The Environmental Protection Programme, an initiative of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), supports projects contibuting to environmental protection, with particular focus on small businesses. Depending on respective calls for proposals, topics of eligible projects might include environmental technology, environmentally friendly processes and products, climate protection and energy.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety in Germany funds industrial-scale pilot projects in key environmental sectors, such as climate protection and resource efficiency. These projects show how innovative technologies can be implemented to help reduce and prevent harm to the environment. The Environmental Innovation Programme focuses on projects well suited for demonstration purposes and hence for replication.

The r+Impuls initiative by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) aims to boost R&D in resource efficiency (e.g. through pilot installations, industry-ready reference plants or mature prototypes). The programme supports high-risk and application-oriented industrial research as well as pre-competitive development projects.

With this programme the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) helps SMEs by supporting high-risk and application-oriented industrial research as well as pre-competitive development projects in the field of resource and energy efficiency.

Examples of eligible projects include (read the flyer for more detail): 

With this programme the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports high-risk and application-oriented industrial research as well as pre-competitive development projects. This especially applies to R&D in the field of production systems and technologies, including interdisciplinary projects in the raw materials industry, machinery and plant engineering, as well as the automotive and electronics sector.

This programme by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) helps SMEs overcome structural disadvantages in R&D. SMEs are often not able to sufficiently fund external research or maintain in-house R&D departements, due to their limited size. The programme fosters joint research activities, including research executed by universities and non-profit, industry-oriented research institutions.

Private companies can receive support of up to 50 % of the eligible costs.

As part of the National Climate Safety Initiative (NKI) in Germany, this programme by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) supports improvement measures in industrial refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. Overhauled systems consume much less energy and produce significantly lower CO2 emissions in electricity generation.

The FONA³ programme is the central funding measure of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to finance research on global change, sustainable economics and socio-ecological issues.

Flagship initiatives covered by the programme:

The German Raw Materials Efficiency Prize is an award by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) for outstanding examples of resource and material efficiency, efficiency in products, processes or services, as well as in applied research. Managed by the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA), four companies and one research institution receive an award each year.

The Central Innovation Programme (ZIM) is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) aimed at SMEs in R&D projects. The programme is open to proposals covering all types of technology and sectors, as well as national or international cooperation. The overarching goal of ZIM is to foster innovation and competitiveness among companies, contributing to economic growth and job creation.