Funding within the framework of the Modernity Fund (mFUND)

The funding program Modernity Fund (mFUND) of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport enables application-oriented research and development projects nationwide for the use and intelligent networking of digital mobility data. Two funding lines are available: Funding line 1 supports small projects, feasibility studies, and preliminary studies with a funding amount of up to €200,000 and a duration of up to 24 months. Funding line 2 targets applied research and development projects with a budget of up to €3,000,000 and a maximum duration of 36 months. Eligible applicants include companies (especially SMEs and start-ups), universities, research institutions, public bodies, foundations, associations, as well as, under certain conditions, private individuals. Thematic priorities lie in the areas of Smart Cities & Regions, Mobility, and Digitalization.

Funding is provided as a grant with funding rates ranging from 50% to 100%. Applicants must have a registered office in Germany, fulfill a significant federal interest, demonstrate a high degree of innovation, and bear the associated technical or economic risk. Furthermore, sufficient professional qualifications and capacities as well as support for the program-accompanying information and communication work are required. Collaborative projects require the designation of a coordinator and a written cooperation agreement among all participants. The two-stage application process begins with the submission of a project outline and continues in the second stage with a formal funding application via the electronic system easy-Online. Evaluation is based on the degree of innovation, risk profile, federal interest, qualifications of the applicants, and quality of accompanying communication. With mFUND, pioneering opportunities open up for digital mobility innovations and the linking of heterogeneous data sets in the transport sector.