In addition to numerous incentive programs, the GEOMAR Innovation Fund provides a seed funding program that aims to enable the implementation of innovative technical-scientific approaches below the threshold of a comprehensive third-party funded project.

This GEOMAR-internal grant is accessible to all GEOMAR employees and is intended to close the gap between concept and prototype realization in the initial phase of new developments. Cooperation with companies is welcome. More information for interested employees can be found on our intranet page.

The spin-off program “Helmholtz Enterprise” promotes entrepreneurial activity and supports spin-offs from the Helmholtz Association by providing financial resources for additional staff and external management expertise during the spin-off phase.

The network meeting for founders takes place annually, alternating between Dresden and Bonn, and is jointly organized by the four non-university research organizations (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Leibniz Association, Max Planck Society and Helmholtz Association). 

The event is primarily aimed at founders and those interested in founding a company from the participating research organizations. It usually takes place in the first half of September.

The use of artificial intelligence in Schleswig-Holstein is to be promoted flexibly on the basis of strategic goals and fields of action. These include, among others

• strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises
• increasing the global visibility of Schleswig-Holstein's universities in selected research areas
• promoting knowledge and education,
• promoting the use of AI in administration and
• the consideration of climate protection and the energy transition as key challenges.

Legal entities under public and private law, including partnerships with their registered office or place of business in Schleswig-Holstein, are eligible to apply. The focus is particularly on 

• state, private and state-recognized universities and non-university research institutions as well as transfer organizations, including those of universities (hereinafter: public institutions),
• Start-ups (innovative companies that were founded less than five years ago at the time of application and whose business model is growth-oriented)
• and commercial enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The amount of funding is as follow: 

• up to 90 % for public institutions
• up to 90 % for start-ups
• and up to 50% for other private companies

Eligible costs include personnel costs, overheads, material costs, external services and investment costs.

More Information on the province's website

Funding is available for collaborative projects in industrial research and experimental development with the aim of developing new products, processes or services or bringing about significant improvements in existing products, processes or services.  

This funding can only be applied for by a consortium. A consortium consists of several partners with a registered office or business premises in Schleswig-Holstein, including at least 

an institution for research and knowledge dissemination, university and clinic in the state, insofar as self-administration tasks are performed, or 
a similar public institution or a facility or institution that is predominantly publicly funded and does not carry out any economic activity,
and a company with its registered office or place of business in Schleswig-Holstein.
Micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are given priority for funding. If several companies are involved, at least one SME must be involved. 

More information on the WTSH website

The funding is intended to intensify start-up and transfer activities in start-ups.

The Seed Bonus and the Seed Invest Bonus support start-ups in Schleswig-Holstein in the development and scaling of innovative and growth-oriented business models:

The Seed Bonus is used to fund projects in a start-up that support the development and scaling of innovative and growth-oriented business models using the company's own staff. Priority is given to funding personnel costs.

The SeedInvest-Bonus, on the other hand, promotes projects that support the development and scaling of innovative and growth-oriented business models in start-ups through investments. In particular, the purchase of devices and equipment is funded.

Young commercial enterprises with their registered office or place of business in Schleswig-Holstein can apply for this funding, 

• which meet the criteria as a small enterprise (SME) according to Annex I of the GBER and 
• are not older than five years at the time of application and
• which also have an innovative, scalable business model.

Small enterprises are enterprises

• with fewer than 50 jobs and
• an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of no more than 10 million euros.

The funding is intended to strengthen innovation activities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through technology transfer.

Funding is provided for projects with innovation support services and innovation consulting services that are provided by third parties via a contract for the purpose of planning, developing and implementing new or improving existing products, processes or services for the applicant SME.

HighTech-Bonus

The HighTech Bonus strengthens technology transfer between SMEs and universities and research institutions.

The contractors are:

• Universities, colleges, universities of applied sciences and their societies or
• non-university research institutions such as research centers of the Helmholtz Association, institutes or facilities of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, the Leibniz Association or the Max Planck Society.

This funding can be applied for by commercial enterprises based or operating in Schleswig-Holstein that meet the criteria as small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) according to Annex I of the GBER.

More Information on the WTSH website

What is funded?

• Exploratory phase: individual projects at research and knowledge dissemination institutions
• Feasibility phase: joint projects by universities, universities of applied sciences, non-university and other research institutions, technology transfer institutions and innovation clusters as well as other companies (both SMEs and large companies)
• Multi-stage funding for interdisciplinary and innovative project ideas with a focus on their market exploitation potential
• uncomplicated funding opportunity with a low entry threshold for original ideas from the field of bioeconomy that contribute added value to the establishment of a bio-based economy
• Funding for bio-based, innovative product ideas that stimulate growth in other sectors of the economy; depending on the funding phase, as individual projects or in collaboration with universities, research institutions or other companies (both SMEs and large companies)
• Funding of up to 65,000 euros over 12 months is available for the exploratory phase
• In the feasibility phase, the project-related costs are funded individually. The duration is usually two years.

Outlines can be submitted every year by the deadline of February 1st.

Guidelines

The object of the funding is the identification and further development of life science commercialization ideas, preferably in the areas of “therapeutics”, “diagnostics”, “platform technologies” and “research tools”, from their conceptual design through to feasibility testing (“proof-of-principle”, abbreviated to “PoP”) and possible commercialization options.

The starting point for funding should be very rough, draft concept ideas. During an exploratory phase, individuals or small teams who wish to further develop an exploitation idea from the life sciences are funded. At the end of the exploratory project, the idea should have gained significantly sharper contours, the realization path, including possible pitfalls and ways of circumventing them, should have been thought through and a development plan for the technical implementation should be available. 

Funding is provided in two phases. In exploratory phase 1, individual projects are funded with up to €100,000 over a standard period of 12 months.

In feasibility phase 2, individual and joint projects are funded with up to €1,000,000 over a standard period of up to 24 months.

Project outlines can be submitted until February 15.

Guidelines

The VIP+ funding program supports researchers in systematically validating their research results and, during the validation process, developing potential areas of application that are expected to have a high economic or social benefit. 

The aim of the validation phase is to examine, prove and evaluate the innovation potential of the identified research results and to successively develop possible areas of application. Legal and ethical framework conditions and the acceptance of the market and society must be taken into account.

The projects can include the following validation activities, for example:

• Studies to prove feasibility,
• Development of demonstrators or functional models, implementation of test series or pilot applications to prove suitability and acceptance,
• application-oriented basic research for the further development of research results in the direction of application or for adaptation to new areas of application,
• evaluative analyses to prove the economic or social innovation potential and
• analysis and protection of intellectual property rights.

Both individual projects and collaborative projects can be funded.

The amount of the grant per project depends on the requirements of the project applied for within the framework of the funds available. As a rule, the grant should not exceed EUR 500,000 per project or joint project per year (i.e. a total of EUR 1,500,000). Grants can be awarded for a period of up to three years as non-repayable subsidies.

Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis.

Guidelines

Funding is available for R&D cooperation projects between companies or between companies and research institutions to develop innovative products, processes or technical services without restriction to specific technologies and sectors.  Cooperation projects can also be carried out with foreign partners (companies and research institutions).

Amount of eligible costs:

• for companies: up to 450,000 euros per sub-project
• for research institutions: up to 220,000 euros per sub-project (100% funding)
• The maximum amount of funding for an overall project is EUR 2,300,000.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Guidelines

EXIST Transfer of Research consists of two funding phases:
In the first funding phase, research results with start-up potential are to be further developed. The aim is to clarify questions relating to the implementation of scientific results in technical products and processes, to develop the business idea based on this into a business plan and to prepare the planned company foundation.

In the second funding phase, the focus is on further development work, the launch of business activities and preparations for external corporate financing.

Phase 1 

The aim of the first funding phase of EXIST Transfer of Research is to carry out development work to prove technical feasibility, develop prototypes, draw up the business plan and finally found the company.

Funding is available for

• Personnel expenses / costs for up to 4 persons (maximum of three scientists and technical assistants) and one person with business management expertise)
• Material expenses / costs up to € 250,000. 
• Funding period: 18 months (in individual cases up to: 36 months)

Phase 2

The object of the funding (18 months) is further development work, measures to start up business activities in the newly founded technology company and the creation of the conditions for external corporate financing.

In funding phase II, a non-repayable grant of up to EUR 180,000, but no more than 75% of the specific costs of the project, can be awarded.

Project outlines can be submitted from January 1 to January 31 and from July 1 to July 31 of a calendar year..

Guidelines

KMU-innovativ is integrated in technology fields that are particularly important for Germany's future, including funding in the field of bioeconomy.

Funding is provided for research and development projects at universities and non-university research institutions as part of collaborative projects with SMEs and/or medium-sized companies focusing on the following areas, each with exemplary questions:

• Establishment of resource-saving, biological processes in the chemical or processing industry
• New biorefinery concepts for biofuels and highly refined fine chemicals
• bio-based methods for environmental protection and biological recycling processes
• Sustainable production and processing of food
• Production and provision of biogenic raw materials
• Plant development and breeding as well as sustainable plant health
• Broadening the technology base in bioprocess engineering
• Development of platform technologies to open up new metabolic pathways in microorganisms, plants, algae and cell cultures (metabolic engineering)
• Development of biological methods/techniques for CO2 conversion
• Development of new methods and devices in bioanalytics and biosynthesis.

Particular attention should be paid to one or more of the following aspects:

• Use of bio-based resources that open up sustainable and more efficient utilization of renewable raw materials and unused residual material streams, e.g. through closed-loop or cascade use, as well as alternative sources, including insects and algae
• Development of environmentally friendly biomaterials such as biopolymers and composites and biodegradable plastic substitutes
• Identification, extraction and production of biological active ingredients and valuable substances using natural diversity and evolutionary optimization processes
• Optimization and automation of biotechnological processes and procedures through digitalization and simulation techniques
• Use of databases with intelligent data evaluation
• Miniaturization of analysis techniques and use of microfluidic systems for biotechnological issues
• Monitoring and control using smart, autonomous sensors

The projects must be classified as applied research or pre-competitive development. This also includes projects in the early development phases of industrial research that first require validation (proof of concept). The aim is to accelerate the transfer of technology into practical application and to show companies future prospects in conjunction with the creation of qualified jobs.

The amount of the grant per project depends on the requirements of the project applied for within the framework of the available budget.

Project outlines can be submitted at any time. The evaluation deadlines for project outlines are April 15 and October 15.

Guidelines

The KMU-innovativ program is integrated into nine other fields of technology that are particularly important for Germany's future. Applications can also be submitted here:

• Biomedicine
• Electronics and autonomous driving
• Reserach for civil security
• Medicine Technology
• Information and communication technologies
• Interactive technologies for health and quality of life
• Material reserach
• Photonics and quantum technologies

Funding is provided for research and development projects at universities and non-university research institutions as part of collaborative projects with SMEs and/or medium-sized companies on the following key topics, each with exemplary issues:

Raw material efficiency

• Increasing resource efficiency, especially in raw material-intensive process technologies (e.g. processing of metallic and mineral raw materials, production of chemical raw materials and building materials)
• Efficient provision and use of economically strategic raw materials within the meaning of the BMBF's R&D program “Economically strategic raw materials for Germany as a high-tech location”
• Improving raw material productivity by optimizing value chains, including evaluation and control instruments
• Innovative recycling and utilization processes
• resource-efficient product des

Energy efficiency and climate protection

• system-related technologies, processes and services to increase energy efficiency in industry
• Greenhouse gas-reducing technologies and processes for industrial processes
• climate-relevant cross-sectional technologies
• Services and products for climate protection
• Services and products for adapting to climate change
• climate-friendly services and management methods for rural areas.

Projects that contribute to the Climate Action Plan 2050 and the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change are particularly welcome.

Sustainable water management

• Innovative processes for drinking water production and water treatment
• Strategies and technologies for water conservation and recycling (incl. aquaculture)
• Innovative wastewater and rainwater treatment technologies and energy generation from wastewater
• Concepts and technologies for the coupling of material flows (e.g. water, energy, waste) and, if necessary, the recovery of (nutrient) materials
• Measurement, control and regulation technology for water systems
• Efficient irrigation technologies
• resource- and energy-efficient adaptation measures to increase exportability in the water sector

Sustainable land management

• Instruments for reducing land consumption and strengthening inner-city development in cities
• Services, instruments and technologies for land recycling
• Technologies, processes and services for sustainable land management, in particular for safeguarding, restoring or improving soil functions
• Digitalization of planning, control and monitoring in land and area management

Project outlines can be submitted at any time. The evaluation deadlines for project outlines are April 15 and October 15.

Guidelines

The KMU-innovativ program is integrated into nine other fields of technology that are particularly important for Germany's future. Applications can also be submitted here:

• Biomedicine
• Electronics and autonomous driving
• Reserach for civil security
• Medicine Technology
• Information and communication technologies
• Interactive technologies for health and quality of life
• Material reserach
• Photonics and quantum technologies