The Matching Process: How Our AI Finds the Right Funding Opportunities for You
Our intelligent matching process works in two consecutive stages to identify the most suitable funding opportunities for your organization from over 4,100 options. Learn how the system works to achieve the best results.
Overview: Two-Stage Matching Process
Stage 1: Technical Pre-Filtering (Exclusion Criteria)
Automatic filtering based on hard criteria that would make an application impossible
Stage 2: AI-Based Evaluation
Intelligent analysis of the remaining funding opportunities with detailed fit assessment
The result: Only truly relevant funding opportunities end up in your personal match list.
Stage 1: Technical Pre-Filtering
Why Technical Filters First?
Before our AI goes into detail, the system automatically eliminates all funding opportunities for which an application is fundamentally excluded. This saves computing time, AI costs, and ensures more relevant results.
Key Filtering Criteria
🏢 Organization Type (Eligibility)
What is checked: Is your organization type even eligible to apply?
Examples of exclusions:
- Funding only for "non-profit organizations" → private companies are filtered out
- Program only for "educational institutions" → other organization types are excluded
- Call only for "start-ups" → established organizations are not considered
💡 Tip: Keep your organization type up to date in your profile and select all applicable categories.
📍 Regional Availability
What is checked: Is the funding available in your location regions?
Important filter logic:
- Funding for "Bavaria" → only organizations located in Bavaria
- Funding for "Berlin and Brandenburg" → location in one of these regions required
- EU programs → special requirements for European projects
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Don’t Miss Nationwide Funding!
Common mistake: Many users forget to select "Germany (nationwide)" in their regions.
The result: Nationwide funding is not displayed, even though you could apply.
How to avoid this problem:
- Go to your organization profile
- Under "Regions," always select "Germany (nationwide)"
- Additionally, select your specific federal states/regions
Example: An organization in Munich should select:
- ✅ Bavaria
- ✅ Germany (nationwide)
- Optional: more regions if active across regions
🎯 Topics/Funding Areas
What is checked: Do the funding areas of the call overlap with your fields of activity?
Filter logic:
- Funding for "climate protection" → only organizations with this topic
- Call for "education & culture" → at least one of these fields required
- Broad funding "social cohesion" → various topics possible
💡 Optimization tip: Select all relevant topics, but don’t overdo it—quality over quantity.
👥 Target Groups
What is checked: Do you reach the target groups the funding aims to support?
Examples: - Funding for "youth work" → target group "children & youth" required - Program for "integration" → suitable target groups such as "people with a migration background"
🏢 Other Organization Criteria
Non-Profit Check:
- Non-profit organizations see all funding opportunities
- Non-non-profits are excluded from "non-profit only" funding
Company Size: Some funding is restricted (e.g., only SMEs, only large companies)
Stage 2: AI-Based Evaluation
What Happens After Pre-Filtering?
The remaining funding opportunities (usually 200-300 instead of the original 4,100+) are now analyzed in detail by our AI.
How the AI Evaluates Each Funding Opportunity
📊 Multidimensional Analysis
Organization Fit:
- How well does the funding fit your previous activities?
- Are the requirements realistically achievable?
- Does the "organization size" match the funding amount?
Content Fit:
- Alignment of funding goals with your goals
- Compatibility of expected project outcomes
- Fit of funded measures with your competencies
Formal Feasibility:
- Are the application deadlines realistic?
- Can you provide the required co-financing?
- Do you have the necessary documentation?
🎯 Scoring System
Match Category: - 🔴 Low Match (1): Basic requirements met, but little fit - 🟡 Partially Suitable (2): Solid basis, some improvements needed - 🟢 High Match (3): Very good fit, highly recommended
📝 Transparent Explanations
For each match, you receive:
Fulfilled Criteria: ✅ What speaks for an application?
Pending Points: ⏳ What do you still need to prepare?
Unmet Criteria: ❌ What speaks against an application?
Application Ideas: 💡 Concrete suggestions for your application
Optimizing Your Match Results
1. Profile Completeness
Basic information: The more complete your organization profile, the more precise the matches
Describe activities: Concrete examples of past projects help the AI
Specify target groups: Clearly state whom you reach
2. Select Regions Correctly
Always select "Germany (nationwide)" for nationwide programs
Select all relevant federal states, even for cross-regional activities
EU level: Only select if you can actually carry out EU projects
3. Choose Topics Strategically
Prioritize main topics: Your 3-5 most important areas
Include related areas: Adjacent fields can also be relevant
Avoid being too broad: Don’t select all available fields
4. Define Projects for Better Matches
Create a concrete project idea: For specific projects, you’ll get better funding recommendations
Detailed descriptions: The more precise the project, the more accurate the match
Realistic budgets: Helps assess suitable funding amounts
Common Problems and Solutions
❌ Problem: "I get no or very few matches"
Possible causes:
- "Germany (nationwide)" not selected → 90% of funding not displayed
- Topics too specific → broaden your selection
- Organization type too restricted → check for other suitable categories
Solution:
- Check your profile and add "Germany (nationwide)"
- Broaden topics (but stay realistic)
- Add related categories to your organization type
❌ Problem: "Too many irrelevant matches"
Possible causes:
- Topics chosen too broadly
- Target groups not specific enough
- Organization description too general
Solution:
- Reduce topics to core areas
- Define target groups more precisely
- Use the "Not suitable" function to help the AI learn
❌ Problem: "Matches are not up to date"
Possible causes:
- Profile not updated for a long time
- Old project information
- Outdated contact details
Solution:
- Regularly update your organization profile
- Mark completed projects as "archived"
- Add new activities and target groups
❌ Problem: "AI assessments seem off"
Possible causes:
- Organization description not meaningful
- Missing examples of previous work
- Unclear goals and mission
Solution:
- Write a more detailed organization description
- Add concrete examples and references
- Give feedback via the "Not suitable" function
The Matching Process in Practice
Timeline
Immediate: Technical filtering runs automatically when you update your profile
1-2 minutes: AI evaluation per funding opportunity (with rate limiting)
Real-time updates: Live display of results during matching
What You See
Progress indicator: "X out of Y funding opportunities analyzed"
Live updates: New matches automatically appear in the list
Notifications: Alerts for particularly suitable funding opportunities
After Matching
Sorting: Best matches (🟢) are shown first
Filter options: Further filtering by funding amount, deadlines, etc.
Detail view: Detailed information for each match
Tips for Optimal Matching Success
🎯 Preparation
- Complete your organization profile before starting the first matching
- Provide realistic information—don’t exaggerate your capacities
- Use concrete examples instead of general descriptions
🔄 Regular Optimization
- Weekly checks for new matches
- Provide feedback via the "Not suitable" function
- Update your profile when your organization changes
📈 Long-Term Improvement
- Monitor match quality and make adjustments
- Document successful applications for better future matches
- Explore new topics based on funding trends
Frequently Asked Questions about the Matching Process
Q: How often should I update my profile?
A: Immediately after major changes in your organization, otherwise every 3-6 months to optimize match quality.
Q: Why does AI matching sometimes take so long?
A: Each funding opportunity is analyzed individually and in detail. Sometimes there are a few hundred to process.
Q: Can I influence the matching process?
A: Yes! With complete profiles, regular updates, and feedback via the "Not suitable" function, you help the system learn.
Q: What happens if funding guidelines change?
A: Our system automatically detects changes and performs a re-matching. You’ll be informed about relevant updates.
Q: Are EU funding opportunities included?
A: Yes, but only if you have selected "EU" as a region and meet the relevant requirements.
The matching process is continuously being improved. Your feedback helps us to further enhance the quality and precision of our recommendations. If you have questions or problems, feel free to contact us!
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