ERDF Lower Saxony 2021-2027

Grants from €50,000 to €5m. SMEs receive up to 50% on projects in innovation, climate and digitalisation.

The ERDF Lower Saxony 2021-2027 programme is the European Regional Development Fund's operational programme for the state of Lower Saxony in the 2021-2027 EU funding period. It awards grants through themed calls covering innovation and research (PO 1), digitalisation and SME competitiveness (PO 1), climate protection and energy efficiency (PO 2), regional development and future regions (PO 5), and — for the Helmstedt-Wolfenbüttel-Salzgitter region — structural change through the Just Transition Fund (JTF). The central approving body for company-related calls is NBank; for region-related calls it is the ÄfrLE. The specific funding terms only follow from the relevant call.

Eligibility

A registered office or operating site in Lower Saxony where the funded project is carried out (the ERDF place-of-effect principle under Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 63)
Membership of the group eligible under the relevant call (SME, large company, university, research institution, municipality, association, cluster or consortium, depending on the call)
No early start: the project may not begin before the approval notice (no contract, no investment, no order before approval — Art. 6 GBER incentive effect; ANBest-P Lower Saxony; the Lower Saxony ERDF framework guideline)
The applicant is not an undertaking in difficulty within the meaning of Art. 2 no. 18 GBER (where applicable to the relevant call)
No outstanding EU recovery order arising from earlier unlawful aid (Art. 1 (4) (a) GBER)
No double financing: the same costs may not additionally be funded from another EU fund or federal programme (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 63 (9))
The call's state aid basis (a GBER article or de minimis) has to be observed; for de minimis, note the cumulative cap of €300,000 over three tax years (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831)
An impact and output indicator plan with baseline, targets and collection method for at least one output and one result indicator under Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 16, 22 and Annex I Regulation (EU) 2021/1058
EU publicity obligations accepted: the EU emblem with the wording 'Co-funded by the European Union', a website reference, and for larger investments a sign at the project site (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 47-50)
Total financing of the project demonstrably secured (own contribution plus funding; proof of creditworthiness per call; the Lower Saxony ERDF framework guideline)
The project observes the DNSH principle: no significant harm to the six EU environmental objectives (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 9 (4)); for long-lived infrastructure a climate resilience assessment is required
For JTF calls additionally: a registered office or place of effect within the Lower Saxony JTF area (presumed to be the Helmstedt-Wolfenbüttel-Salzgitter region; verify against the Lower Saxony Territorial Just Transition Plan; Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 Art. 7)
For future regions calls (PO 5): the project has to be anchored in the action plan of a recognised future region

Eligible costs

Staff costs: own staff and external specialists working directly on the project, including social security and ancillary wage costs
Material costs: materials, equipment, machinery, software licences, travel and other direct project expenditure
Investment costs: acquiring or producing movable and immovable assets (buildings, machinery, plant), where eligible under the relevant call
Consultancy costs: external advisory services, expert opinions and tests connected with the project
Other project costs: public relations, publicity measures (the EU emblem, a sign at the project site), publications and project-related events
Overheads: depending on the call, as a flat rate or pro rata on the basis of simplified cost options (to be verified per call)

Common pitfalls

Starting the work early

Anyone awarding a contract, concluding an agreement or making an investment before the approval notice loses the entitlement entirely. Planning and preliminary steps are harmless, but no contract may be concluded before the decision.

Misunderstanding the programme: it isn't a single scheme

ERDF Lower Saxony is an operational programme with many individual calls. The funding rate, who may apply, the deadline and the eligible costs differ per call, so always check the specific call document.

Impact indicators missing or unrealistic

Every call requires at least one output and one result indicator with a baseline and a quantified target. If the indicator plan is missing or the targets are obviously unrealistic, the application is downgraded or rejected.

Forgetting the publicity obligation

The EU emblem with the wording 'Co-funded by the European Union' has to be visible in all communication material, on the website and, for investments above the threshold, on a sign at the project site. Breaches lead to financial corrections of typically 2–25% of the grant (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 47-50).

The JTF area not checked

JTF calls apply only to projects with a registered office or place of effect within the approved Lower Saxony JTF area (presumed to be the Helmstedt-Wolfenbüttel-Salzgitter region). Applicants outside that area are not eligible; check the location against the Lower Saxony Territorial Just Transition Plan.

Double financing

The same cost items may not be funded simultaneously from the ERDF or JTF and another EU fund (Horizon Europe, ESF+) or a federal programme (ZIM). Combining different funding sources is only possible with clearly separated cost elements.

Underestimating record retention

All records, contracts and documents have to be kept for at least 5 years after programme closure (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 82). Missing records in an audit lead to clawback of the costs concerned.

The application process

1 — Identify the call. Look for the matching call at europa-fuer-niedersachsen.niedersachsen.de or nbank.de (innovation, digitalisation, climate, future regions, JTF). Take the deadline, approving body (NBank or ÄfrLE), funding rate and aid framework from the call document.
2 — Check suitability. Confirm a registered office or place of effect in Lower Saxony; for the JTF, within the JTF area (presumed Helmstedt-Wolfenbüttel-Salzgitter). Clarify SME status, your de minimis headroom and company health (not an undertaking in difficulty, no EU recovery order).
3 — Work out the project concept and indicator plan. Argue the contribution to the policy objective concretely (CO2 savings for PO 2, degree of innovation for PO 1). Set impact indicators with baseline, targets and collection method. Carry out the DNSH self-assessment. Draw up a cost and financing plan.
4 — Submit an outline (stage 1, for competitive calls). Submit an expression of interest or project outline in the NBank customer portal or the ÄfrLE portal. Content: the starting position, objectives, indicators, the consortium where relevant, outline costs. For investment lines this stage doesn't apply and you go straight to a full application.
5 — Submit the full application (stage 2). After being invited: submit a detailed project description, the indicator plan, a cost and financing plan, an SME declaration, a de minimis declaration, the DNSH assessment, proof of creditworthiness, where relevant a consortium agreement and a publicity concept, all in the portal.
6 — Wait for the assessment and approval notice. The approving body (NBank / ÄfrLE) assesses the application substantively and under state aid law. No work may begin before the approval notice.
7 — Deliver the project. Award external contracts under UVgO / VOB / VgV and document the procurement. Record receipts without gaps. Collect impact indicators continuously. Implement the publicity obligations immediately (EU emblem, website, a sign where relevant).
8 — Submit the statement of use. Once the project is complete: submit a substantive report, an indicator balance, the financial statement (list of receipts, invoices, bank statements, procurement records) and evidence of publicity to the approving body. Then keep the records for at least 5 years after programme closure.

How upsmart helps

We match your project against all active ERDF Lower Saxony calls and tell you which one fits, which GBER article or de minimis cap applies, and when the deadline falls. For the full application we structure the indicator plan, the DNSH self-assessment and the cost and financing plan: the three most common grounds for rejection during assessment.

Combining it with other programmes

Combination with other funding programmes is possible where cost items are clearly separated (no double financing of the same costs): ZIM (BMWK) for research and innovation calls, KfW loans (KfW 261, for instance) to finance your own contribution, GRW investment grants in structurally weak regions of Lower Saxony, and Horizon Europe for research consortia (a different logic, applied for in Brussels). ESF+ Lower Saxony complements the ERDF for staff and training measures.

Frequently asked questions

SMEs, large companies, universities, research institutions, municipalities, associations, clusters and consortia can apply, provided the registered office or the project's place of effect is in Lower Saxony. The specific group varies by call and is set out in the relevant call document at europa-fuer-niedersachsen.niedersachsen.de.

The grant runs from €50,000 to €5,000,000 per project. The standard funding rate is 40% for SMEs (max. 50%), 30% for large companies (max. 40%) and 50% for municipalities and research institutions (max. 60%). Uplifts are possible for climate protection, digitalisation and regional development projects. The exact rate is in the relevant call.

First look for the matching call at europa-fuer-niedersachsen.niedersachsen.de or nbank.de. For competitive calls: submit an outline, then file the full application in the NBank customer portal or the ÄfrLE portal once invited. For investment lines, go straight to a full application.

Yes, provided no cost items are funded twice. Combinations with ZIM, KfW loans, GRW grants and Horizon Europe are possible where the parts of the project are clearly separated. The same cost items may only be financed from one source (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 63 (9)).

The JTF funds structural change in regions affected by the coal phase-out. In Lower Saxony the presumed area is the Helmstedt-Wolfenbüttel-Salzgitter region (lignite mining in the Helmstedt field ended in 2016). JTF calls are only open to projects with a registered office or place of effect in that area; check the exact boundaries in the Lower Saxony Territorial Just Transition Plan.

Read on in the blog

Funding strategy across the innovation process

Primary sources

Official ERDF Lower Saxony programme portal— Lower Saxony Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development (MB)
ERDF Lower Saxony project atlas— MB Lower Saxony
NBank — the investment and development bank of Lower Saxony (approving body)— NBank Lower Saxony
MB Lower Saxony — ERDF managing authority— Lower Saxony Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 — Common Provisions Regulation (CPR)— European Parliament / Council of the EU
Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 — the ERDF Regulation— European Parliament / Council of the EU
Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 — the JTF Regulation— European Parliament / Council of the EU
Förderdatenbank des Bundes — ERDF Lower Saxony overview— Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)

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