A grant for digital technology and staff training in mid-sized companies.
Digital Jetzt tackles the digitalisation gap in the German Mittelstand: investment in software and hardware, plus staff training, is funded with a grant of 30–50%. No R&D component required — pure digitalisation investment qualifies.
Eligibility
- 3–499 employees (full-time equivalent), and in justified cases up to 999.
- In the market for at least 2 years.
- A digitalisation plan with a clear before-and-after comparison.
- The investment or training must not have started yet (no early project start).
- The company's own share of 50–70% must be financed.
Eligible costs
- Purchase of software and hardware (ERP, CRM, cloud infrastructure, digital manufacturing, IT security).
- Implementation and integration services (external consultants and developers).
- Training and upskilling for staff on digital topics.
- Limited licence costs (up to 12 months) for newly introduced software.
Common pitfalls
Routine investment without transformation
Pure replacement purchases (a new laptop, a new Office licence) are not eligible. Only what substantially raises your level of digitalisation qualifies, measurable before and after.
Starting the project early
Any order, contract or invoice dated before the application arrives disqualifies the project. Framework agreements and call-off orders count too.
Overlooking the de minimis ceiling
Digital Jetzt runs as de minimis aid. Before applying, check every de minimis grant from the last 3 years: the €300,000 ceiling is reached quickly, especially in combination with state programmes.
Training with no link to the digitalisation
Staff training has to be tied thematically to the digitalisation investment. General leadership coaching or sector workshops are not eligible.
The application process
- 1. Write the digitalisation plan. A description of the current state, the intended state and the measures that close the gap. Submitted as an annex to the application.
- 2. Apply through the DLR portal. An online application to the DLR project management agency: project description, cost plan, third-party quotes, digitalisation plan.
- 3. Assessment. The DLR checks eligibility and budget availability. Typical processing time is 3–5 months.
- 4. Funding decision. If the decision is positive: approval, and only then may the project start.
- 5. Delivery and statement of use. The project typically runs 12 months. The statement of use covers all invoices, payment records and an implementation report.
How upsmart helps
We build the digitalisation plan around the DLR's assessment criteria, keep track of the company's de minimis exposure — including from state and municipal programmes — and show where Digital Jetzt fits alongside complementary state schemes (Digital-Bonus Bayern, Digital Now NRW, Mittelstand 4.0).
Combining it with other programmes
It cannot be combined with ZIM on identical costs. It can be topped up with state digitalisation programmes, but watch the shared de minimis ceiling. It can be combined with the Forschungszulage as long as Digital Jetzt investments don't feed into R&D expenditure.
Frequently asked questions
The current programme period has been extended to 30 June 2028. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis while budget remains.
One application per company is possible. Anyone investing along a value chain (jointly with customers or suppliers) can raise that to up to €100,000.
ERP rollouts (SAP Business One, Odoo), CRM rollouts (HubSpot, Salesforce implementation), cloud migration, IT security suites, digital manufacturing software (MES), e-commerce platforms, BI tools.
Yes. The unfunded share (50–70% depending on company size) has to be financed. A loan, equity or a cash flow forecast are accepted as evidence.
Primary sources
- Digital Jetzt — BMWK portal— BMWK
- DLR project management agency, Digital Jetzt— DLR
- Digital Jetzt funding guideline— Bundesanzeiger
- De minimis Regulation (EU) 2023/2831— European Commission
A 30-minute demo on your actual case. We'll show you how the platform structures funding programmes and makes overlaps with other schemes visible.