Bundesportal | Energy and Energy-Saving Technology; Applying for a Grant for Development and Innovation

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Publisher

Bavaria

Last update or date of publication

August 14, 2026

Purpose

The funding is intended to facilitate research, development, and application of new energy and energy-efficiency technologies. Many of these technologies are not yet market-ready due to their level of technological maturity and require appropriate support. The primary goal of Bavarian research funding in the energy sector is therefore to reduce the high technical and economic risks for companies through state financial support and to create an innovation-friendly environment.

The funding focuses on technologies and concepts that promise significant efficiency gains, improved integration of renewable energy, the assurance of security of supply, and the rapid transfer of research results into practical applications and the market. This is intended to increase value creation in Bavaria and to create and preserve jobs.

Beyond individual cases, this is also intended, in particular, to contribute to achieving Bavarian, national, and international goals for improving energy efficiency, promoting energy conservation, increasing the use of renewable energy, and reducing energy-related CO2 emissions.

Scope

As part of the Bavarian Energy Research Program, funding is provided for research and development projects, studies, and demonstration projects for new energy and energy efficiency technologies:

Research and development projects (industrial research, experimental development),
technical feasibility studies in the run-up to such projects,
capital investments to increase energy efficiency through innovative, non-building-related technologies,
investments in facilities for the use of renewable energy, renewable hydrogen, and high-efficiency combined heat and power.

Grant Recipients

Grant recipients are companies with their headquarters or a branch office in Bavaria. For projects aimed at demonstrating and introducing new technologies in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewable hydrogen, and high-efficiency combined heat and power, local governments as well as organizations affiliated with churches or similar institutions in Bavaria may also be eligible to apply.

Eligible Costs

For research and development projects (as per sections 2.1 and 2.2), personnel costs, expenses for instruments and equipment, for contract research, for intellectual property, and for patents acquired directly from third parties or under license, as well as expenses for consulting and equivalent services and other operating expenses (such as materials, supplies, and the like) may be subsidized.

For feasibility studies (as per No. 2.3), the expenses associated with the study (e.g., expenses for planning, conducting, and presenting the results of the study) are eligible for funding.

For demonstration projects (as per Sections 2.4 and 2.5), the additional investment expenses are eligible for funding.

The type and amount of the grant are determined in each case in accordance with Section 5 of the Bavarian Energy Research Program.

Type and Amount

Funding is provided in the form of a grant.

The type of funding is project funding.
The funding period covers the entire project duration.

The funding is provided as partial financing through grants as part of a project grant. The grant amounts to

up to 50% of eligible expenses for research projects in accordance with Section 2.1,
up to 25% of eligible expenses for development projects as specified in Section 2.2,
up to 30% of eligible expenses for studies as defined in Section 2.3,
up to 30% of eligible expenses for demonstration projects as defined in Section 2.4 (energy efficiency measures),
up to 40% of eligible expenses for demonstration projects as specified in Section 2.5.

For SMEs as defined in Annex I of the AGVO, an increase in the funding rates of 10 percentage points is possible for projects under sections 2.2 through 2.5. If different project activities can be classified under both research pursuant to No. 2.1, development pursuant to No. 2.2, and demonstration pursuant to Nos. 2.4 and 2.5, the funding rate will be determined on a pro rata basis.

Required Documents
- Skizze und vollständiger Antrag

Label

Preconditions

Projects under the Bavarian Energy Research Program must be characterized by a high degree of innovation; that is, the technologies, products, and services to be developed or demonstrated must go beyond the current state of science and technology. The implementation of the project must involve significant technical and economic risk, and the project must be carried out primarily within the Free State of Bavaria. Companies with their headquarters or a branch office in the Free State of Bavaria are eligible to apply. For demonstration projects, local governments and organizations operating church-affiliated or comparable institutions in the Free State of Bavaria are also eligible to apply.

At the time of application, the applicant must already possess specific research capabilities (for research projects), specific development capabilities (for development projects), or operational experience (for demonstration projects), as well as relevant technical expertise.

Studies must be conducted independently by a neutral body that is not involved in any subsequent implementation of the study results.

The applicant must demonstrably commit an appropriate amount of equity or debt financing, commensurate with its financial position, liquidity, and earnings, which is not replaced or subsidized by other public funding sources. Companies in financial distress are not eligible for funding.

Combination with European Union funds or other state aid is only permitted under the conditions set forth in Article 8 of the AGVO.

Exclusion Criteria:

Projects that have already begun prior to the receipt of a verifiable application by the responsible project management agency, or that are carried out on behalf of third parties not involved in the project, are not eligible for funding.

Companies in financial difficulty as defined in Article 1(4)(c) in conjunction with Article 2(18) of the AGVO are not eligible for funding. This applies in particular to applicants for whom insolvency proceedings have been filed or opened. The same applies to applicants and, if the applicant is a legal entity, to its legal representatives who have submitted an affidavit pursuant to § 807 of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO) or § 284 of the German Fiscal Code (AO), or who are required to submit such an affidavit. A grant under this guideline may not be awarded to a company that has failed to comply with a recovery order resulting from a previous Commission decision declaring a grant to be unlawful and incompatible with the Common Market.

Cumulation with European Union funds or other state aid is permitted only under the conditions set forth in Article 8 of the AGVO.

Hints

It is recommended that you contact the project sponsor at an early stage. Funding is provided subject to the availability of budgetary resources and does not constitute a legal entitlement.

none

Basis for legal action

Bayerisches Energieforschungsprogramm

Legal Remedies

Administrative Court Action

Procedure

Proposals and applications for grants must be submitted to the project management agency. The Free State of Bavaria has commissioned the Project Management Agency Jülich (PtJ), NMT Division, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, to administer this funding program. It is recommended that you contact the project management agency at an early stage.
Applications must be submitted in the prescribed format and electronically. The login credentials for this are available from the project management agency. Further information is provided on the electronic application platform (ELAN) of the State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy at www.fips.bayern.de.
The project management agency, acting on behalf of and at the behest of the Free State of Bavaria, reviews the project outlines and applications, issues where appropriate, with the assistance of expert reviewers, a recommendation for the funding decision, and handles the administration of the funding, the processing of payment requests, the review of interim reports, statements of use, and utilization reports, as well as all correspondence with the applicants. The project management agency is authorized to request clarifications from applicants regarding the applications and the administration of the funding. The project management agency is bound by confidentiality.
The granting authority is the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy. The granting authority issues the grant award notice and disburses the funding. Funding requests and statements of expenditure must be submitted to the project management agency, which forwards them to the granting authority. Pursuant to Article 91 of the Bavarian State Budget Act (BayHO), the Bavarian Supreme Court of Auditors is authorized to conduct audits of grant recipients.

Deadlines

There are no set deadlines for this grant.