Central Innovation Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (ZIM)

• Small and medium-sized enterprises of the industrial economy
• and research institutions working with them.

The Central Innovation Program for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (ZIM) is a nationwide, technology and industry-independent funding program. ZIM is designed to sustainably strengthen the innovation power and thus the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. It should contribute to economic growth, especially through the exploitation of value creation potentials and the raising of the level of application-oriented knowledge.
With ZIM, companies receive grants for demanding research and development projects that lead to new products, technical services or better production processes. Essential for a grant are the technological innovation content and the good market chances of the funded R&D projects. ZIM aims at small and medium-sized enterprises-friendly framework conditions and is tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Companies can carry out research and development as individual projects or as cooperation projects with research institutions or other companies. In addition, the management and organization of innovative company networks are also supported. Both in cooperation projects and in networks, ZIM also supports international partnerships.
Eligible for funding are:

• R&D individual projects
• R&D cooperation projects
• Innovation networks

The eligible costs for the ZIM single project are a maximum of €550,000. The grant is provided as a non-repayable grant in the form of a co-financing up to the following funding rates:

• 45% for small companies in structurally weak regions (GRW)
• 45% for small, young companies
• 40% for small companies
• 35% for medium-sized companies
• 25% for other medium-sized companies The eligible costs for ZIM cooperation projects are granted as a non-repayable grant in the form of a co-financing (in relation to the eligible costs). The amount of the eligible costs is €450,000 for companies per sub-project and €220,000 for research institutions per sub-project. The amount of the grant for an overall project can amount to a maximum of €2.3 million.
• 55% (or 60% for cooperation projects with foreign partners) for small companies in structurally weak regions (GRW)
• 55% (or 60% for cooperation projects with foreign partners) for small, young companies
• 45% (or 55% for cooperation projects with foreign partners) for small companies
• 40% (or 50% for cooperation projects with foreign partners) for medium-sized companies
• 30% (or 40% for cooperation projects with foreign partners) for other medium-sized companies with fewer than 500 employees
• 30% (or 40% for cooperation projects with foreign partners) for other medium-sized companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, only in cooperation with an SME The funding of network management is graduated. For national ZIM innovation networks, the maximum grant for network management is €420,000, of which no more than €180,000 may be allocated to Phase 1. For international ZIM innovation networks, the maximum possible grant is €520,000, of which a maximum of €220,000 may be allocated to Phase 1.
• 90% for national networks in Phase 1 (max. 12 months)
• 95% for international networks in Phase 1 (max. 18 months)
• 70% in the 1st year, 50% in the 2nd year or 30% in the 3rd year for national networks in Phase 2 (each max. 12 months)
• 80% in the 1st year, 60% in the 2nd year or 40% in the 3rd year for international networks in Phase 2 (each max. 12 months)