Funding Opportunities in Hesse: Find Suitable Programs

Hesse offers you a wide variety of funding opportunities – from grants and low-interest loans to guarantees and equity capital. Whether you run a company, are starting one, advancing a research project, planning a municipal initiative, or implementing a nonprofit project: there are programs in many areas that facilitate investments and create new opportunities.

Current funding priorities in Hesse focus particularly on innovation, research and technology transfer, the digitalization of business and administration, as well as the financing of startups, new ventures, and SMEs. At the same time, climate protection, energy efficiency, and renewable energies play a central role – as do sustainable mobility and infrastructure, especially in the municipal context. For qualification, labor market integration, and social cohesion, ESF+-oriented funding lines are often applied, while in rural areas, ELER/LEADER projects support regional development and village renewal.

Key contact points include the Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen (WIBank) as the central state development bank, the responsible ministries, as well as EU funds such as ERDF, ESF+, and EAFRD, which are implemented through state programs. Additionally, instruments like guarantees or mezzanine capital help primarily with financing and capital base – often in combination with grants.

To help you quickly find the right program, the Reflecta Funding Compass supports you: you can filter funding opportunities by location in Hesse, project type, and target group, and receive a clear overview of requirements such as eligibility, co-financing, and the right timing for project start. This way, your idea becomes a fundable application – step by step.