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This BMFTR funding guideline supports Leitprojekte - flagship, consortium-scale projects - on the use of artificial intelligence across industrial value chains, and it is one of the more substantial German AI calls currently open.
The scope is deliberately narrower than general industrial AI: it targets the development of domain-specific AI models and systems, meaning the adaptation or creation of specialised architectures that encode industry-specific vocabulary, process knowledge and physical principles rather than the application of general-purpose foundation models off the shelf. Projects must address three things together.
First, vertical anchoring in a real value chain, so the work is demonstrated in the context of an actual industrial sequence rather than a single firm's process. Second, data infrastructure integration with existing industrial IT systems, which is where most industrial AI pilots fail and where BMFTR is explicitly asking for engineering rather than research handwaving.
Third, the establishment of open standards for data accessibility and governance across sectors, which signals that BMFTR is funding this as pre-competitive infrastructure and will favour consortia that commit to interoperable, publishable standards over proprietary stacks. Funding goes to consortia combining research institutions and industry.
Project sketches (Projektskizzen) are due 1 November 2026, ahead of a second-stage full application for selected consortia - the standard two-stage German process, in which the sketch is the real competition.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: The call funds consortium projects (Verbundprojekte) combining research institutions and industrial partners; single-applicant proposals are not the intended form. Eligible participants are typically German universities, universities of applied sciences, non-university research institutions, and companies with an establishment or branch office in Germany, following standard BMFTR participation rules. Projects must develop domain-specific AI models and systems - specialised architectures integrating industry-specific vocabulary, process knowledge and physical principles - and must address vertical anchoring in a value chain, integration of data infrastructure with existing industrial IT systems, and the establishment of open standards for data accessibility and governance across sectors. The process is two-stage: project sketches (Projektskizzen) are due 1 November 2026, with selected consortia then invited to submit full applications. BMFTR does not publish a per-project funding amount in this guideline; comparable Leitprojekt calls fund consortia at roughly 5 to 20 million euros over three to four years. Funding rates follow German convention - generally up to 100 percent of eligible costs for universities and non-profit research institutes, and a partial rate, commonly around 50 percent for industrial research, for commercial enterprises, with SME bonuses possible. Confirm eligibility, funding rates, sketch requirements and the deadline in the official Bekanntmachung on bmftr.bund.de before preparing a sketch. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows BMFTR has not published a per-project funding figure in this Bekanntmachung, which is normal for German Leitprojekt calls at the sketch stage. amount_min of 5,000,000 and amount_max of 20,000,000 US dollars are estimates derived from comparable BMFTR and predecessor BMBF Leitprojekt programmes, which typically fund multi-partner research-and-industry consortia at roughly 5 to 20 million euros over three to four years - they are not figures stated on the call page and should be treated as planning guidance only. Two German funding conventions materially affect what a consortium can actually claim and are worth settling before drafting: universities and non-profit research institutes are generally funded at up to 100 percent of eligible project costs, while commercial enterprises are funded at a partial rate, commonly 50 percent for industrial research with SME bonuses available. Budget the industrial partners' co-financing at the outset, because the 50 percent gap is the most common reason an otherwise strong consortium cannot commit. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for BMFTR Leitprojekte fur die Nutzung von KI in Wertschopfungsketten (Flagship Projects for AI in Industrial Value Chains) are due November 1, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
BMFTR Leitprojekte fur die Nutzung von KI in Wertschopfungsketten (Flagship Projects for AI in Industrial Value Chains) is funded by German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (Bundesministerium fur Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt, BMFTR). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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