Promotion

Credit check

If you apply for funding, you may also have to submit creditworthiness documents (such as annual financial statements, bank statements or an extract from the commercial register, if registered). On the basis of these, your economic viability will be checked to ensure that you can raise the necessary equity to implement the project.

Appropriation period

This means the period in which the approved measure must be carried out and completed.

Consultant/consulting firm

If you want to apply for funding, you have to expect that the process will tie up a lot of capacity. For this reason, it can make sense to seek advice on funding in advance.

For this, you can work with a qualified consultant or a consulting company. The consultation can happen before the application or can be used as help during the process.

There are also specific consulting subsidies - such as KEAN's low-threshold entry-level consulting services, the Energy Consulting for Non-Residential Buildings, Plants and Systems (EBN) program, or the "Promotion of Entrepreneurial Know-How" program.

Call for proposals

The term "call for propsals" refers to a request for project proposals by a public contracting authority. This is a common instrument in the context of (EU) funding programs that addresses clearly identified categories and applicants.

One example is the "Call for proposals" by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, which supports projects with a total of EUR 300.5 million. It is aimed in particular at hydrogen projects for regenerative production or the development of storage and distribution options.

More information

De minimis aid

There are also grants that do not involve an application process. They are called de minimis grants.

This refers to minor financial grants that do not require approval and are granted to companies from almost all sectors of the economy under certain conditions.

The sum of de minimis aid granted may not exceed the threshold of EUR 200,000 within the current and the two previous calendar years.

Further information

Own contribution/own resources

Often, a project cannot be financed completely from subsidies. You must then cover the remaining funds of the total costs yourself from your own resources.

If the company is a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), the own contribution may be reduced by granting an SME surcharge/bonus.

Individual and joint/cooperative projects

Individual, collaborative and cooperative projects are central instruments of project funding. A distinction is made between whether you want to implement your own project as a company or institute, or work in cooperation with third parties, i.e. other companies or scientific research institutions.

The aim of funding collaborative projects is to bring about cooperation between companies and scientific research institutions or other companies and thus achieve synergy effects and knowledge transfer, for example.

Funding guideline

A funding guideline is called the regulations that apply in order to receive financial support for a project. This legal text contains the contents and goals formulated in the funding program, as well as who the funding program is aimed at, i.e. the funding recipients. Funding guidelines specify the details behind the funding programs and state what the responsible bodies, e.g. a ministry, must consider when making funding decisions.

Development area

Defines the area targeted by the funding. Differentiates between funding available to applicants in specific regions (e.g., Hannover region), statewide (e.g., Lower Saxony), nationwide, or even at the European level.

Funding rate

The funding rate refers to the percentage of the total cost of the grant project that is financed by the awarded grant funds. This varies depending on the funding program. See also: Own contribution/own funds.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to receive funding, you must fulfill various requirements. These include, for example, eligibility to apply, conclusion of cooperation agreements (for collaborative projects), proof of creditworthiness or the appropriate use of funds.

Subject of the promotion

The "Object of support" describes the types of eligible measures. This includes, for example, the content-related and technical requirements that must be met and the expenses/costs that are eligible for funding. In most cases, it also specifies content that is excluded from funding.

If you are not sure whether your project meets the requirements, use the FAQs or contact the funding agency or advisory services (regional economic development agencies or climate protection and energy agencies).

H2 promotion

Currently, there are a variety of funding opportunities for hydrogen projects, especially at the federal level. Various funding overviews/databases provide an overview:

• Funding overview Lower Saxony Hydrogen Network (NWN)
• Subsidy database of the NBank
• Funding database of the federal government

Investment grant

An investment grant is a financial contribution from the public purse that does not have to be repaid. The grantor stipulates certain requirements and conditions for the grant (see also Object of the grant). These are intended to ensure that the objectives are achieved when the grant is awarded.

Degree of innovation

Behind this is the question "How innovative is the project from a scientific or technical point of view?". The planned project must have a certain degree of innovation. This means, for example, the introduction of new or significantly improved products (goods, services), processes, and marketing and organizational methods that go beyond the state of the art. There is usually a scoring table for evaluating the degree of innovation.

Young entrepreneurs

A variety of different funding programs support young companies/start ups to strengthen the start-up mentality and to develop the potentials. More info on the definition of start-ups can be found at NBank.

Examples: The "Promotion of Entrepreneurial Know-How", ERP-Gründerkredit - StartGeld, ERP Capital for Start-ups.

SME

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are defined as those enterprises which, according to the definition of the EU Commission (May 2003):

• have fewer than 250 employees,
• an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million
• or have an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million.

Various criteria must be taken into account when calculating the number of employees and the financial thresholds. Information on this can be found in a guideline issued by the EU Commission.

SME bonus

SMEs often benefit from the so-called SME bonus. This is a surcharge on the funding rate (usually 10%) that is granted specifically to SMEs.

Cumulation of subsidies (prohibition of cumulation)

Before submitting an application under a funding program, you should review the guideline and information sheets with regard to whether and how the funding can be combined. In some programs, the combination or cumulation of funding is explicitly excluded (prohibition of cumulation).

In principle, it must be ensured that the maximum funding limits specified in each case are not exceeded (e.g. under the "de minimis" regulation, see D for ...).

Supply and term contracts

Applications for funding are generally submitted before the start of a project. You should inform yourself about the definition of "project start" in connection with the respective grant. In most cases, the conclusion of legally valid supply and term contracts already counts as an early start of the measure. As a rule, measures that have already been started before the application is submitted or before the notification of funding is received cannot be funded.

See also V for early start of measures.

Letter of Intent (LOI)

This is a non-binding letter of intent, often issued by project partners for collaborative projects who have an interest in participating in the planned project. See also Memorandum of Understanding.

(Cost-neutral) lifetime extension

In order to extend the project duration, an application for a cost-neutral extension of the duration can be submitted in some cases. For more information, please refer to the guidelines, the fact sheets or contact the project management organization.

Memorandum of Understanding

This is a non-binding letter of intent, often issued by project partners for collaborative projects who have an interest in participating in the planned project. See also Letter of Intent.

Notification requirements

Pursuant to No. 5 ANBestP, the recipient of the grant has certain notification obligations vis-à-vis the granting authority. These include, for example, informing the approval authority without delay if the intended use or other circumstances relevant to the approval of the grant change or cease to apply (No. 5.2).

NBank

NBank is the investment and development bank of the state of Lower Saxony and is headquartered in Hanover. It is responsible for advising on and handling development programs at the state, federal and EU levels.

More information

Ancillary provisions

The ancillary provisions are sent with the notification of funding and regulate further details of the funding. See also, for example, A for ANBestP.

Online application tool

Applications, bids and project outlines are usually submitted using an electronic form system. The submitted documents usually have to be printed out and signed after successful submission.

The funding portal at the federal level is "easy-Online". The federal government has produced a guide to submission via the system.

At the state level, you can apply for the transformation consultations of the Climate Protection and Energy Agency of Lower Saxony (KEAN) via the online tool here.

Project executing organization: Designation for the institution responsible for organizing and managing the funding. VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, VDI Technologiezentrum, Projektträger Jülich or Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) are just a few examples of institutions that assume the corresponding responsibilities as project sponsors. The task of project sponsorship is usually assigned to you by the ministries at federal and state level.

Project Outline: Project outlines serve as an initial assessment of the project and should briefly and concisely summarize the essential core. In a multi-stage application process, these serve the purpose of determining the project's eligibility for funding. If the project is eligible for funding, the applicant is requested to submit a full proposal.

The project outline usually includes

• a presentation of the project idea
• Results of the research and state of the art
• An assessment of the application possibilities and the overall effort.

Recoveries/repayments of subsidies

Grants may have to be repaid in full or in part. This occurs if the recipient of the grant has not complied with the requirements of the grant notice, the use of the grant cannot be properly documented, or the funds have not been fully used.

This is not true for innovation grants because there is a knowing possibility in advance that the innovative approach may not work.

Factual report

The factual report serves to present the achieved (interim) results of the funded project/project/measure using the grant. As a rule, it is a formalized report.

Start Up

A variety of different funding programs support young companies/start ups to strengthen the start-up mentality and develop the potential. A definition of who is considered a Start Up is available from NBank.

Examples: The "Promotion of Entrepreneurial Know-How", ERP-Gründerkredit - StartGeld, ERP Capital for Start-ups.

Technology Readiness Level (TLR) / Dt.: Technologiereifegrad

This is a scale for assessing the development status of new technologies. On a scale of 1-9, it indicates how far a technology has developed based on a systematic analysis. The TRL was originally developed by NASA in 1988 to evaluate space technologies. Today it is used as a standard in various areas of future technologies and partly as a funding criterion.

Repayment grant

This is a grant from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) that is offset against the loan debt and thus reduces the loan amount to be repaid. Such a grant is awarded, for example, under the "Federal Promotion for Energy and Resource Efficiency in the Economy (EEW)" (No. 295) or for the construction/renovation of an energy-efficient house in connection with the "Federal Promotion for Energy-Efficient Buildings (BEG)".

Support options

In addition to thefundingdatabases (see "H2 funding"), funding consultancies or nationwide initiatives can provide a little more clarity in the "fundingjungle".

You can often find help and contact details directly on the funding page or in the corresponding FAQs. The development banks of the federal states, the NBank, regional business development agencies or the regional energy and climate protection agencies can often help you in the form of advisory services.

Where-used list / Where-used list check

The project executing agency (granting authority) requires the recipient of the funding to provide proof of use. This includes the factual report on the one hand and the corresponding numerical evidence on the other (overview of expenses and income incl. receipts). As a rule, review/attestation by auditor/tax advisor required. Audit rights of federal or state institutions.

Early start of measures

As a rule, measures that have already been started before the application is submitted or before the notification of funding is received cannot be funded. In special cases, this rule can be circumvented. If the funding provider approves an "early start of measures", investments or contracts can be concluded before final approval without affecting the approval process.

Hydrogen

There are a variety of funding programs that support you in the realization of your projects in the field of hydrogen. You can get an overview here:

Lower Saxony Hydrogen Network (NWN)

Funding database of the federal government

Business development

If you want to apply for funding, you have to expect that the process will tie up a lot of capacity. For this reason, it can make sense to seek advice on funding in advance.

For this, you can work with a qualified consultant or a consulting company. The consultation can happen before the application or can be used as help during the process.

There are also specific consulting subsidies - such as KEAN's low-threshold introductory consultations, energy consulting for non-residential buildings, facilities and systems (EBN), or the "Promotion of entrepreneurial know-how" program. They also B like consulting.

Grant notice

This is a written confirmation that the requested funding has been approved. The grant notification specifies the eligible expenses. Only those expenses that are listed in the notification of funding are funded and can be settled by the recipient of the funding.

Interim statement/proof of use

In connection with project funding, the project sponsor usually requires an interim/expenditure statement from the grantee.