Funding Competition: UK-Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5

This B2Match platform has been set up to support organisations interested in participating in the UK-Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5 competition by enabling UK and German businesses to identify potential collaboration partners and develop joint innovation projects.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), in partnership with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and their delivery partner AiF Projekt GmbH, will invest  in collaborative innovation projects between the UK and Germany. Innovate UK has allocated up to £2.4 million in grant funding for eligible UK participants. Eligible German partners apply for funding separately through the ZIM programme.

The competition aims to support business-led collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research in the sectors of Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Engineering Biology.

UK-registered SMEs must collaborate with at least one eligible German business applying through the German ZIM funding programme. UK partners can request between £100,000 and £350,000 in grant funding per project. Funding is subject to the quality and number of applications received and projects must be independently selected for funding by both Innovate UK and the German funding authorities.

For information on the German application procedure, ZIM funding conditions and application documents, please visit the ZIM information page for the UK or contact AiF Projekt GmbH directly.

The success of this competition depends on strong collaboration between UK and German businesses with complementary expertise and innovation capabilities. This B2Match platform provides a dedicated space for:

• UK and German organisations to showcase their technologies, expertise and innovation interests

• Businesses to identify potential collaboration partners for joint research and development projects

• Participants to discuss project ideas and build consortia that align with the competition requirements

• Both parties to establish meaningful partnerships that strengthen project proposals and support successful project delivery

Using the platform can help applicants identify suitable partners early, explore opportunities for collaboration, and develop high-quality bilateral projects for the UK-Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5 competition.

The UK-Germany Bilateral Collaborative R&D: Round 5 competition aims to support collaborative research and development projects between UK and German businesses, accelerating innovation and fostering international partnerships in strategically important sectors.

Projects must be SME-led, focused on industrial research, and involve at least one UK-registered SME and one eligible German business applying through the German ZIM funding programme.

Each country funds its eligible project partners according to its own national funding rules and procedures. German partners apply separately under the ZIM programme, and their eligibility and funding are assessed in accordance with the ZIM Guideline. Eligibility criteria and funding conditions may differ between the UK and Germany.

Innovate UK guidelines outline that project proposals must focus on one of the following sectors:

• Clean Energy

• Life Sciences

• Engineering Biology

Successful projects should demonstrate a clear innovation opportunity, strong commercial potential, and mutual benefit for both UK and German partners. Collaboration should enable partners to combine complementary expertise, technologies, and market knowledge to accelerate the development of innovative products, processes, or services.

Organisations are encouraged to actively use this B2Match platform to identify suitable collaboration partners, explore joint project ideas, and strengthen their consortia ahead of submitting an application to the competition.

For UK SMEs and project partners applying, if you have any questions about the competition, please email support@iuk.ukri.org or call 0300 321 4357.

Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Please find more information on Innovate UK’s competition page: https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2583/overview/852abf67-ada4-49d3-b512-cf7c5ec6ac71

For German SMEs and project partners applying, please find more information and contact details through the following link: https://www.zim.de/ZIM/Redaktion/DE/Artikel/International/vereinigtes-koenigreich.html