ERDF Saxony-Anhalt 2021-2027

EU structural funds for Saxony-Anhalt: grants of up to 85% for innovation, climate and structural change.

The ERDF Saxony-Anhalt 2021-2027 programme is the state's operational programme for the European Regional Development Fund. It funds projects in innovation and research, SME competitiveness and digitalisation, climate protection and the energy transition, climate adaptation and urban development. Saxony-Anhalt is classified as a 'less developed region', which allows EU co-financing rates of up to 85%. The programme also contains a JTF share for structural change in the central German coal region (in particular the districts of Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis and Mansfeld-Südharz and the city of Halle/Saale). Money is awarded through themed, time-limited calls from IB Sachsen-Anhalt. The funding period runs to 31 December 2027; money can be spent until 31 December 2029.

Eligibility

A registered office or operating site in the state of Saxony-Anhalt where the funded project is carried out (the ERDF place-of-effect principle under Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 63)
For JTF calls: a registered office or place of effect within the JTF area of the central German coal region in Saxony-Anhalt (in particular Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, Mansfeld-Südharz and the city of Halle/Saale; check the full list against the Saxony-Anhalt territorial just transition plan)
The applicant belongs to the group defined as eligible in the relevant call (SMEs, large companies, universities, research institutions, municipalities, associations or consortia, varying by call)
No early start: the project may not begin before the grant decision is issued (no contract, no engagement, no investment before approval)
The applicant company is not an undertaking in difficulty under Art. 2 no. 18 GBER (for GBER-based calls; may not apply to purely municipal or research calls)
No outstanding EU recovery order against the applicant (Art. 1 (4) (a) GBER)
No double financing: no further EU money or other public grants may be applied for in parallel for the same costs (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 63 (9))
Total financing of the project (own contribution plus funding plus, where relevant, third-party funds) has to be demonstrably secured at the time of application (proof of creditworthiness, accounts, bank confirmations)
The applicant names at least one output and one result indicator under the indicator system of the ERDF/JTF programme Saxony-Anhalt, with realistic targets (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 16, 22; Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 Annex I)
The project meets the DNSH principle ('do no significant harm', Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 9 (4)): no significant harm to the six EU environmental objectives
Acceptance of the EU publicity obligations (the EU emblem, a funding reference, where relevant a sign at the project site, inclusion in the list of beneficiaries; Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 Art. 47-50)
The project is substantively aligned with the thematic field or policy objective of the specific call (PO 1 innovation, PO 2 climate, PO 5 urban development or JTF structural change)

Eligible costs

Staff costs: costs for staff working directly on the funded project, including social security and ancillary wage costs (timesheets and payslips as evidence)
Material costs: costs for materials, equipment, machinery, software, rents and other operating expenditure serving the project directly
Investment costs: costs of acquiring or producing movable and immovable assets (buildings, plant, machinery)
Consultancy costs: costs for external advisory services, expert opinions and studies connected with the project
Other costs: costs for public relations and publicity, events, travel and other directly project-related expenditure, where expressly permitted in the relevant call
Costs for collecting and reporting impact indicators and for procurement documentation have to be budgeted as necessary project costs

Common pitfalls

Starting the work early

Any engagement, contract or investment before the approval notice leads to complete exclusion from funding or to clawback. Planning and preliminary steps are harmless, but no contract may be awarded before the notice.

The JTF area not checked

JTF calls are open exclusively to projects with a registered office or place of effect within the JTF area of the central German coal region in Saxony-Anhalt (in particular Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, Mansfeld-Südharz and the city of Halle/Saale). Check the full list of areas against the Saxony-Anhalt territorial just transition plan.

The indicator plan missing or implausible

The ERDF and JTF require measurable output and result indicators (the number of companies supported, CO2 emissions saved in tonnes a year, new jobs in FTE). If the plan is missing or the targets are obviously unrealistic, the application is downgraded or rejected.

Double financing with STARK or other EU money

The same cost items may not be financed simultaneously from the ERDF or JTF and another EU programme (Horizon Europe, LIFE and so on) or federal programme (in particular STARK and the coal regions investment act for the central German coal region). A clear written delimitation of cost items per funding source is mandatory.

Ignoring the EU publicity obligation

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

Confusing the ERDF programme with a specific call

ERDF Saxony-Anhalt isn't a single programme with fixed terms but a framework with many individual calls. The funding rate, maximum amount, who may apply and the deadline vary by call. Before any advice or application, check the current call profile at ib-sachsen-anhalt.de.

Procurement law not observed

For external contracts above the relevant thresholds, UVgO, VOB/A, VgV and the Saxony-Anhalt collective agreement and procurement act apply. Missing procurement records or comparative quotes lead to financial corrections of typically 5–25% of the contract value concerned.

Total financing not secured in time

IB Sachsen-Anhalt requires evidence at the time of application that your own contribution and total financing are secured (accounts, management accounts, where relevant a bank confirmation). Gaps in the financing plan lead to rejection.

The application process

1. Identify the matching call. Check the currently open calls at ib-sachsen-anhalt.de and europa.sachsen-anhalt.de. Note the thematic field (innovation, SMEs and digital, climate and energy, climate adaptation, urban development, JTF central German coal region) and the application deadline. For JTF calls: confirm the place of effect is within the JTF area.
2. Pre-check eligibility. Clarify: registered office or place of effect in Saxony-Anhalt (where relevant within the JTF area), membership of the group eligible under the call, SME status where relevant, de minimis headroom (cap €300,000 over 3 years) or the GBER article. Not an undertaking in difficulty, no outstanding EU recovery order.
3. Produce the project description and indicator plan. Align it substantively with the call's EU policy objective (PO 1–5 / JTF) with a quantified impact. Produce an indicator plan with baseline, targets and collection method for the common indicators under Annex I Regulation (EU) 2021/1058. For the JTF: set out the structural change link concretely.
4. Submit an outline or expression of interest (stage 1). For competitive calls: submit the outline in the IB funding portal or the relevant approving body's portal within the call deadline. The outline covers the project title, the policy objective link, the starting position, objectives, a draft set of indicators, the cost envelope and, where relevant, consortium details.
5. Wait for the outline assessment. IB Sachsen-Anhalt assesses outlines against the selection criteria (contribution to the policy objective, degree of innovation, impact indicators, sustainability/DNSH, value for money). Don't start the project before being invited to submit a full application.
6. Prepare and submit the full application (stage 2). A complete project description, cost and financing plan, indicator plan, DNSH self-assessment, state aid declaration (GBER or de minimis), self-declarations (no double funding, not an undertaking in difficulty, no EU recovery order), accounts and proof of creditworthiness, a publicity concept and where relevant a consortium agreement. Submit in the IB funding portal.
7. Wait for the approval notice; don't start the project. Once the full application is submitted, IB Sachsen-Anhalt assesses eligibility, state aid law, financing and the indicator plan. Only after receiving the approval notice may the project begin (no engagements, no investments before then).
8. Deliver the project and meet the publicity obligations. Award and document external contracts under UVgO / VgV / VOB and the Saxony-Anhalt collective agreement and procurement act. The EU emblem in all materials, a website reference, where relevant a sign at the project site. Collect indicators continuously. Gather records carefully and keep them for at least 5 years after programme closure.
9. Submit the statement of use. Once the project is complete, submit a substantive report, the financial statement of use (list of receipts, invoices, proof of payment, timesheets, procurement records), an indicator balance (planned versus actual) and evidence of publicity in IB Sachsen-Anhalt's portal.

How upsmart helps

We match your project against all open ERDF and JTF calls in Saxony-Anhalt and identify which line (PO 1–5 or JTF) and which aid framework (a GBER article or the de minimis cap) fits. We check de minimis usage and the cumulation rules as we go, and keep an eye on open call deadlines. Out of that comes a draft application ready for assessment; your team decides. Fixed terms, independent of the grant amount.

Combining it with other programmes

ERDF and JTF Saxony-Anhalt can be combined with ZIM (federal, BMWK) and KfW loans, and with STARK and the coal regions investment act (federal) for the central German coal region, provided the cost items are clearly delimited and there is no double financing. Combination with Horizon Europe is possible but requires separate cost items per funding source. ESF+ Saxony-Anhalt (work, education) is a complementary programme applied for separately.

Frequently asked questions

SMEs, large companies, universities, research institutions, municipalities, associations and consortia with a registered office or place of effect in Saxony-Anhalt can apply. The exact group is set out in the relevant call and can vary considerably; some calls are aimed only at SMEs, others also at municipalities or research institutions. For JTF calls the registered office or place of effect additionally has to lie within the JTF area of the central German coal region (in particular Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, Mansfeld-Südharz and the city of Halle/Saale).

The funding rate varies by call and applicant type. Typical rates are: 60% for SMEs, 40% for large companies, 70% for municipalities and up to 85% for research institutions. JTF calls for certain project types can reach up to 80%. Saxony-Anhalt is classified as a 'less developed region', which allows EU co-financing of up to 85% under CPR Art. 112. The individual rate also depends on the state aid basis (GBER or de minimis). Projects run between €50,000 and €5,000,000 in grant.

First identify a matching call at ib-sachsen-anhalt.de or europa.sachsen-anhalt.de. For competitive calls the process has two stages: first you submit a project outline; after a positive assessment you are invited to apply in full. You file the full application in the IB funding portal. Only after receiving the approval notice may the project begin: no early start.

The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a separate funding pillar for structural change in regions affected by the coal phase-out. In Saxony-Anhalt the JTF area covers the central German coal region (in particular Burgenlandkreis, Saalekreis, Mansfeld-Südharz and the city of Halle/Saale). Only projects with a registered office or place of effect in that area are eligible for JTF calls. JTF money funds diversification of the local economy, new value chains, upskilling of employees and research infrastructure.

Depending on the call, eligible costs are staff costs (including social security), material costs (materials, software, rents), investment costs (machinery, plant, buildings), external consultancy costs and other direct project costs such as publicity measures and travel, where permitted in the call. The exact list of costs has to be checked in the relevant IB Sachsen-Anhalt call document.

Read on in the blog

Funding strategy across the innovation process

Primary sources

Europe portal Saxony-Anhalt (ERDF/JTF programme portal)— State of Saxony-Anhalt
Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt — funding portal and current calls— Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt (IB Sachsen-Anhalt)
Landesverwaltungsamt Sachsen-Anhalt— Landesverwaltungsamt Sachsen-Anhalt
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 — Common Provisions Regulation (CPR)— European Union / EUR-Lex
Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 — the ERDF and Cohesion Fund Regulation— European Union / EUR-Lex
Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 — the JTF Regulation— European Union / EUR-Lex
Förderdatenbank des Bundes — ERDF Saxony-Anhalt— Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)

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