Industries 
all industries (with the exception of deep tech*)

*Definition of Deep Tech here aws Seedfinancing - Deep Tech.

Company form/size 
already established independent partnerships or corporations (only micro and small enterprises according to the definition of SME definition)

Development stage 
Startup phase: Companies up to 5 years after the date of incorporation (at the time the grant is awarded)

Requirements

• Proven high degree of innovation: The project represents a further development of a completely new solution for existing problems, the development of significant additions to existing solutions, or the application of existing techniques/materials/processes in a new area, or the development of the solution to a new problem through to market maturity.
• The project demonstrates realistic high market opportunities in the context of scalable business models.
• The content and economic feasibility were already verified, and the first prototypes and applications are developed.
• The team is diverse and committed, start-up-oriented and willing to take risks.
• The company is pursuing an above-average growth strategy and is open to growth financing.
• Regardless of the sector, the innovation-specific impact must be in the following areas:
  • Diversity/equality/integration/inclusion
  • Environment/resources/climate protection
  • Health/Care
  • Education
  • Mobility/Transportation
  • Urban development/living in the countryside/housing
• The other criteria of the program document are to be met.
• Funding is provided for innovative projects outside of high technology (deep tech) sector. If the essence of innovation falls within the area of high technology, the programs aws Preseed - Deep Tech and aws Seedfinancing - Deep Tech  are better suited for this.

You can find further information and templates of the mandatory documents in  the Downloads.

Type of funding and consulting

• Grant
• Industry-specific consulting, IP advice and coaching: consultations on innovation protection (max 12h): innovation protection experts support you in maximizing the potential of your intellectual property! In our customized and confidential consultations and workshops, you will receive in-depth insights and strategies on how to protect your innovations and thereby gain valuable and sustainable competitive advantages. Further information in aws innovation protection.
• Development of further sources of funding

Amount of funding

• The maximum possible grant amounts to EUR 400,000
• The maximum funding can only be applied for if the gender bonus is applicable. Otherwise, the maximum funding amounts to EUR 356,000.
• The funding rate is 80 % of eligible costs with 10 % to be contributed as equity by shareholders, and an additional 10 % can be raised from other defined monetary sources like sales or long-term financing. When applying the gender bonus, the funding intensity increases to 90 % with 5 % to be contributed as equity by shareholders, and another 5 % can be raised from other defined monetary sources like sales or long-term financing.

Costs eligible for funding

• Personnel costs (e.g. salaries, wages)
• Third-party costs, i.external services procured (e.g., IT services, project-specific consulting services, purchase of market studies, costs for market research, development of a project-specific marketing/sales concept)
• Material costs costs (tangible and intangible investments like property rights and licenses, development costs for pilot and demonstration objects: machines, tools, etc.)
• Other costs directly incurred as part of the project (e.g., consumables, materials)

Further details on eligible costs can be found in the program document.

Term 
max. 2 years

Payment 
The grant is disbursed in installments upon achieving pre-defined milestones.

Repayment 
non-repayable

Supplementary funding
aws innovation protection
aws Connect

• Projects that correspond to the state of the art or merely aim at routine changes or gradual further developments of existing products, services and manufacturing processes (incremental innovations)
• Projects from the deep-tech sector
• Crowdfunding platforms and business areas of companies in the other financing sector that are subject to supervision by the Financial Market Authority
• Investments beyond the funding period
• Real estate, vehicles, construction of buildings or non-specific building equipment
• Costs that are not an indispensable prerequisite for successful project completion and achieving a project’s goals
• Costs incurred before the application date or the contractually defined start of a project
• private pension plans, voluntary social benefits and other voluntary contributions, reserves, provisions, etc.
• Costs that do not qualify as eligible costs under EU competition law
• Costs that are covered by other funding schemes
• The sales tax to be paid (exception: companies that are not entitled to deduct pre-tax)
• Invoice receipts under EUR 50,- excl. VAT

For further details on non-eligible costs, please refer to the program document.

1. Application for funding via the aws Fördermanager (funding manager).
2. Analysis of applications based on content and formal criteria by the aws.
   The following documents are mandatory for submission: - 
   Business plan (25 pages, can vary by max.+/- 5 pages) 
   - structured pitch deck (according to the structure in the template) 
   - integral planning (plan of work packages and costs) 
   - proof of identification 
   - CVs of the project team.
3. Content and economic evaluation of all complete applications that meet the specified criteria
4. Final decision in the jury meeting (members of the jury).

We will inform you of the decision as soon as possible.

Duration of approval process 
The approval period depends on the dates of jury meetings, which takes place several times per year (usually once per quarter). Please note the two-stage selection procedure and decision-making process.

Process in detail (graphic) | Process in detail (text)