Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Our database covers a broad spectrum of funding opportunities: public funding programmes (federal, state, EU), foundation grants, subsidies, loans, guarantees, equity participations, sponsorships and prizes/awards. Private donations in the traditional sense are not part of the database, though funding programmes from private foundations and organisations are.

The Fördermittelkompass covers nine topic areas – from social innovation and environmental protection to digitalisation, education and culture. Both non-profit and commercial projects can find suitable funding programmes. The range extends from technical innovations and business model development to social and cultural projects.

Yes. The Fördermittelkompass is designed for all organisational forms – NGOs, associations, foundations, SMEs, cooperatives, municipalities, universities, initiatives and companies. What matters is the purpose of the project, not the legal form of the applicant. Many funding programmes are explicitly open to commercial companies.

The legal form is an important factor in matching, as many funding programmes require or exclude certain legal forms. You specify your legal form in the organisation profile, and the AI considers it when searching. Special forms such as community-interest GmbHs, social enterprises and gGmbHs are also supported.

Yes. The database contains both project-specific funding and institutional funding programmes aimed at the ongoing operations of an organisation.

The Fördermittelkompass currently searches around 8,800 funding programmes in Germany and Austria (incl. approx. 600 EU programmes) and organises them into nine thematic clusters: Future-Proof Society & Social Innovation, UN Sustainability Goals & Global Partnerships, Environmental, Climate & Nature Conservation, Digitalisation & Technological Progress, Economy, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Inclusion, Integration & Equality, Culture, Sport & Community, Crisis Relief & Resilience, and Children, Youth & Education. The database is updated automatically several times a month and is continuously expanded.

Our database is updated by automated crawlers several times a week. In addition, we conduct regular quality checks: expired funding is archived daily, the reachability of all stored URLs is automatically checked, and the content accuracy of funding programmes is monitored through a multi-stage freshness check (current, outdated, needs review). Any anomalies are reviewed editorially.

Yes. Our system searches both national and international funding databases, including EU programmes such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. Around 600 EU funding programmes are currently available. You can specify in your search criteria which regions you want to search for funding.

Our crawlers regularly scan the connected data sources for new entries. New funding programmes are typically detected, processed and added to the database within one to two weeks of publication – depending on the source it may take a bit longer. We are continuously working to improve detection speed. As soon as new matching grants for your profile are available, you will be notified by email.

Yes. Both ongoing and time-limited funding calls are captured. One-time calls remain visible as long as the application deadline has not expired – after that they are automatically archived.

Yes. You can choose whether you want to be notified about new matching funding programmes weekly (Mondays) or monthly (first of the month) by email. Notifications include an overview of new matches, grouped by relevance. You can also add a second email address to receive notifications. In the Pro plan, webhook integrations (e.g. for n8n, Zapier or make.com) are also available.

Yes. Via the Federal Funding Database and connected state funding portals (including NRW, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Munich), all federal states are represented. Municipal funding programmes are captured where they are published in the connected sources. We are continuously expanding coverage.

Yes. For each funding programme – where available – funding guidelines, application deadlines, eligible costs, regional restrictions and links to the original source are stored.

Yes, the AI creates an automatic ranking. Based on your organisation profile and project ideas, the AI evaluates all funding programmes in the database and categorises them into three groups: “Recommended” (high match), “Partially matching” (medium match) and “Not matching”. Matching runs automatically and is updated regularly – including when new funding programmes are added. You will receive an email notification as soon as new top matches are found.

The AI analyses the available information for each funding programme and generates a suitable application outline. In the application assistant you go through four steps: eligibility check, in-depth questions, application draft, and a final AI review with summary, financial plan, to-do list and timeline. The AI adapts the questions and draft to the requirements of the respective programme. Since final submission takes place with the respective funder, we recommend using the output as a working basis and adapting it to the specific portal requirements.

Yes. In the first step of the application assistant, the AI conducts an eligibility check. Based on the programme criteria, questions are generated to clarify whether your project is fundamentally eligible. This allows you to identify early on whether exclusion criteria (e.g. legal form, location, project type) apply before you begin the detailed application process.

In the Fördermittelkompass, quality refers to two dimensions: the AI first evaluates how well your project matches a funding programme (thematic fit). In the application assistant, it then assesses the quality of your application draft in the final step – i.e. completeness, coherence and whether all required criteria are covered. You receive concrete suggestions for improvement and a to-do list.

The AI considers multiple factors when matching: project topic, target group, funding type, regional restrictions, your organisation’s legal form and your organisation profile. Each funding programme is compared against your details using these criteria and placed in one of the three categories (Recommended, Partially matching, Not matching). The more completely and precisely you fill in your profile and project ideas, the more accurate the recommendations become.

Filters: Full-text search (title, description, topics, regions), funding type (grant, loan, guarantee, equity participation, sponsorship, prize/award, etc.), topic area (9 clusters such as environment, digitalisation, education etc.), target group (e.g. children and young people, refugees, seniors), eligible costs (personnel, material, investment costs, fees), minimum funding amount, application deadline (selectable period), ongoing programmes (no deadline), relevance (Recommended, Partially matching), filter by project, show favourites only.
Sorting: Latest, by deadline, by relevance, by favourites.
Views: Tile view and calendar view (with deadline timeline over three months).

The AI requires basic information about your organisation (legal form, field of activity, location) as well as a description of your planned projects. The more detailed your project descriptions, the more precise the funding suggestions will be. All data is processed in compliance with GDPR and can be deleted at any time.

The AI does not know the specific input forms of external funding portals. Instead, it analyses the publicly available information about the funding programme – guidelines, criteria, call texts – and generates a structured application outline that you then transfer to the funder’s portal. If the funder has described the application structure in a publicly accessible PDF or on their website, our AI will of course also use this information to align the draft accordingly.

With the Fördermittelkompass you create an application outline that you can download in the final step as a Word document (DOCX), PDF, HTML or Markdown. You then transfer the contents to the respective funder’s portal. The outline is structured so that you can copy the individual sections directly into the corresponding fields of the portal.

Yes. You can upload texts about your existing projects. This allows the AI to consider your existing documents when searching for funding and drafting applications.

Yes. In the application assistant you go through a multi-step process (eligibility check → in-depth questions → application draft → final check). At each step you can adjust and refine your details. You can update your organisation profile and project ideas at any time – matching is then automatically recalculated.

The Fördermittelkompass uses a structured approach: instead of free prompts, targeted questions and a step-by-step assistant guide you through the process. This produces more consistent and higher-quality results than an open chat function, because the AI receives exactly the information it needs for a well-founded recommendation. In the text editor, however, you can also enter a custom prompt via the AI function. This then applies specifically to a paragraph you have highlighted.

The key question is not whether AI was involved, but how. Funders tell us about a flood of generic ChatGPT applications that are immediately discarded – because they are interchangeable, superficial and clearly produced without genuine project knowledge. The Fördermittelkompass takes a different approach: the AI guides a structured, professional process – from the project idea through the eligibility check to the application outline. We are in close contact with hundreds of funders and know: those who go through this process submit applications that are convincing in content and stand out from the crowd.

There is currently no general obligation in Germany to disclose the use of AI tools when drafting applications. However, some funders may have their own requirements. We recommend asking the respective funder directly if you are unsure. The Fördermittelkompass is a support tool – the application remains your work.

This is already happening – though not yet universally. We know of a growing number of funders using AI to check submitted applications for completeness and formal requirements. Many foundations and funding institutions are still in the early stages: they are testing AI-supported processes but have not yet established uniform standards. Reflecta currently focuses on the applicant side – and is closely monitoring this development on the funder side. We advocate for transparent and fair use of AI on both sides. Long-term, we see Reflecta as a bridge between funders and applicants: a platform that not only simplifies application drafting but also contributes to standardising and making funding structures more accessible. Foundations and funders who wish to shape this topic together with us are warmly invited to get in touch.

Our users report a 40% higher approval rate compared to conventional applications and an average time saving of 70% in research and application drafting. Since the final submission takes place outside the Fördermittelkompass, we do not collect comprehensive statistics on all submitted applications.

Yes. Over 600 EU funding programmes (incl. Horizon Europe and Erasmus+) are in the database. You can create an application outline for them just as you would for national programmes.

Yes. The Fördermittelkompass is available in German and English. The AI creates application outlines in the language set in your account.

Yes. EU funding programmes including Horizon Europe are included via our connection to the EU funding portal and are regularly updated.

The Fördermittelkompass currently covers Germany, Austria and EU programmes. An expansion to further countries is planned – the multilingual infrastructure is already built for this.

We offer two plans – each with monthly or annual billing (with annual billing you save one month). Details can be found in our pricing overview.

Yes. We offer a discounted rate for non-profit organisations (registered associations, gGmbH, foundations, etc.) as well as small associations and impact startups with fewer than 10 employees. The discounted prices are approximately 40% lower.

The 7-day trial automatically converts to a paid subscription at the end of the trial period, unless you cancel beforehand. You will receive a reminder before the trial ends. Cancellation is possible at any time – including during the trial period – and takes effect at the end of the respective billing period.

The limit ensures that the AI can deliver high quality in matching and application drafting for every project. The Basic plan includes 2 project ideas with ongoing matching and 5 AI-assisted applications per year – ideal for individual users. The Pro plan offers 5 projects and unlimited applications for teams managing multiple projects in parallel. In the Pro plan, each additional user receives 5 additional project slots.

Calendar days. The trial begins at registration and ends exactly 7 days later at the same time.

Please contact our support team in this case – we will find a solution.

Both options are available. You can choose between monthly and annual billing. For institutions and public bodies we also offer invoice payment with annual billing.

Yes. You can find more information about our partnership models in our Partnership FAQs.

We communicate openly about the development status of the tool, publish regular updates and actively incorporate community feedback. Our data protection practices, terms of use and the AI models used are publicly documented.

Information about Reflecta as an organisation can be found at reflecta.org. For questions about the Fördermittelkompass, you can reach our support team directly via the ticketing system in the tool or by email.

The Fördermittelkompass is designed to treat all organisational forms equally – whether migrant organisations, rural entities or associations in eastern Germany. The AI evaluates only the thematic fit between project and funding programme. Special rates for non-profit organisations lower the barrier to entry. We consistently use gender-inclusive language and take care in data processing not to reproduce structural biases.

Reflecta maintains a broad network and offers partnership models. Through our partner programme, networks, associations and intermediaries can provide their members with discounted access to the Fördermittelkompass.

The licence fees ensure the long-term operation, further development and data quality of the Fördermittelkompass. The ongoing costs for AI infrastructure, server operation, data updates and support cannot be covered by grants alone. The SaaS model enables us to operate the tool sustainably and independently.

The Fördermittelkompass is a SaaS product (Software as a Service) with monthly or annual subscriptions. Non-profit organisations and small teams receive discounted prices.

Partner API: Organisations that want to integrate the Fördermittelkompass into their own offerings and platforms can license our API.

Data Analysis & Studies: Through our work with the Fördermittelkompass, we have access to a unique dataset on funders, funding programmes and funding trends. In cooperation with partners, we produce targeted analyses – for example on the funding landscape in specific regions or on particular funding topics. These insights help associations, municipalities and networks to deploy funding more strategically and identify gaps in the funding infrastructure.

From our Privacy Policy: We use AI models on Microsoft Azure servers and potentially additional AI models (e.g. GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, o4-mini, Llama 3.1) for our AI-powered services. All data processing is subject to data processing agreements concluded with the providers pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. Processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (service provision) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in continually improving our services). We do not feed personal data into these models and customers are asked not to do so either. We address this in detail in our Terms of Use.

In Germany and Europe. All AI systems run on EU servers. The application itself is hosted in Germany.

All data is processed in compliance with GDPR and can be deleted at any time. We do not see the contents of your projects or applications. Access is only granted with your explicit consent for support purposes; all access is authorised and logged. Your inputs are used exclusively for funding research, application drafting and quality assurance – not for training our AI. Data is not shared with third parties unless legally required or permitted by you.

Your data is hosted on servers in Germany. Your inputs are only visible to you and other users in your account. Other users or third parties have no access. Our team cannot view project content or application data – unless you explicitly grant access for support purposes. Additionally, we offer a full data processing agreement (DPA) in accordance with GDPR, which you can sign directly in the tool.

In day-to-day operations, Reflecta staff do not see the contents of your projects or applications. Only general account information (e.g. organisation name, legal form) is visible for account management purposes. Targeted access to project data only occurs with your explicit consent – for example for support purposes. As with any SaaS provider, system administrators technically have access to all stored data in order to ensure the operation, security and maintenance of the platform. All access is authorised, logged and subject to our internal data protection policies.