--- title: Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) | FUNDED description: ZIM allows accreditation of up to €1.83 million in internal and external personnel expenses and other eligible costs – with cash reimbursements of up to €896,000. image: https://gotfunded.de/hubfs/FUNDED_Screen-Jul-29-2024-08-14-14-2173-AM.png --- [![FUNDED Logo_Dark](https://gotfunded.de/hubfs/Picture1-2.png) ![FUNDED_HighRes](https://gotfunded.de/hubfs/FUNDED_HighRes.png) ![FUNDED Logo_Dark](https://gotfunded.de/hubfs/Picture1.png) ![FUNDED Logo_Dark](https://gotfunded.de/hubfs/Picture1-2.png) ![FUNDED_HighRes-1](https://gotfunded.de/hubfs/FUNDED_HighRes-1.png)](https://gotfunded.de/en/?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://gotfunded.de/en/) - [Services](https://gotfunded.de/en/our-services) - [Services Overview](https://gotfunded.de/en/our-services) - [Grants](https://gotfunded.de/en/our-grant-services) - [Debt](https://gotfunded.de/en/debt) - [FundedOS](https://gotfunded.de/en/os) - [Career](https://gotfunded.de/en/career) - [Career Overview](https://gotfunded.de/en/career) - [Job postings](https://gotfunded.de/en/job-board) - [About us](https://gotfunded.de/en/about-us) - [Insights](https://gotfunded.de/en/insights) - [FundedOS](https://app.gotfunded.de) [LI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gotfunded/) - [English](https://gotfunded.de/en/services/zim) - [Deutsch](https://gotfunded.de/de/services/zim) English [Get in touch](https://gotfunded.de/de/termin-vereinbaren?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://gotfunded.de/en/) - [Services](https://gotfunded.de/en/our-services) - [Services Overview](https://gotfunded.de/en/our-services) - [Grants](https://gotfunded.de/en/our-grant-services) - [Debt](https://gotfunded.de/en/debt) - [FundedOS](https://gotfunded.de/en/os) - [Career](https://gotfunded.de/en/career) - [Career Overview](https://gotfunded.de/en/career) - [Job postings](https://gotfunded.de/en/job-board) - [About us](https://gotfunded.de/en/about-us) - [Insights](https://gotfunded.de/en/insights) - [FundedOS](https://app.gotfunded.de) [LI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gotfunded/) - [English](https://gotfunded.de/en/services/zim) - [Deutsch](https://gotfunded.de/de/services/zim) [Get in touch](https://gotfunded.de/de/termin-vereinbaren?hsLang=en) Strengthen innovation sustainably and secure a lasting competitive edge # Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) Receive funding for eligible expenses for a total amount of up to €1.83 million [Talk to us now](https://gotfunded.de/en/schedule-a-meeting?hsLang=en) # Advantages of ZIM 01 ### Amount Internal and external personnel costs and other costs of up to €1.83 million are supported by grants 02 ### Approval Rate High approval rate of 62% compared to other funding programmes, e.g. EIC with 7% 03 ### Installments Payment is made in quarterly installments during the project term and not only after project completion Selected Clients ## 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." Dr. Gideon Schwich Co-Founder Cylib "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." René Haas Co-Founder Neocarbon "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." Tom Lüdersdorf Co-Founder Ultihash "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." Nick Zumbühl Co-founder Nala Earth “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.“ Prof. Dr. Achim Oberg Uni Hamburg + 0 ### Satisfied clients Ranging from stealth start-ups to decacorns ‎EUR + 0 m ### Advised funding In grants and debt + 0 ### users On FundedOS ### See more references [Here](https://gotfunded.de/en/about-us#references) # ZIM in detail The Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) is a cross-industry funding program that supports innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany. Its aim is to strengthen the economic stability and competitiveness of the Mittelstand. With ZIM, internal and external personnel costs, as well as other eligible expenses, can be funded through grants – for a total amount of up to €1.83 million. Funding is provided for the development of new products, processes, and services that offer significant improvements over existing solutions. Funding is provided from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) focused on SMEs carrying out ambitious research and development projects – without any thematic restrictions to specific technology fields or industries. With more than 40,000 approved projects to date and an annual funding volume of €447 million (as of 2023), ZIM is the most important and comprehensive national funding program for innovative projects. # Requirements for fundable ZIM projects Eligible projects under ZIM must meet R&D and economic specific requirements to be able to receive funding. ### R&D requirements ### 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. ### Economic requirements ### Capacity After allocating personnel to the R&D project, the remaining staff capacity must be sufficient to ensure the continued operation of the company's regular business activities. ### Stability Companies should have completed their establishment and must be able to provide the necessary financial contribution required for the project. ### Necessity The project cannot be realized, or can only be realized with delays, without the funding – or the funding enables the inclusion of additional project elements or the expansion of expenditures. ### Not sure if you meet the criteria for ZIM funding? [Speak to us now](https://gotfunded.de/en/schedule-a-meeting?hsLang=en) # The application process for ZIM funding The ZIM application process involves numerous complex requirements and formalities, which can result in a significant time investment without the right expertise. 01 ### Identification 02 ### Drafting the Application 03 ### Submitting the application 04 ### Examination and approval of application ### Technical Risk 90% ### Degree of Innovation 100% ### Market Potential 70% 01 ### Identification We assess whether your project meets the ZIM eligibility criteria. This includes analyzing its level of technical risk, innovation, and market potential – ensuring that the application has strong prospects for approval. 02 ## Drafting the Application Following a positive assessment, we prepare the complete funding application, including the detailed project description, cost planning, and formal compliance. We support you throughout all three possible application types for individual ZIM projects: Feasibility study ### Feasibility study Feasibility analysis to evaluate innovation potential and technical solutions. We provide precise and well-structured documentation. R&D Project ### R&D Project Development of new products, processes, or services. We prepare the complete project description. Go-to-market Strategy ### Go-to-market Strategy A strategic plan for bringing new innovations to market. We develop a compelling commercialization concept. ![black circle](https://gotfunded.de/hs-fs/hubfs/black%20circle.png?width=1307&height=1306&name=black%20circle.png) ![FundedOS_1](https://gotfunded.de/hs-fs/hubfs/FundedOS_1.png?width=1023&height=1024&name=FundedOS_1.png) 03 ### Submitting the Application We handle the digital submission of your application via the ZIM portal. We ensure completeness and error-free forms to prevent delays in the approval process. 04 ## Examination and Approval of Application The project management agency reviews the application, and we handle all communication in case of follow-up questions. Once approved, we support you through the contract process and the start of your project. The maximum project duration is 3 years. 01 #### Review 02 #### Approval 03 #### Project Start # Company requirements ZIM funding is generally open to all companies and industries. There are only a few requirements regarding the company's size: ## SMEs with fewer than 500 employees ## Companies with up to 1,000 employees if cooperating with an SME ## Open to all industries and technological fields ### Not sure if you meet the criteria for ZIM funding? [Speak to us now](https://gotfunded.de/en/schedule-a-meeting?hsLang=en) ### FUNDED Your partner for non-dilutive fundraising. 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