Funder · Federal agency

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.

Germany

Key stats

Annual funding-

Programs15

Active grants8

Total grants17

About

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 …

Programs & grants under this funder

8th Energy Research Programme (8. Energieforschungsprogramm)

Funds German teams solving energy missions in hydrogen, heat, power, and systems integration.

1 grant

8. Energieforschungsprogramm — Projektförderung

Between cycles

€623M pool

EXIST — Existenzgründungen aus der Wissenschaft

Funds knowledge-based spinouts in Germany to launch technology companies from research environments.

2 grants

EXIST-Forschungstransfer — Research Transfer Grant

Open

- pool·Rolling submission

EXIST Start-up Grant (EXIST-Gründungsstipendium)

Open

- pool·Rolling submission

Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures — GRW (Gemeinschaftsaufgabe Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur)

Funds German regions with structural challenges through shared-state investments and infrastructure-backed development.

1 grant

Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures — GRW (Gemeinschaftsaufgabe Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur)

Open

€2.1B pool·Rolling submission

Germany BMWK Industrial Collective Research (Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung, IGF)

Funds BMWK Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung for pre-competitive collaborative research between industry associations and enterprises.

Regional Transformation Networks and Transformation Hubs

Funds German companies, associations, universities, and research institutions strengthening automotive and supplier industry competitiveness through BMWE regional network and technology-transfer hub grants.

2 grants

Transformation Hubs (Module B)

Closed

- pool

Regional Transformation Networks (Module A)

Closed

- pool

WIPANO – Knowledge and Technology Transfer through Patents and Standards

Funds German companies and research organizations securing patents, transferring research into standards, and joining standardization committees through the BMWE WIPANO directive.

3 grants

WIPANO Standards Participation for Companies

Open

- pool·Rolling submission

WIPANO Patenting for Companies

Open

- pool·Rolling submission

WIPANO Knowledge Transfer through Standardization

Open

- pool·Rolling submission

Germany BMWK WIPANO — Schutzrechte und Normen

Provides BMWK WIPANO support for converting innovation into intellectual property, trademarks, designs, and practical standards development.