Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.

Grants

EXIST Transfer of Research

EXIST-Forschungstransfer

Status

Open continuously

No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.

Always open

Amount

€250,000

Förderphase I: personnel for up to 4 FTE (3 scientific plus 1 business) and material costs "bis zu 250.000 Euro", which may be exceeded in well-justified cases; duration "bis zu 18 Monate", extendable to 36 months for complex projects. Förderphase II: grant "bis zu 180.000 Euro" on eligible costs of €240,000 at a rate of "bis zu 75 Prozent".

You must co-fund 25%.

Funder

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), operated by Projektträger Jülich

public · national

Deadline: rolling — No fixed Stichtage published on the programme page; applications go through the host institution.

Your odds

27.8%

Published by the funder, cumulative to 2025 (Monitoringbericht Nr. 3). This rate is measured post endorsement, so the odds from a standing start are lower.

Source

Effort

major

Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.

You fund 25% yourself.

Who can apply

Up to 4 employees
micro enterprises
Sectors: deeptech
Stage: idea, pre_seed, seed
R&D activity required
Locally registered entity required

Project must be hosted at a German university or research institution, with scientific preliminary work and demonstrated basic technological feasibility. The company must not yet be founded in Phase I.

How to apply

Contact the transfer office of the German university or research institution early. — link
The institution submits the Phase I application ("Die Antragstellung erfolgt über die Hochschule oder Forschungseinrichtung").
Complete Phase I technology development and start-up preparation, then found the company.
Apply for Phase II from the newly founded company; direct entry to Phase II is "grundsätzlich nicht möglich".

What you will need

Project outline demonstrating scientific preliminary work and basic technological feasibility
Team competence description (scientific and business)
Institutional application from the host university or research institution

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://exist.de/programm/forschungstransfer/ — checked 2026-08-14

"bis zu 250.000 Euro […] bis zu 18 Monate […] bis zu 180.000 Euro […] bis zu 75 Prozent"