Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE)

Administers German federal research and innovation financing with ministries and partner agencies to drive competitiveness, energy transition, and growth.

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) is Germany’s federal ministry for economic and energy policy. It was renamed from BMWK in May 2025, and its remit spans growth, competitiveness, innovation, regional policy, energy security, hydrogen, industry, foreign trade, and SME support.

Its funding toolkit is broad. ZIM backs individual and cooperative R&D projects and innovation networks for SMEs and research partners, and it funds thousands of new projects annually through a fully digital application route; IGP supports non-technical innovations; INNO-KOM strengthens non-profit research capacity in structurally disadvantaged regions; go-inno subsidizes external innovation consulting for SMEs; and the ERP Digitalisation and Innovation Loan ranges from €25,000 to €25 million, with ERP Mezzanine for Innovation from €25,000 to €5 million. The research tax credit under FZulG also matters, with the annual ceiling raised to €10 million per enterprise.

Delivery is handled through specialist project carriers and digital portals rather than a single ministry desk. The ministry’s own materials emphasise rolling applications, technology-neutral competition, and practical access for young firms, small companies, and collaborating research groups.