ZIM Individual R&D Projects
Supports German small and medium-sized enterprises with technology-neutral projects for new products, processes, and services.
ZIM Individual R&D Projects fund single-company applied research and development efforts conducted by German SMEs in any technology area. Administered by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) through the Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM), this is the largest single-company innovation grant available to German SMEs on a rolling basis. Under the 2025 funding guideline, effective from 1 January 2025, the maximum eligible project costs increased from €550,000 to €690,000 per project. Grant rates range from 35 percent to 55 percent of eligible costs depending on company size and location — SMEs in Eastern Germany receive the higher rates. This translates to a maximum grant of approximately €380,000 for the most advantaged applicants at the top of the eligible cost band.
Eligibility is limited to German SMEs with up to 250 employees and annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or a balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million. The company must be incorporated and conduct its R&D activities in Germany. There are no sector or technology restrictions — ZIM funds thousands of technology-neutral projects annually across manufacturing, software, materials, medtech, cleantech, and a wide range of other fields. Subcontracts to external service providers are eligible within ZIM's standard subcontracting rules. Funded projects typically run 24 to 36 months. Applications are submitted on a rolling basis to VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH; typical decision timeline is 3 to 4 months from submission.
The Individual track is best suited to SMEs that have sufficient in-house technical capacity to execute the R&D project without requiring a formal research-institution partner. Companies that need to bridge to external expertise should consider the ZIM Cooperation track instead. The programme accepts applications year-round with no fixed deadline — the next major visibility event is the Innovationstag Mittelstand on June 11, 2026. ZIM funds roughly €620 million in new projects annually across all its tracks, making it one of the highest-volume R&D grant programmes in Europe.
Individual company R&D projects developing new products, processes, or technical services. Technology-neutral — funding is not restricted to any specific field of technology or application.
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