Apply for funding for the "KMU-innovativ: Materials research (ProMat_KMU)" program

Source: BUS Rheinland-Pfalz

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds projects for the research and development of innovative materials and substances that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) want to carry out with partners from science and industry.

Innovative materials and substances play a key role in almost all areas. They make a particular contribution to securing prosperity and quality of life in Germany. Highly specialized SMEs often play an important role here, accounting for a high proportion of turnover and employment compared to the economy as a whole. SMEs are often world market leaders ("hidden champions") in their field in specialized markets. The funding is intended to help pave the way for the commercial implementation of innovative solutions and provide targeted support for the creative ideas of young start-ups. The proportion of research and development in SMEs, which is often too low, is to be increased in order to strengthen innovation potential.

As an SME, you can receive funding for eligible project-related costs for the following projects, either alone or together with partners, if they demonstrate a significant degree of novelty compared to the current international state of science and technology in the field of materials research:

Materials for health and quality of life (e.g. functional coatings, new active ingredients and excipients, encapsulation of active ingredients and targeted drug delivery, improved or bioactive implants, bioprinting, marker and tracer materials, antimicrobial and self-cleaning materials, filter materials)
Materials for sustainable construction and infrastructure (e.g. durable, recyclable building materials, functional fillers, adhesives and sealants, thermal insulation and glazing, switchable façades; heat storage materials, sensory materials, aggregates and additives, materials for lightweight construction, self-repairing or self-cleaning materials)
Materials for sensors, actuators and measurement and control technology (e.g. intelligent materials, catalytic materials, structured materials, nanomaterials and systems, plasmonic materials, materials for assembly and connection technology)
Materials for energy technology (e.g. durable, corrosion-resistant and more temperature-resistant materials, materials with extreme cycle resistance, hybrid materials, thermochemical and latent heat storage, nanoscale carbon materials for hydrogen storage, fuel cell systems)
Sustainable use of raw materials and materials (e.g. increasing material efficiency, substitution of critical raw materials, use of sustainable raw material sources, secondary raw materials and process waste, recycling-friendly material design, biodegradable materials, self-repairing or self-cleaning materials, filter and membrane materials, catalysts)
Materials for mobility and transportation (e.g. increasing material efficiency, substitution of critical raw materials, use of sustainable raw material sources, secondary raw materials and process waste, recycling-friendly material design, biodegradable materials, self-repairing or self-cleaning materials, filter and membrane materials, catalysts)

As an SME, you can generally receive funding of up to 50% of the eligible project-related costs.

SMEs as defined by the European Union (less than 250 employees and less than EUR 50 million annual turnover) can receive a bonus of 10 percent. Small enterprises (less than 50 employees and less than EUR 10 million annual turnover) can receive a bonus of 20 percent.

Universities, research and scientific institutions or comparable institutions in the non-business sector can receive individual funding of up to 100 percent of the project-related costs or expenses as a partner of an SME.

Universities and university hospitals can receive a project lump sum of 20 percent for non-commercial research projects in addition to the eligible expenditure financed by the BMBF.

The results of the funded project may only be used in Germany or in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

There is no entitlement to the grant. Rather, the granting authority decides on the basis of its discretionary powers within the framework of the available budget funds.

The application procedure for funding projects in the field of SME-innovative materials research (ProMat_KMU) has 2 stages.

Stage 1: Project outline

You submit a project outline of a maximum of 10 DIN A4 pages (1.15 line spacing, Arial font, size 11, margins at least 2 centimeters) via the "KMU-innovativ: Materialforschung (ProMat_KMU)" internet portal.
There you can either select the sketch tool for the fields of application:
- Materials for health and quality of life
- Materials for sustainable construction and infrastructure
- Materials for sensors, actuators and measurement and control technology

These sketches are supervised by the project management organization VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH.

Or you can select the sketch tool for the fields of application:
- Materials for energy technology
- Sustainable use of raw materials and materials
- Materials for mobility and transportation

These sketches are supervised by Project Management Jülich - Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH.

If necessary, the project outline will be evaluated in a competitive procedure with the participation of external experts according to the following criteria:
- technical relevance to the funding measure
- Importance of the research objective: social need and relevance for materials research
- Scientific and technical quality of the solution approach and the work plan
- level of innovation of the scientific and technical concept
- Qualification of the partners and, if applicable, quality of the network structure (including coverage of the value chain)
- Quality and feasibility of the exploitation plan, commercialization perspective, market potential, contribution of the project to the future positioning of the company on the market
If your project idea has been selected (stage 2).

Stage 2: Application

You submit your application for funding for a project in the field of SME-innovative materials research (ProMat_KMU) as follows:

The application is submitted electronically via the electronic application system easyOnline. When you are invited to submit an application, you will receive a link to the easy-Online application system. There you will be guided step by step through the application process.
Fill in all the fields required for the application and send it off 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:
- Eligibility of the applicant for funding
- Exclusion of double funding
- Eligibility of the requested funds
- Necessity and appropriateness of the requested funds
- Comprehensibility of the explanations of the financing plan
- Quality and informative value of the work and exploitation plan, also with regard to the funding policy objectives of this funding measure
You will receive a decision on your application. The review of your documents may require a coordination process in which further documents and explanations must be submitted.
In the event of a positive decision, you will receive a grant notification by post. In the event of a negative decision, you will receive a rejection letter.

Eligible applicants are:

Small and medium-sized enterprises as defined by the EU. This means that you
- employ fewer than 250 employees,
- have an annual turnover of no more than EUR 50 million or
- had an annual balance sheet total of no more than EUR 43 million in the previous financial year
Medium-sized companies. This means that you
- employ fewer than 1,000 employees
- have an annual turnover of no more than EUR 100 million
Universities
University and non-university research institutions
associations
associations
Other organizations with an interest in research and development (R&D)

In general:

You are carrying out a research and development project with partners from science or industry that meets the following requirements:
- The focus and degree of novelty of the projects must be on innovative materials and be attributable to one of these fields of application:
  - Materials for health and quality of life
  - Materials for sustainable construction and infrastructure
  - Materials for sensors, actuators and measurement and control technology
  - Materials for energy technology
  - Sustainable use of raw materials and materials
  - Materials for mobility and transportation
- The focus and degree of novelty of the projects must be based on innovative solutions that are intended to be transferred by the participating SMEs.
- The projects must be SME-driven and their results must benefit Germany as a business location beyond the network.

For the 1st stage of the procedure: Project outline with the following information:

Cover sheet with project name, postal address, telephone and e-mail address of the submitter as well as information on total costs, funding requirements and duration
Motivation, initial question, objectives and social need of the planned project
State of the art of research and technology, novelty of the solution approach, own preliminary work, data basis, differentiation from previous and ongoing national and international research work
Description of the cooperation partners, in the case of companies including the own contribution to be made;
Description of your own solution approach, including the methods to be used
Time and labor planning with person months per partner
Work plan showing the contributions of all partners involved
tabular financing overview
Exploitation plan with explanations of market potential, competitive situation, economic and scientific-technical prospects of success, connectivity, added value for Germany as a business location (including time estimate: short, medium or long term)
Proof of the status of all participating SMEs by means of an SME declaration

Apply for funding for the "KMU-innovativ: Materials research (ProMat_KMU)" program

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