ERDF Saarland 2021-2027

€135m of EU structural funds for Saarland's economy, climate and industrial transition.

ERDF Saarland 2021-2027 is the state's operational programme under EU cohesion policy. It bundles around €135m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) plus a Just Transition Fund share for the structural change of Saarland's steel and former mining region. It funds projects in research and innovation, SME finance, climate protection and the energy transition, and urban and regional development. The central approving body for company-related calls is SIKB, with financial instruments such as the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II (€25,000 to €1.5m, normally without further security) and the ERDF equity fund Saarland. The programme is active; money can be spent until 31 December 2029 (the n+3 rule).

Eligibility

A registered office or operating site in Saarland where the funded project is carried out (the ERDF place-of-effect principle, Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 63)
Membership of the group eligible under the relevant call. For the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II: SMEs, freelancers, young technology- and innovation-oriented companies, founders and succession businesses (source: sikb.de)
No early start: the project may not begin before approval, or before SIKB's written loan commitment for financial instruments (Art. 6 GBER; ANBest-P Saarland)
The company must not be an 'undertaking in difficulty' within the meaning of Art. 2 no. 18 GBER (insolvency, loss of 50% or more of share capital, for GBER-based calls)
No outstanding EU recovery order against the applicant (Art. 1 (4) (a) GBER)
Total financing of the project (own contribution plus funding plus, where relevant, third-party funds) has to be secured at the time of application; for SIKB: a credit assessment (accounts, management accounts, cash flow and repayment planning)
An impact indicator plan with baseline, targets and collection method under the call's indicator system (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 16, 22; Annex I Regulation (EU) 2021/1058)
Acceptance of the EU publicity obligations: the EU emblem, the wording 'Co-funded by the European Union', where relevant a sign at the project site, and publication in the list of beneficiaries (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 47-50)
Compliance with the DNSH principle (do no significant harm): the project must not significantly harm any of the six EU environmental objectives (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 9 (4))
For JTF calls additionally: a registered office or place of effect within the Saarland JTF area under the territorial just transition plan (the exact area has to be checked against the call)

Eligible costs

Staff costs: wages and salaries for staff working directly on the project, including social security contributions
Material costs: materials, equipment, software, rents and other direct project expenditure
Investment costs: acquiring or producing movable and immovable assets
Consultancy and planning fees: costs for external advice, expert opinions and planning within the project scope
Other direct project costs: public relations, events, travel and further project-related expenditure
Long-term working capital with a sustainable economic outlook (under the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II — source: sikb.de)
Not eligible under the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II: buying land or buildings purely as an investment, and refinancing existing debt (source: sikb.de)

Common pitfalls

Starting the work early

No order, no contract, no investment before the approval notice. Under the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II the rule is: the project must not be physically complete before SIKB's written loan commitment. A breach leads to complete exclusion from funding or to clawback.

Double financing, especially with the Saarland transformation fund

The same cost items may not be financed simultaneously from the ERDF or JTF and the state-financed Saarland transformation fund or another EU programme (ESF+, Horizon Europe). Document a clear delimitation of the parts of the project per funding source in the application (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 63 (9)).

The steel sector: sectoral aid restrictions

Art. 13 GBER contains sectoral exclusions for the steel industry: certain GBER articles (Art. 14 regional investment aid, for instance) do not apply to steel companies. For large steel projects (a hydrogen DRI plant, say) individual notification to the European Commission is often required. Plan for an early state aid assessment.

The JTF area not checked

JTF calls are only open to projects with a place of effect within the approved Saarland JTF area (the territorial just transition plan). The exact area (the whole state, or limited to steel and mining centres such as Saarbrücken, Saarlouis, Völklingen and Neunkirchen) has to be checked in the relevant call document.

Impact indicators missing or unrealistic

A missing or obviously unrealistic indicator plan leads to the application being downgraded. Targets missed without justification can lead to financial corrections. Define output and result indicators early and set them out in the application with realistic targets (Annex I Regulation (EU) 2021/1058).

Ignoring the publicity obligation

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

Missing the call deadline

Competitive calls have hard submission deadlines. Once the deadline has passed, applying in that round is no longer possible. Under the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II there is no deadline to miss, but the funds can run out. Always check current deadlines at saarland.de/mwide and sikb.de.

The application process

1 — Identify the call. At saarland.de/mwide and sikb.de, identify the matching call or funding line: research and innovation (PO 1), SME finance through SIKB (the subordinated loan fund or equity fund), climate protection and energy (PO 2), climate adaptation, urban and regional (PO 5), or JTF structural change in Saarland. Create a call profile with the deadline, funding rate, aid framework and approving body.
2 — Eligibility check and master data. Check: registered office or place of effect in Saarland (for the JTF, within the JTF area), membership of the group eligible under the call, no early start, not an undertaking in difficulty, no outstanding EU recovery order, no double financing. For the steel sector: check the sectoral restrictions in Art. 13 GBER.
3 — Project design and indicator plan. Align the project with the EU policy objective (PO 1–5 / JTF). Quantify the impact (CO2 savings, new jobs, innovation performance). Produce an indicator plan: baseline, targets, collection method for the common indicators (Annex I Regulation (EU) 2021/1058). For the JTF: set out the Saarland structural change link concretely.
4 — State aid classification and financing plan. Determine the GBER article or de minimis (cap €300,000 over 3 years) per part of the project. Draw up a cost and financing plan by cost category. Secure financing for your own contribution with proof of creditworthiness. Carry out the DNSH self-assessment. For SIKB financial instruments: produce cash flow and repayment planning.
5 — Submit an outline (for competitive calls). Submit a project outline with the policy objective link, an overview of work packages, an indicator plan and a cost estimate within the call deadline. For SIKB financial instruments (the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II, for instance) the outline stage doesn't apply and you go straight to a full application.
6 — Submit the full application or direct application. Submit the full application through the approving body's portal (sikb.de for SIKB calls, saarland.de/mwide for others). Required: the project description, indicator plan, cost and financing plan, SME/GBER/de minimis declaration, the DNSH assessment, a commercial register extract and a publicity concept. For SIKB: additionally credit documents (accounts, management accounts, repayment planning).
7 — Wait for approval; no early start. Only after the approval notice (for grants) or the written loan commitment (for SIKB financial instruments) may the project begin. No contract, no investment before that point.
8 — Delivery, monitoring and statement of use. Deliver the project in line with the approval notice. Document contract awards under UVgO/VgV/VOB. Collect indicators continuously. Implement the publicity obligations. Keep records for at least 5 years after programme closure (CPR Art. 82). Submit the statement of use with a substantive report, an indicator balance and a list of receipts to the approving body.

How upsmart helps

We match your project against all active ERDF and JTF calls in Saarland, with a de minimis and cumulation check, so you know whether the subordinated loan fund or a grant call suits you better. We keep an eye on the deadlines and the n+3 limit (31 December 2029). You get a draft application ready for assessment, with an indicator plan and DNSH self-assessment, before you contact SIKB. Fixed terms, no exclusivity; you decide.

Combining it with other programmes

ERDF and JTF Saarland can be combined with ZIM (federal, BMWK), Horizon Europe, KfW loans (KfW 261, KfW 270) and SIKB's own programmes, in each case with a clear delimitation of cost items (no double financing). GRW (the joint task for regional economic structure) also operates independently in Saarland and can potentially be combined. The state-financed Saarland transformation fund (saarland.de/mfw/transformationsfonds) is complementary to the ERDF and JTF, but a clear cost delimitation is essential. Funding the same cost items from several sources at once is prohibited.

Frequently asked questions

The group eligible to apply varies by call. For the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II (SIKB), SMEs, freelancers, young technology- and innovation-oriented companies, founders and succession businesses can apply. Other calls may also include large companies, universities, research institutions or municipalities. The basic requirement is always a registered office or place of effect in Saarland.

The amount depends on the call and the type of company. In grant calls SMEs typically receive up to 60% of eligible costs and large companies up to 40%. In JTF calls up to 80% is possible. The ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II (SIKB) finances €25,000 to €1.5m as a subordinated loan, normally up to 100% of eligible costs and without further security.

The application route depends on the call. For SIKB financial instruments (the subordinated loan fund, the equity fund) you apply directly to SIKB (sikb.de), on a rolling basis until the funds are exhausted. Competitive grant calls follow a two-stage process: first an outline, then the full application through the responsible approving body's portal. Current calls are at saarland.de/mwide and sikb.de.

Yes. ERDF and JTF Saarland can be combined with ZIM, Horizon Europe, KfW loans and GRW, provided no cost items are financed twice. The Saarland transformation fund can also be combined, but you have to document precisely for every euro which programme finances it. An exact delimitation of the parts of the project is mandatory.

Starting work early is the most common reason for exclusion from funding and for clawback. You may not conclude a contract, award an order or make an investment before you have received the approval notice. Under the ERDF subordinated loan fund Saarland II the rule is: the project must not be physically complete before SIKB's written loan commitment. Planning and preliminary steps, by contrast, are harmless.

Read on in the blog

Funding strategy across the innovation process

Primary sources

ERDF programme Saarland 2021-2027 — Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs (MWIDE)— Saarland.de / MWIDE
Saarländische Investitionskreditbank AG (SIKB) — approving body and funding portal— SIKB — Saarländische Investitionskreditbank AG
EU funding portal Saarland — ERDF structural funds— Saarland.de
Approved programme text ERDF Saarland 2021-2027 (PDF)— Saarland.de / MWIDE
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 — the structural funds umbrella regulation (CPR)— EUR-Lex / European Parliament and Council
Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 — the ERDF Regulation— EUR-Lex / European Parliament and Council
Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 — the JTF Regulation (Just Transition Fund)— EUR-Lex / European Parliament and Council
Förderdatenbank.de — ERDF Saarland (secondary source)— Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

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