Innovating together – with the innovation voucher “Mittelstand trifft Start-ups”
We are looking for co-innovation partners to extend our software with innovative features – tailored to your requirements and those of your industry. The state of Baden-Württemberg funds collaborations between established SMEs and start-ups through this program.
Key facts at a glance
The following criteria and figures are taken from the description by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism. The responsible authority decides on final eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
Who is eligible?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from trade and industry or the liberal professions are eligible to apply – provided they meet all of the size and location criteria below.
Employees
up to 250
Full-time equivalents – maximum company size
Previous year's revenue
up to €50m
Upper limit in the previous year (alternative to the balance sheet total)
Previous year's balance sheet total
up to €43m
Upper limit in the previous year (alternative to revenue)
Location
Baden-Württemberg
Branch or business premises in the state
How the criteria combine: The employee limit (max. 250 full-time equivalents) applies together with one of the two financial limits in the previous year: either revenue up to €50 million or a balance sheet total up to €43 million – as stated in the state’s program description.
How much funding is available?
Grant for purchasing services from the start-up
Grant
up to €20,000
Maximum funding per project
Funding rate
50%
Partial financing of the eligible costs
Save 50% of the costs and get up to €20,000 back.
What we can cover with the voucher: Within an eligible project we can structure an individual, tailor-made customization and/or the regular software license costs for two years as services provided by us (the start-up) – aligned with your usage and within the program guidelines.
Example: project volume €40,000 → €20,000 back as a grant – half of the eligible expenses (within the program rules).
Funding covers costs for services or products delivered by the start-up as part of an innovative project; details and the application are handled via L-Bank or the program's funding portal.
Roadmap / timeline
From the first conversation to the payout
- 1
Initial meeting
- 2
Our offer
- 3
Implementation of the individual customization and/or rollout of the software
- 4
In parallel, we take care of the innovation voucher
- 5
Payout by the state
We take care of the paperwork!
Applications, funding rules and formal requirements can be time-consuming. We support you with the structured preparation of the project, the service description and the alignment with the funding framework – so you can focus on content and value.
The decision on approval lies solely with the responsible funding institution; we do not replace legal or tax advice.
Become a co-innovation partner
Are you an SME in Baden-Württemberg and want to develop our software further with us? Tell us briefly about your industry, approximate company size and which features or processes you would like to address – we will get back to you with the next steps.
