Funding of projects on the topic "Demonstration and testing of innovative solutions for civil security"

The funding program “Demonstration and Testing of Innovative Solutions for Civil Security” supports companies, public institutions, and educational establishments nationwide in developing realistic test environments for new technical and non-technical security concepts. Project outlines can be submitted electronically year-round in a two-stage process to simulate exemplary scenarios such as crisis management or critical infrastructure. The objective is to transfer scientific findings into close cooperation with users from authorities and organizations with security responsibilities (e.g., fire brigade, police, THW) or operators of critical infrastructures, thereby accelerating practical application. Innovative approaches must demonstrate a high degree of innovation and broad practical relevance, as well as enable sustainable continuation of the demonstration environment after the project ends.

Individual projects and, in justified cases, collaborative projects with durations of 12 to 24 months are funded. Grants cover personnel costs, material and investment costs, operating expenses, and expenditures for the setup and operation of the testing environments. SMEs and large companies receive proportional grants of up to 80% of eligible costs; research institutions, local authorities, and civil society organizations may apply for up to 100%. Evaluation criteria include the level of innovation, practical relevance, broad impact, infrastructure quality, as well as concepts for utilization and scalability. VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH acts as the project management agency, providing consulting and administration. Interested project applicants submit project outlines in a simplified form before formal application follows upon positive pre-selection. The funding fosters a more resilient security architecture by directly transferring innovative solutions into practice, thereby contributing to strengthening civil security in Germany.