Forschungszulage
Receive up to EUR 15m non-dilutive tax-free cash through the Research Allowance Act
Advantages of the Forschungzulage
Amount
Funding of up to € 1 million per year (from 28 March 2024 up to € 3.5 million per year including CAPEX)
Approval Rate
High approval rate of 70% compared to other funding programmes, e.g. EIC with only 5%
Allocation Process
Fast allocation process - the avg. allocation time is 56 calendar days, compared to e.g. 8-9 months for the EIC
Ventures who trust us
"Working with Alex and his team was very pleasing for us. The structured process helped us to present our research and development activities as efficiently as possible and to successfully apply for and receive approval for the FZuL. We look forward to working with Alex and his team in the future."
"The collaboration with FUNDED was outstandingly good, incredibly professional and efficient. We have already worked with several grant consultancies and FUNDED stands out in particular with its extremely efficient communication with all parties."
"It took us 6 weeks from kick-off to application, which is definitely due to the good communication, structure and collaboration with the team. The quality of each draft for application materials was very accurate despite the deep tech domain and saved me a lot of time."
"FUNDED played a crucial role in helping us navigate the FZuL application process efficiently and successfully. Their structured approach, combined with attention to detail and deep expertise, made even complex requirements manageable, saving us valuable time. We’re excited to continue working with FUNDED by making use of their SaaS solution FundedOS to streamline our grant application process."
“The combination of expertise, attention to detail, and high responsiveness from the FUNDED team is impressive. We really enjoyed working together, even during stressful phases.“
Satisfied clients
Ranging from stealth start-ups to decacorns
Advised funding
In grants and venture debt
users
On FundedOS
See more references
What is the Forschungszulage?
The Forschungszulage (FZul) is a tax-based incentive for companies investing in research and development (R&D). It allows personnel-related R&D expenses as well as external development contracts to be claimed retroactively from January 1, 2020. The funding is independent of company size or profitability and is disbursed directly through the tax return – providing real liquidity support. The goal of FZul is to promote innovation and strengthen competitiveness in the long term.
Under the Research Allowance Act (FZulG), companies can accredit up to €10 million per year - or up to €60 million in total - of internal and external personnel expenses as well as capital expenditures (CAPEX). A maximum of €3.5 million per year, equivalent to 35% of eligible expenses, can be reimbursed tax-free in cash, with an overall cap of €15 million. Also, funding can be claimed retroactively for up to four years.
Requirements for fundable FZul projects
Eligible projects under the Research Allowance Act (FZulG) must meet three criteria to be able to receive funding
Novelty
Projects must be directed toward the generation of new knowledge and must be founded on original concepts and non-obvious hypotheses.
Risk
Projects must involve uncertainty regarding the outcome, particularly in the form of technical, scientific, or conceptual risks that could influence the successful completion of the project.
Planned
Projects must be conducted systematically, following a defined plan and budget, and must lead to results that are reproducible.
Not sure if you meet the criteria for Forschungzulage funding?
The application process for FZul funding
The FZul application process involves numerous complex requirements and formalities, which can result in a significant time investment without the right expertise.
Identification
Application
Payout
Identification
Most companies pursue many innovative projects - the project with the maximum funding probability is identified together
Project A
Project B
Project C
Preperation
We will review all information provided by you and beyond to make a first proposal.
Workshop
In our proven workshop format, we will discuss with you all relevant aspects.
Documentation
Our skilled consultants will create the qualitative and quantitative parts of the grant applications.
Application
Based on the identified project, FUNDED creates a quantitative and qualitative application that optimizes the volume of assignable work.
In preparing the application documents for you, we will focus on underlining the novelty, risk and plan behind the identified projects.
Payout
FUNDED supports companies in implementing an efficient documentation process to ensure that grants are paid out timely and as accredited. Our proprietary SaaS solution FundedOS supports the required documention.
Internal documentation
Applying for the Forschungszulage requires structured and traceable documentation of all R&D activities. This includes, in particular: