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Innovation; applying for funding for measures to support universities in cross-border networking and application

Are you a scientist at a university of applied sciences? Then you can apply for funding through the "FH Europa" measure, which you can use to finance the preparation of EU funding.

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Procedure details

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports projects of universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen/Hochschulen für Angewandte Wissenschaften) with the measure "FH-Europa" in order to enable them to expand and strengthen their networks on a European level as well as to establish themselves sustainably and in the longer term with their research foci in the scientific community.

As a researcher at a university of applied sciences, you can receive funding for eligible project-related costs, either alone or jointly with another university of applied sciences. Funding is provided for the expenses you incur in the course of preparing your application for a call in one of the European research funding programs.

Prospects for funding exist for your project

  • for the preparation of research proposals that can be submitted to the European Commission until 31.12.2027.
  • if your research applications are directed towards calls for proposals and supplementary programs of "Horizon Europe", for which universities of applied sciences and universities of applied sciences are eligible to apply.
  • if your proposed activities are intended to support the preparation of research proposals to other European multinational research funding programs such as "Green Deal" or "EUREKA".

Furthermore, there is a prospect of funding for your project

  • for the creation and consolidation of networks with potential project partners from other European countries as well as for research exchanges in other EU countries (in the case of international doctorates).

Type and scope, amount of grant:

  • Grants are awarded to you by way of project funding as non-repayable subsidies.
  • The basis for assessment is the eligible project-related expenditure (full funding) of your project.
  • As a rule, the funding volume requested for your project should not exceed EUR 75,000.
  • The BMBF will not grant a flat-rate project allowance for your project.
  • The maximum duration of your funded project is 12 months.
  • The project duration of your project ends regularly with the submission of the application to be developed.
  • If additional work on network-building measures is carried out in your project, your project duration ends with the end of these measures.
  • Your project must be completed by 31.12.2027 at the latest.
  • At your university of applied sciences/university of applied sciences, a maximum of 2 "FH-Europa" projects running at the same time are permitted.
  • The funds for the creation and continuation of networks with potential projects are not tied to the selected calls for proposals or their submission deadlines.

The BMBF will recognize as eligible for funding such activities of yours

  • are aimed at submitting applications to the current calls for proposals of "Horizon Europe" and supplementary programs and
  • demonstrably serve the purpose of networking with potential European project partnerships and offer added value for your universities of applied sciences with regard to a joint submission of an application to the European Commission, or
  • Prepare an application for one of the above-mentioned European multinational research funding programs.

Eligible activities within the scope of direct application support are

  • Discussions and meetings with representatives of the National Contact Points (NCPs) and other advisory bodies (for example, at the EU-COM) to prepare applications,
  • Research to determine the state of the art in science and technology,
  • Travel to coordinate a project idea or to prepare applications with other partners, including international partners; holding networking meetings,
  • Preliminary research and development work to validate solution approaches or to prepare a project outline,
  • Personnel for the preparation of proposals,
  • Teaching substitutes for project-leading professors at universities of applied sciences/universities of applied sciences.

In addition to pure application support, the following activities are eligible for funding:

  • Networking of existing research priorities, for example with the aim of giving them a European orientation.
  • Measures that improve the expansion and interdisciplinary exchange of experience of networks of universities of applied sciences, for example by establishing research groups.
  • Measures to increase the visibility and presence of universities of applied sciences as potential partners for (EU) applications, e.g. by establishing regional cooperation and networks with companies and practice partnerships, participating in partnering activities and portals, or exchanging researchers.
  • high-profile measures that promote the visibility of the University of Applied Sciences in Europe, for example networking at international events and congresses or organizing and holding events at the University of Applied Sciences
  • Travel of personnel involved in the project to potential project or network partnerships or stays at potential project and network partnerships
  • Teaching substitutions for professors of the University of Applied Sciences involved in the project
  • Personnel for the implementation and organization of the planned activities

You cannot receive funding for

  • Expenses for basic equipment,
  • infrastructure services or
  • Contracts with service providers to support the preparation of scientific or administrative parts of the proposal,
  • travel expenses of teaching substitutes

There is no entitlement to the grant. Rather, the granting authority decides on the basis of its dutiful discretion within the framework of the available budget funds.

Eligible to apply are:

all state-recognized universities of applied sciences and universities of applied sciences, as well as

  • the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University
  • the Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences
  • the Saxony University of Cooperative Education,
  • the Duale Hochschule Thüringen, and
  • the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg.

Funding requirements in detail:

  • Your funding application must have a concrete reference to the criteria of this guideline and contain all essential statements for the assessment and evaluation of the appropriateness of the grant.
  • If your grant application does not meet the listed requirements, it will not be considered in the further procedure. It is recommended that you contact the project management organization as early as the preparation stage of your funding application.
  • As the applicant, you must make it clear that the measures you are applying for are
    • are directly related to the establishment and maintenance of project-relevant contacts in other European countries: for example, through the suitability of the visited partner institute to one of the research foci of the applicant universities of applied sciences, through thematic suitability to the research focus of the applicant universities of applied sciences, for example, in the case of conference visits,
    • represent added value with regard to a potential application, for example, to "Horizon Europe" or other EU funding programs such as "Green Deal" and "EUREKA".

Furthermore, for the purposes of this guideline, only those activities for the preparation of applications will be funded for which it has already been determined

  • that there is a matching thematic focus with likewise matching calls announced in the foreseeable future in "Horizon Europe" or in another European research funding program such as "Green Deal" and "EUREKA" (with a submission deadline until 2027) and
  • it is known to which currently announced calls you intend to submit a proposal and
  • that this call for proposals fits the research profile or a research focus of your University of Applied Sciences,
  • what your application topic is and which research question you would like to work on at European level.

Special funding requirements:

  • Your project is located in the non-economic area. In the case of universities, this includes the primary task of teaching and studying as well as (basic) research, including the promotion of young researchers and the transfer of knowledge, which is accessible according to general rules in accordance with the university laws.
  • in the case of collaborative projects (joint application by several universities of applied sciences/universities of applied sciences):
    • You and the partner institute of your collaborative project regulate your cooperation in a written cooperation agreement.
    • Collaborative partner institutes that are research institutions within the meaning of Article 2 (point 83) of the GBER must ensure that no indirect aid flows to companies within the framework of the collaborative project.
    • To this end, the provisions of point 2.2 of the Commission communication on the Union framework for State aid for research, development and innovation (Official Journal C 198, 27.6.2014, page 1) must be observed. Prior to the funding decision on a collaborative project, evidence must be provided of an agreement in principle on further criteria specified by the BMBF (cf. BMBF form number 0110)

  • Required Documents

    Für das 1-stufige Verfahren; Projektantrag mit folgenden Angaben:

    Ihr Förderantrag darf nicht mehr als 10 Seiten, zuzüglich Titelblatt und Anlagen, umfassen (Schriftart Arial, Schriftgröße mindestens 11, Zeilenabstand mindestens einfach, Seitenränder mindestens 2 Zentimeter). Dabei ist die auf der Internetseite des Projektträgers hinterlegte Formatvorlage zwingend zu verwenden.

    Ihr Förderantrag muss neben einem aussagekräftigen Projekttitel und einem einprägsamen Kurztitel folgende Punkte enthalten:

    Ihr Förderantrag muss neben einem aussagekräftigen Projekttitel und einem einprägsamen Kurztitel folgende Punkte enthalten:

    • Deckblatt
      • aussagekräftige Kurzbezeichnung des Projekts sowie Akronym
      • Kurzinformation zum Vorhaben
    • Darstellung des Themenschwerpunkts
      • des geplanten EU-Antrag in "Horizont Europa" oder in einem anderen europäischen Forschungsförderungsprogramm wie "Green Deal" und "EUREKA" mit konkreter Nennung des ausgewählten Calls und den Einreichungsfristen und
      • der geplanten netzwerkbildenden Maßnahmen mit Bezug auf potenzielle Ausschreibungen in "Horizont Europa" oder ergänzenden Programmen
    • Forschungskompetenz der Fachhochschule oderHochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften und der Projektleitung
      • bislang in diesem Themenschwerpunkt durchgeführte Forschungen an der antragstellenden Fachhochschule/Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften
      • nationaleoderinternationale Drittmittelerfahrung der Projektleitung, gegebenenfalls bisherige Beteiligung an den Forschungsrahmenprogrammen der EU (Antragstellungen, bewilligte Projekte)
    • Forschungsfrage, die auf europäischer Ebene bearbeitet werden soll und Ziele des Antrags
      • kurze Darstellung der geplanten Arbeiten im angestrebten EU-Projekt, Darstellung des geplanten Konsortiums
    • geplante Schritte zur Erstellung des EU-Antrags beziehungsweise der geplanten Vernetzungsaktivitäten
      • Arbeits-, Zeit- und Ressourcenplanung (inklusive Abgrenzung von eventuell bereits etablierten Vernetzungsaktivitäten),
      • Darstellung des erwarteten Mehrwerts der geplanten Aktivitäten
    • Strategie der Fachhochschule/Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften im Hinblick auf Beteiligung an europäischen Forschungsprojekten
      • Berücksichtigung der spezifischen Möglichkeiten und Rahmenbedingungen der Fachhochschule oder Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Ausrichtung auf Themenschwerpunkte,
      • Beteiligung an bestimmten Förderformaten,
      • vorhandene oder geplante Strukturen an der Fachhochschule/Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften,
      • beratende/unterstützende Strukturen, die genutzt werden sollen (an der Fachhochschule/Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften und darüber hinaus)
    • Notwendigkeit der Zuwendung

    Ihrer Vorhabenbeschreibung dürfen als Anlage folgende Unterlagen beigefügt werden:

    • Interessensbekundungen der für eine (EU-)Antragstellung vorgesehenen Partnerschaften
    • Wenn direkt die Erstellung eines EU-Antrags zur zweiten EU-Verfahrensstufe beantragt wird, kann der bereits eingereichte (EU-)Antrag zur ersten Verfahrensstufe der Anlage beigefügt werden.
    • Im Falle eines Austauschs von Forscherinnen oder Forschern ist dem Antrag eine Bestätigung der aufnehmenden Institution als Anlage beizufügen.
    • Weitere Anlagen sind nicht zugelassen.

The application procedure for funding to support higher education institutions in cross-border networking and application to strengthen innovation capacity in the European Research Area (UAS-Europe), has one stage.

Application and evaluation

  • Download and fill out the format template deposited on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It is mandatory that you use it.
  • Your funding application must have a specific reference to the criteria of the funding guideline and contain all essential statements for assessing and evaluating the appropriateness of the grant.
  • If your grant application does not meet the listed requirements, your application will not be considered.
  • It is recommended that you contact the project management organization as early as the preparation stage of your funding application.
  • In the case of joint applications (collaborative projects), you and each of the participating universities of applied sciences/universities of applied sciences must submit a separate application and prepare a separate, individual technical section.
  • In the case of collaborative projects, your funding applications must be submitted in consultation with your designated collaborative coordinator.
  • Based on the funding guideline, a maximum of 2 projects running at the same time per university of applied sciences/university of applied sciences is possible.
  • Before submitting your funding application, please check whether your application meets all the requirements of the funding guideline and fulfills the specifications of the assigned project management organization.
  • If you have any questions, please contact the project sponsor directly.

Your application for funding to support higher education institutions in cross-border networking and application for the strengthening of innovative capacity in the European Research Area (FH-Europa), you submit as follows:

  • As FH-Europa is a continuous measure, you may submit your applications in electronic form via the Internet portal "easy-Online" in accordance with the instructions stored there at any time until June 30, 2027.
  • Call up the "easy-Online" Internet portal. There you will be guided step by step through the application process.
  • Complete all the fields required for the application and submit it with a qualified electronic signature.
  • If you do not have a qualified electronic signature, you must print out the application in addition to submitting it electronically, sign it, and send it to the project management organization in the next step along with the other application documents.
  • Once the application has been received by the project management organization, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.
  • The applications received will be evaluated and reviewed with the participation of an internal review panel according to the following criteria:
    • Fulfillment of the funding requirements in detail as well as the competencies of the project leader
    • Suitability of the planned (EU) application to the selected (EU) call and the resulting opportunities of the planned (EU) application
    • quality of the presented work, time and resource plan
    • Contribution to the strengthening of the network and the research profile of the University of Applied Sciences
  • The result of the review will be submitted to the BMBF.
  • The BMBF will decide whether your application is selected for funding.
  • If your application is selected, the project management organization will contact you to coordinate the further procedure.
  • The responsible person at the project management organization will contact you while your application is being processed to clarify any queries you may have.
  • After all questions have been clarified and your funding application has been processed, your application will be submitted to the BMBF for approval.
  • In case of a positive decision, you will receive a notification of funding by mail.

There are no costs involved.

There is no fixed deadline for submitting your applications.

In this procedure, you can submit your applications continuously from the publication of this guideline until June 30, 2027 in electronic form via the "easy-Online" Internet portal in accordance with the instructions stored there.

The assessment of your grant application as well as the processing of your grant application until you receive your grant notification can take up to 8 weeks in the 1-step procedure. (8 weeks)

There are no clues or specifics.

  • administrative claim

Status: 14.03.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt
Source: Federal Portal