Innovations for the Agriculture of Tomorrow: The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) offers two funding opportunities to support agricultural innovation. First, it has established the "Innovation Support Programme" which issues thematic funding calls for early development phases. Second, through the "German Innovation Partnership for Agriculture" (DIP-Agrar), it enables open-topic submissions of practice-oriented projects to accelerate their market readiness. DIP-Agrar is linked to the Innovation Support Programme. In this blog article, we introduce both BMEL funding programmes.
With these funding opportunities, the BMEL creates diverse prospects for agriculture. The goal is to actively support the development of market-ready solutions and their implementation in agricultural practice. In doing so, Germany's competitiveness is strengthened through pioneering projects in food, agriculture, and consumer protection.
Funding objectives and eligibility
The Innovation Support Programme is aimed at German commercial enterprises — from startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to, in some cases, large companies. They can work independently or in collaboration with partners from industry or research on practice-oriented development projects. The goal of the funding is to significantly increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to develop innovative solutions up to market maturity.
Focus areas of the Innovation Support Programme
The goal of the programme is to develop sustainable, competitive, and innovative products, processes, and services based on new scientific findings. Projects are typically carried out in collaboration between research institutions and companies. A wide range of topics is eligible for funding, including:
Agricultural technology
Plant breeding and protection
Livestock farming and health
Food safety, nutrition, and food production
Aquaculture and fisheries
The individual funding calls are aligned with overarching priorities and societal needs, such as animal welfare-friendly husbandry, resource-efficient fertilization, or digital technologies in the agricultural and food industries.
The path to funding with DIP-Agrar
As a complement to the Innovation Support Programme, DIP-Agrar offers an additional funding opportunity for application-oriented projects. These projects should have reached at least TRL 5, with the goal of transitioning to TRL 6 within one year. The project's market potential must be outlined at the start, with the ultimate objective of achieving market readiness (TRL 8) by the end of the project.
Submission deadlines:Project proposals can be submitted by 15 February and 15 August each year. After an initial review by the DIP office, the project is presented to the DIP Steering Committee.
EurA as a partner for successful funding projects
EurA supports companies in identifying suitable funding programmes, developing innovative project ideas, and successfully submitting applications.
Through our ZIM networks ZukunftTier,Biomass2Food, and Aquaponik, we continuously develop innovative project ideas and proposals specifically designed for submission to the Innovation Support Programme and DIP-Agrar.
Leverage our experience to position your innovation project optimally and benefit from available funding opportunities. Together, we drive sustainable solutions in livestock farming, sustainable food production, and aquaponics forward!
Text: Dr Maria Jaeger
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As a studied agronomist and coordinator of the networking and transfer measure Beenovation, I provide information on current funding programmes in the agricultural sector. I am happy to support you in identifying the right funding instrument for your innovations and am available for a non-binding consultation.
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