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Resource efficiency and climate protection; application for funding for projects by small and medium-sized enterprises

If you are a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and want to carry out a new project in the field of resource efficiency and climate protection, either alone or with partners from science or industry, you can apply for funding.

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Projektträger Jülich (PtJ)
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Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt
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Procedure details

Funding is provided for research and development (R&D) projects on the following key topics:

Raw material efficiency

  • Resource-efficient circular economy: recycling and extending the useful life of products and components, resource-efficient product design and innovative recycling and recovery processes,
  • increasing resource efficiency, especially in raw material-intensive processes (for example, processing of metallic and mineral raw materials, production of chemical base materials and building materials),
  • efficient provision and use of critical raw materials,
  • Improving raw material productivity by optimizing value chains, using digital technologies and developing assessment and control tools,
  • material use of carbon dioxide (CO2) to substitute fossil raw materials, including efficient capture of CO2.

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,
  • Climate protection services and products,
  • services and products for adaptation to climate change,
  • climate-friendly services and management processes for rural areas.

Sustainable water management

  • Innovative processes for drinking water production and water treatment,
  • strategies and technologies for water conservation and recycling (including aquaculture),
  • innovative wastewater or stormwater treatment technologies and energy production from wastewater,
  • concepts and technologies for the coupling of material flows (for example, water, energy, waste) and, where appropriate, recovery of (nutrients) (for example, phosphorus),
  • resource-saving utilization of sewage sludge and liquid manure for preventive groundwater protection,
  • 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

  • Technologies, processes and services for sustainable land management, especially for securing, restoring or improving soil functions,
  • Digitalization of planning, control and monitoring in land management,
  • Instruments for reducing land consumption and strengthening internal development in cities,
  • Services, instruments and technologies for land recycling.

Eligible for funding are individual projects of companies with competence in the main topics described above. In principle, funding is also available for consortia involving several SMEs or research institutions or companies that do not meet the SME criteria. However, a significant proportion of the research work must be carried out by the SMEs involved and the benefits of the project must primarily accrue to them.

However, companies that want to start R&D activities in the field of resource efficiency and climate protection for the first time can also be included in the funding. In this case, however, cooperation with an experienced partner is advisable.

Grants are awarded by way of project funding. Grants can be used for personnel, travel and material expenses, for contract awards and for equipment investments. Construction investments are excluded from the funding. The "General Block Exemption Regulation" (AGVO) must be taken into account when determining the respective eligible costs or expenses.

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

For applicants whose total own contributions from BMBF-funded research projects do not exceed EUR 100,000 in each year of the project's duration, a simplified credit check can be carried out.

If you do not meet all the criteria to be considered an SME, you may receive funding of a maximum of 35 percent of the project-related costs under certain conditions.

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

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

It is expected that at least half of the funding applied for (including any bonuses to be granted for SMEs and project lump sums for universities) will benefit the SMEs involved.

The possible funding period is usually 2 years.

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 dutiful discretion within the framework of the available budget funds.

The contact persons responsible for you in the areas of raw material efficiency, energy efficiency and climate protection, sustainable water management and sustainable land management can be found on the Internet in the published announcement.

Eligible applicants are:

  • Small and medium-sized enterprises. This means,
    • Employ fewer than 250 employees,
    • have an annual turnover of no more than EUR 50 million or
    • have an annual balance sheet total of no more than EUR 43 million in the previous fiscal year.
  • Companies that are not SMEs
  • Universities
  • non-university research institutions
  • Local authorities

They must also meet the following requirements:

  • Subject of the project in the field of resource efficiency, energy efficiency or climate protection
  • Establishment or permanent establishment in Germany
  • Research and development projects with a high scientific and technical risk
  • Regulation of the cooperation by means of a cooperation agreement

  • Required Documents

    Für die 1. Verfahrensstufe: Projektskizze mit folgenden Angaben:

    • Deckblatt mit Projektbezeichnung, Postanschrift, Telefon und E-Mail der Einsenderin oder des Einsenders sowie den Angaben zu Gesamtkosten, Zuwendungsbedarf und Laufzeit
    • Thema und Zielsetzung des Vorhabens,
    • Stand der Wissenschaft und Technik, Neuheit des Lösungsansatzes, Patentlage,
    • Notwendigkeit der Zuwendung: Wissenschaftlichtechnisches und wirtschaftliches Risiko mit Begründung der Notwendigkeit staatlicher Förderung,
    • Marktpotenzial, Marktumfeld, wirtschaftliche und wissenschaftliche Konkurrenzsituation,
    • Kurzdarstellung der beantragenden Unternehmen, konkrete Darlegung der Geschäftsmodelle und Marktperspektiven mit Zeithorizont und Planzahlen, Darstellung des aufzubringenden Eigenanteils,
    • Arbeitsplan, gegebenenfalls Verbundstruktur mit Arbeitspaketen aller beteiligten Partner,
    • Finanzierungsplanentwurf,
    • Verwertungsplan (wirtschaftliche und wissenschaftlich-technische Erfolgsaussichten, Nutzungsmöglichkeiten und Anschlussfähigkeit).

The application procedure is 2-stage.

Stage 1: Project outline

  • In the case of collaborative projects, you submit a project outline agreed among the partners, consisting of a maximum of 12 A4 pages (including attachments; Arial font, font size 11, single-spaced) to the responsible project management organization and via the PT-Outline portal.
    • The BMBF has commissioned project management agencies ("approval authorities") to handle the funding measure. You can find the project management agency responsible for your topic on the Internet in the published announcement.
  • In addition to preparing the project outline, you must print out the PT Outline Project Sheet, sign it and send it by mail to the project management organization (PT).
  • The project outline will be evaluated in the competitive procedure following criteria:
    • Importance of the research objective: societal need and product relevance,
    • Scientific-technical quality of the solution approach,
    • level of innovation of the scientific-technical concept,
    • technological and economic potential,
    • Qualification of the partners,
    • Quality of the project management and, if applicable, of the collaborative structure,
    • Quality and feasibility of the exploitation plan, commercialization perspective, market potential,
    • Contribution of the project to the future positioning of the company in the market,
    • Assessment of the social, economic and ecological opportunities and risks associated with the scientific and technological innovations.
  • If your project idea is selected, you will receive a positive written request to submit the application (stage 2).

Stage 2: Application

You submit your application for funding for a project in the area of resource efficiency and climate protection as follows:

  • Submit your application 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 in the next step along with the other application documents.
  • Once the application has been received by the project management organization, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
  • The responsible person at the project management organization will contact you while your application is being processed in order to clarify any queries.
  • The applications received will be evaluated and reviewed on the basis of the above-mentioned criteria as well as with additional consideration of the following criteria:
    • Fulfillment of any peer-reviewed notes and requirements from the outline evaluation,
    • Quality of the exploitation plans of the individual collaborative partners,
    • Project management (effectiveness and efficiency of the planned organization of the project work), project structure (responsibilities, interfaces), and risk management,
    • Adequacy of preliminary costing or financing plan.
  • You will receive a decision on your application.
  • In the event of a positive decision, you will receive a notification of funding by post.

Levy: none

You can submit your project outline to the BMBF's project management agency at any time. However, please note the submission deadlines for project outlines:

  • 15.10. 2023

The submission deadline is not a cut-off date. However, project outlines received after the deadline specified above may not be considered until the next submission deadline.

Processing time for the review of the project outline. (2 months)

  • Objection
  • objection
  • Administrative court action

Status: 14.03.2025
Editorial responsibility Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt