subsidies management

When you have to deal with official bodies, things often get complicated, sometimes impenetrable. Without prior knowledge and experience applying for subsidies will get very complicated. With us, you will find experience, practical help and transparent insights into the application processes as well as documentation requirements during the project phase.

What are subsidies?

What are subsidies?
Companies and the self-employed need capital for investments. There are usually two sources for this: equity capital and borrowed capital. However, equity capital has to be generated first. Borrowed capital is immediately available.
In the case of subsidies, the source of borrowed capital is the state, the region or private sponsors.
Public sponsors are

  • the EU,
  • the federal government,
  • the federal states, or
  • the KfW.

Governments distribute public subsidies depending on their political or economic interests. Examples of these interests are climate protection, boosting the economy or creating jobs.

The importance of professional subsidies advice

Challenges in identifying and applying for subsidies

There is a wide range of subsidy programs. The challenge lies in finding the suitable subsidy program for your project. Another challenge is the complicated application process. Knowledge of funding law is often necessary to meet the requirements of funding bodies.

Advantages of working with subsidy consultants

We are familiar with all the subsidy possibilities and provide the specialist knowledge required to compile the documents. We know the regulations of the funding providers and comply with them. We also have the necessary contacts to the ministries and project sponsors.

Step by step to successful subsidies procurement with ECOVIS NRW

How we understand the needs and goals of your company:

In an initial meeting, we get to know your company and your projects in order to find the right funding for you in a targeted manner and develop a strategy.

How we identify relevant subsidy programs:

Now that we know your needs, we are able to set out on a targeted search for a fitting subsidy program for you. To accomplish this, we use our experience and knowledge of the numerous funding opportunities.

How we prepare the customized subsidy application.

Our experts will support you with the professional preparation of your application. We compile the documents in full and on time in compliance with funding law.

How we efficiently support and complete the application process:

Through constant communication with the funding body, we are able to react quickly to subsequent requests and thus finalize the application so that you will soon receive the subsidy notification.

How we continue to support the project:

We are in exchange with the ministries and project sponsors, submit payment requests, interim proofs, interim reports and proof of use.

Welche besonderen Fördermittel behandelt ECOVIS KSO?

The research allowance is an instrument of state support. It aims to provide financial support to companies and organizations that invest in research and development. It serves as an incentive to increase private investment in scientific projects and innovative ideas. The allowance is granted in the form of tax relief. This support is intended to strengthen the country’s innovative strength and lay the foundations for sustainable growth and progress.

Who benefits from the FZulG?

Persons with unlimited or limited tax liability – whether sole traders, private companies or corporations – regardless of size or sector can receive the subsidy.

What does the FZulG promote?

Companies can receive up to 1 million euros per year for their research and development activities.
Funding is provided for 25% of personnel costs within the framework of research and development projects. If a research and development project is carried out as contract research by a third party, 60% of the remuneration incurred for this is eligible expenditure.

What are the requirements of the FZulG?

Funding is available for basic research, industrial research and experimental development. Eligible research and development projects must:
Aim to gain new knowledge (novel),
Be original (creative),
Follow a plan and be budgetable (systematic),
contain uncertainties with regard to the final result (uncertain) and
be reproducible (transferable and/or reproducible).

How does the FZulG provide funding?

The application for a research grant is divided into two steps:
Application for a certificate from the Research Grant Certification Office (“Bescheinigungsstelle Forschungszulage”, in short BSFZ).
First, an application for a certificate of eligibility for a research and development project from the BSFZ must be submitted.
Application for assessment of the research allowance at the relevant tax office
The approved certificate can then be used to apply to the relevant tax office for the research tax allowance. The application is submitted to the relevant tax office after the end of the financial year. This office determines the amount of funding and then takes care of the tax repayment.

Who benefits from ZIM?

Medium-sized companies as well as research institutions that work together with medium-sized companies.

What does ZIM promote?

  1. Promotion of research and development (R&D): Companies are to be financially supported in implementing innovative R&D projects that open up new market prospects for them and strengthen their competitiveness.
  2. Promoting cooperation: ZIM places particular emphasis on cooperation between companies and other players such as research institutions, universities or other SMEs. The aim is to exploit synergies and promote the exchange of knowledge.
  3. Promotion of different types of innovation: ZIM promotes both technical and non-technical innovations, such as process innovations or new business models.
  4. Funding for feasibility studies: Feasibility studies are funded to prepare research and development activities in the form of a planned ZIM R&D project.

The technological innovation content and good market opportunities of the funded projects are essential for approval.

What is the ZIM funding rate?

Companies are funded with up to 60% of the eligible costs. Funding is provided in the form of a subsidy.

How does the ZIM application process work?

First, one of three project forms is selected:

  • Individual R&D projects,
  • R&D cooperation projects
  • Innovation networks

It is important that both the project form and the company’s idea match. Anyone applying for funding for research projects can carry out feasibility studies in advance. This checks the feasibility of projects. This step is optional. At the end, the application is submitted to the responsible project management organization.

What are the requirements for ZIM?

Only projects that meet three criteria are eligible for funding:

  1. They are closely related to the R&D project in terms of content and timing.
  2. The market launch is reasonable.
  3. From an economical point of view, it makes sense to work with qualified external providers.

First, a project outline is submitted. As soon as this has been positively assessed, the full application with a detailed project description plus financing plan is submitted.

Who benefits from KMU-innovativ?

High-risk industrial research and pre-competitive development projects by SMEs are eligible for funding as individual or joint projects. In the case of joint projects, at least one SME must be involved; a joint project should be initiated and coordinated by an SME.

What does KMU-innovativ support?

Within the framework of KMU-innovativ, project outlines can be submitted in the following fields of technology:

  • Bioeconomy
  • Biomedicine
  • Electronics and autonomous driving; Supercomputing
  • Research for civil security
  • Information and communication technologies
  • Interactive technologies for health and quality of life
  • Materials research
  • Resource efficiency and climate protection

The funding program is a two-stage program. In the first stage, project outlines can be submitted by April 15 and October 15 of each year. Once the outlines have been positively assessed, an application must be submitted.

What is the funding rate for KMU-innovativ?

The funding is awarded as a non-repayable subsidy. The eligible project costs are funded. As a general rule, up to 50% of these costs can be financed, taking into account the requirements of state aid law (see appendix). The aid intensity can be increased by 10% for companies that meet the requirements of the EU definition of SMEs.

The aim of the funding is to support companies with investment measures to increase their energy and resource efficiency and to use renewable energy sources to provide process heat. This is intended to create incentives for companies to invest in particular in ambitious projects that require support in order to economically implement their goals in terms of energy efficiency, resource conservation as well as the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Who benefits from the funding competition?

  • Companies in the commercial sector,
  • municipal companies with a private legal form,
  • state-owned companies with a private legal form,
  • freelancers, if the business premises are mainly used for freelance work and
  • Contractors (service companies) that carry out the measures specified in this guideline for a company eligible to apply (contractor)

What does the competition promote?

  • Process and procedure conversions to energy and resource-efficient technologies
  • Utilization of process waste heat
  • Increasing the energy and/or resource efficiency of systems for heat supply, cooling and ventilation
  • Energy- and/or resource-efficient provision of process heating or cooling
  • Procurement and installation of the following systems for the provision of process heat
  • to avoid energy and/or resource losses in the production process
  • Sensors, measurement and control technology (MSR)
  • Use of renewable energies instead of fossil fuels
  • Electrification of processes

How does the funding work?

Basically, it works like a classic funding program, supplemented by a competitive component:

The funding decision is made on the basis of funding efficiency. This puts the funding amount applied for in relation to the expected CO2 savings. The higher the savings or the lower the funding applied for, the better the funding efficiency and thus the chance of being one of the funded projects in a competition round.

Which sectors are currently benefiting from funding?

  • Companies that focus on renewable energies
  • Technology companies, especially start-ups
  • Companies that focus on environmental protection and sustainability
  • Companies that conduct research
  • Companies that want to improve the quality of education
  • Public sector
  • Electromobility

When is the best time to apply for subsidies?

This depends on the respective funding program and the funding bodies. At the beginning of a financial year in particular, the funding bodies have a lot of budget that is reserved for funding programs. Additional funds can always be made available over the course of a year if certain topics are politically relevant.

How long does it normally take for a subsidy application to be processed?

This depends on many factors. . There are small-scale programs where the subsidy application is processed within a few weeks. Longer approval times are to be expected for R&D funding in particular.

What are my chances of receiving subsidies?

The completeness of the documents submitted and a convincing project outline are important for the success of an application. If the documents are submitted in a complete and correct manner and the project outline is convincing, a positive funding decision can be expected. We will help you to compile the documents completely and convincingly.

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