Industrial collective research (IGF)

Pre-competitive research for whole sectors: grants up to €750,000, open to all SMEs.

IGF funds theme-open, pre-competitive research whose results benefit every SME in a sector on equal terms. The application is made by a non-profit, authorised research association; SMEs contribute ideas and take part in the project advisory committee. The two-stage procedure runs through the DLR project management agency. The current funding guideline runs until 31 December 2026.

Eligibility

The applicant is a legally independent, non-profit industrial research association headquartered in Germany.
From 1 January 2026 a positive authorisation decision from the DLR project management agency is mandatory (apply for authorisation early).
The research association is industry-backed and has a substantial SME share among its members.
The project is cross-company in scope and falls into one of the four RDI categories: basic research, industrial research, experimental development or a feasibility study.
A project advisory committee (PA) with at least three industry representatives, of which at least three are SMEs, has to be formed for the project. With more than 6 PA members: 4 SMEs; more than 8: 5 SMEs; more than 11: 6 SMEs; more than 14: 7 SMEs.
Project-related industry contributions (vAW) should amount to at least 10 per cent of the total grant.
The project must not begin before the funding decision is received (no early start).
No parallel funding for the same project from other technology-oriented federal, state or EU programmes.
The project is not carried out on behalf of third parties and does not create one-sided competitive advantages for individual companies.
Research institutions as ultimate recipients have to be public, not-for-profit or charitable and based in Germany.
The research association is not an undertaking in difficulty under Art. 2 (18) of Regulation (EU) 651/2014.

Eligible costs

Staff costs for employees with an employment contract at the performing institution, in line with actual time spent, up to the officially set maximum amounts.
Equipment costs for purchases with an individual value above €2,500, in full.
Third-party services in full.
Other project-related expenditure as a flat rate of a maximum of 20 per cent of the sum of staff and equipment costs (equipment is counted towards the flat rate base only up to €50,000).
Coordination flat rate for the lead technologies variant: max. 2.5 per cent or €20,000.
Coordination flat rate for CORNET: max. 5 per cent or €20,000.

Common pitfalls

A direct application by a company

Companies cannot apply directly. Only the research association files the application. SMEs take part through the project advisory committee and as sources of ideas.

Missing authorisation from 1 January 2026

From 1 January 2026 only authorised research associations are admitted. Submit the authorisation application to the DLR project management agency several months before the planned application.

Starting the work early

Orders, contracts or engagements before the approval date make the whole project ineligible. Only start after the funding decision has been received.

Too few SMEs on the committee

Fewer than three SMEs on the project advisory committee leads to rejection or a disadvantage in the competition. Observe the scaling rules as the committee grows and obtain letters of support early.

The industry contribution below 10 per cent

Project-related industry contributions should amount to at least 10 per cent of the total grant. Falling short has to be explicitly justified in the application.

Miscalculating the flat rate for other expenditure

The 20 per cent flat rate is calculated only on staff costs plus equipment costs up to a maximum of €50,000. Don't declare equipment with an individual value below €2,500 as equipment costs.

Parallel funding from other programmes

Funding the same project simultaneously from other federal, state or EU programmes is expressly prohibited. Double funding leads to clawback.

A transfer plan that's too general

A blanket reference to planned publications isn't enough. Name concrete transfer measures, target groups and timescales. Results have to be disseminated within six months of the end of the funding period.

The application process

1. Secure authorisation for the research association. From 1 January 2026 a positive authorisation decision is mandatory. Apply for authorisation to the DLR project management agency early. Documents include proof of charitable status, a register extract, the industry structure, the SME share of members and the field of research.
2. Assemble the project idea and the committee. Determine the RDI category, check the pre-competitive character and build a project advisory committee with at least three SME representatives. Obtain letters of support and quantify the benefit to SMEs.
3. Submit the outline in PT-Outline (phase 1). The research association submits the project description (outline) to the DLR project management agency through the PT-Outline tool. The outline covers the state of the art, the research objective, methodology, benefit to SMEs, the committee's composition, the transfer plan and a financing overview.
4. Wait for the assessment (phase 1). Independent reviewers from industry and academia assess the application against four criteria: economic relevance for SMEs, the scientific and technical approach, the solution path and the qualifications of the research institutions, and feasibility and transfer. The minimum score for phase 2 is 24 points. Assessment rounds take place roughly every four months.
5. Submit the funding application in easy-Online (phase 2). After a positive assessment, the DLR project management agency invites the full funding application in easy-Online. It covers the project description, a detailed financing plan for all participating research institutions, the industry contribution plan and the pass-through agreement. Submission requires a qualified electronic signature.
6. Approval procedure and project start. The approving authority or the DLR project management agency checks the application and issues the funding decision. The project may only begin after the decision date. 5 per cent of the grant is paid only once the statement of use has been submitted and checked.

How upsmart helps

We match your project against federal, state and EU programmes, and tell you which ones drop out because of the ban on double funding and which (ZIM or KMU-innovativ, for example) come into question for follow-on projects. We keep an eye on the CORNET deadlines and the roughly four-monthly assessment rounds; you hear from us in good time before each one. We write draft applications ready for assessment, outline and full application alike; your team decides and signs.

Combining it with other programmes

IGF expressly rules out funding the same project simultaneously from other technology-oriented federal, state or EU programmes (the ban on double funding, no. 4 of the guideline). A sequence over time, or a thematic complement with ZIM or KMU-innovativ for follow-on projects, is possible provided the costs don't overlap.

Frequently asked questions

Only legally independent, non-profit industrial research associations can apply. From 1 January 2026 they also have to hold a positive authorisation decision from the DLR project management agency. Companies, including SMEs, cannot apply directly; they take part through the project advisory committee.

Under the standard procedure the maximum grant is €275,000 with one research institution, €525,000 with two and €750,000 with three (max. €250,000 per institution). The lead technologies and PLUS variants have different maximum amounts, announced with each call. The funding period is a maximum of three years.

The procedure has two stages. In phase 1 the research association submits an outline to the DLR project management agency through the PT-Outline tool. After a positive assessment (at least 24 points), phase 2 is the full funding application in easy-Online with a qualified electronic signature. Assessment rounds take place roughly every four months.

No. Funding the same project simultaneously from other technology-oriented federal, state or EU programmes is prohibited. A sequence over time, or funding other clearly delimited projects through ZIM or KMU-innovativ, is possible.

The committee is a mandatory body of at least three industry representatives, of which at least three are SMEs. It secures the practical relevance of the project and is an assessment criterion in its own right. A weakly staffed committee with too few SMEs leads to a disadvantage in the competitive procedure or to rejection.

Read on in the blog

Funding strategy across the innovation process

Primary sources

BMWK IGF funding guideline of 21 December 2022 (BAnz AT 29.12.2022 B1)— Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)
The IGF funding programme at the DLR project management agency— DLR project management agency
IGF portal — application for assessment— Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung / DLR project management agency
Förderdatenbank des Bundes — IGF— Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
IGF funding — programme information— AiF / IGF

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