Digitisation Grant ERDF – Introductory Projects

This funding program is aimed at commercially active micro-enterprises and members of the liberal professions with a registered office or business establishment in the Free State of Saxony who wish to implement a digitisation project for the first time. The overarching goal is to improve the innovative capacity and competitiveness of the Saxon economy by strengthening digital transformation.

This funding program supports digitisation projects by micro-enterprises that are entering digital transformation for the first time. Direct expenses for planning, conception, hardware and software acquisition, as well as the introduction and training of new solutions, are funded to significantly improve the level of digitisation.

Funding is provided as a grant for introductory projects by micro-enterprises. The grant amounts to up to 60 percent of eligible expenses, but a maximum of 10,000 euros, with a project duration of up to 12 months. A bonus of 10 percentage points is possible for collective bargaining agreements or equivalent remuneration.

Specific legal and financial conditions apply to the application, including the first-time implementation of a digitisation project within the company and the obligation to improve the level of digitisation. There are also regulations regarding the avoidance of personal or economic entanglements and de minimis aid.

The application must be submitted electronically via the SAB funding portal before the start of the measures. After approval, the actual expenses must be documented, and a factual report on the project's implementation and the improvement of the digitisation level must be submitted.

The funding program is based on the directive of the Saxon State Ministry for Economy, Labour and Transport for the promotion of digitisation projects co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This directive sets out the specific rules for granting subsidies and refers to other relevant budgetary and EU legal provisions.