Reviewers have a scientific background but are not necessarily specialists in your exact field. The text must be accessible while still showing technical depth.
Notice
The Communication Systems and IT Security technology field has not accepted new project outlines since April 2026.
KMU-innovativ
Up to 70% for small companies and up to 80% with a research partner.
Federal funding for high-risk research projects in defined technology fields.
Funding rates and key figures for KMU-innovativ
| Research category | Small companies | Medium-sized companies |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial research | 70% | 60% |
| Industrial research with a research institution | 80% | 75% |
| Experimental development | 45% | 35% |
| Experimental development with a research institution | 60% | 50% |
The exact rates are governed by the respective call for the technology field.
Example calculation
Typical project volume: €2M to €3M over around 2 years.
For a small company conducting industrial research at 70%, this equals a grant of around €1.4M to €2.1M. For experimental development at 45%, it is around €0.9M to €1.35M.
| Requirement for the uplift | research institution with at least a 10% cost share and its own publication rights |
| Deadlines | 15 April and 15 October |
| Duration | usually 2 to 3 years, project start only after approval |
Updated: September 2026. Source: Official program page
Who it really fits
Good fit
- ✓SMEs with fewer than 250 employees and no more than €50M revenue or a €43M balance sheet total
- ✓A high-risk research project in one of the technology fields
- ✓An individual project or a collaboration with universities and research institutions
- ✓The project is carried out in Germany
Not a fit
- ×Projects that are not carried out in Germany
Process and timeline
- 01
Project outline
max. 12 pages plus online project form, deadlines 15 April and 15 October
- 02
Assessment
feedback generally after around 2 months
- 03
Full application
by invitation after a positive decision
- 04
Approval and project start
the project starts only after approval
- 05
Project duration
usually 2 to 3 years
What we see in practice
Assessment follows four criteria: idea and degree of innovation, feasibility, project participants, and market and employment potential.
The state of the art must be supported with specific named approaches rather than a claim that nothing comparable exists.
Foreign partners can be included as contractors but do not receive their own funding without a German establishment.
Common pitfalls
Most outlines fail because the assessment criteria are addressed vaguely or repetitively, not because of formal errors.
Too much focus on scaling and infrastructure instead of the research risk.
Market claims without figures and sources.
Additional attachments are not assessed. Everything must fit into the single PDF.
Which questions do we hear most often?
No. The project can be carried out individually or with universities and research institutions. For the uplift, the research institution must bear at least 10% of the costs and have its own publication rights.
Only after approval. The project outline and assessment are followed by the full application after a positive decision, then approval.
The project duration is usually two to three years.
Does KMU-innovativ fit your research project?
In the intro call, we check the technology field, research category and potential partners.