at the project management organization will contact you during the processing of your application to clarify any queries.
• Applications are evaluated and checked according to the following criteria:
  • Organization of the collaboration within the network (not applicable for individual projects),
  • level of innovation,
  • Appropriateness of preliminary calculation/financing plan,
  • Definition of quantitative project goals,
  • concrete exploitation plans of all partners,
  • Necessity of the grant.
• As a rule, you will receive a decision on your application 2 months after submitting the complete formal application.
• In the event of a positive decision, you will receive a grant notification by post.

Eligible applicants are:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises. This means,
  • They employ no more than 250 employees,
  • have an annual turnover of no more than EUR 50 million or
  • did not have an annual balance sheet total of more than EUR 43 million in the previous financial year.
• Medium-sized companies. This means
  • You do not employ more than 1,000 employees
  • or your turnover does not exceed EUR 100 million
  • and you are not predominantly owned by a large company (shareholding of up to 50 percent).
• Together with SMEs or medium-sized companies, universities, non-university research institutions and companies that do not meet the above criteria are also eligible as part of a joint project.

In general:

• You are carrying out an industrial pre-competitive research and development project that is characterized by a high scientific and technical risk.
• You are a company with research, development and production expertise in the field of photonics or quantum technologies.
• If you are carrying out the project in collaboration with several partners, the benefits of the project must primarily benefit the SMEs or medium-sized companies involved.
• If you are carrying out the project in collaboration with several partners, at least half of the total funding applied for must benefit the SMEs or medium-sized enterprises involved.
• If you want to start R&D activities in the field of photonics or quantum technologies for the first time, cooperation with an experienced partner is advisable.
• The coordination of projects carried out jointly by several partners must always lie with one of the industrial companies involved, usually an SME. The exploitation of the results must primarily benefit the SMEs involved.

For the 1st stage of the procedure:

• Project outline with specific reference to the criteria of the funding guideline and all essential statements for assessment and evaluation. The length should not exceed 10 DIN A4 pages. The project outline should contain a presentation with a defined structure (more on this in the procedure).
• Signed project sheet

You can submit your outline at any time via the online outline tool for the "KMU-innovativ: Photonics and quantum technologies" funding measure. However, please note the evaluation deadlines for project outlines

• 15.04.2023, 2024, 2025
• 15.10.2023, 2024, 2025

The submission deadline is not a cut-off deadline, but project outlines received after the above deadline may no longer be considered in the current round.

• Guideline for the funding measure "KMU-innovativ: Photonics and quantum technologies" as part of the "Photonics Research Germany" program dated 10.07.2018
• § Section 23 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO)
• § Section 44 of the Federal Budget Code (BHO)
• "Guidelines for grant applications on a cost basis (AZK)" and "Guidelines for grant applications on an expenditure basis (AZA)" of the BMBF
• General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)

• Action before the administrative court

Forms available: No

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance necessary: No

12.07.2023