IT Security in Business – Cybersecurity Transfer Office and Focus Projects
Funding of a nationwide transfer center and focus projects to increase the level of IT and cybersecurity in small and medium-sized enterprises, craft businesses, and start-ups. Submission of project outlines annually by 01/02 and 01/08.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
The goal is to sustainably increase knowledge and operational competence in all subareas of cybersecurity (prevention, detection, response) in SMEs, craft businesses, and start-ups, to promote secure digital transformation in the mid-sized sector, and to establish innovative transfer structures.
Eligible to apply
- Public Institutions
- Educational Institutions
Funding requirements
- Non-commercial activity
- Make results and offerings publicly accessible
- Proof of expertise, performance capability, and reliability
- Cooperation agreement for joint projects
- No parallel public funding from federal, state, or EU sources
Documents required for application
- Project outline
- Formal funding application
Description
The initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action supports a nationwide cybersecurity transfer office as well as related focus projects to sustainably enhance the IT and cybersecurity level in small and medium-sized enterprises, craft businesses, and start-ups. Targeted are public and non-profit research institutions as well as educational institutions that establish innovative transfer structures in close cooperation with industry. This includes measures in the sub-areas of prevention, detection, and response, through which knowledge and action competence are comprehensively expanded. The program promotes individual and collaborative projects with a duration of up to 36 months and a funding rate of up to 90% or 100% of eligible expenses.
Prerequisites for a successful application are non-commercial activity, public accessibility of all project results, as well as proof of expertise, performance capability, and reliability. Collaborative projects must be secured by a cooperation agreement, and no parallel funding from the federal government, states, or EU may exist. Submission deadlines for project outlines are annually on February 1 and August 1, with the next deadline on 01.02.2026 (submission period from 01.11.2025 until 12:00 noon). The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy acts as the funding agency, while the DLR Project Management Agency oversees support and implementation. Interested institutions submit a concise project outline and, upon positive evaluation, are invited to submit the formal funding application to shape the digital transformation in SMEs securely and innovatively.