Innovation in the Construction Industry

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia promotes innovative research, development, and pilot projects in the construction industry. The goal is to gain new technical, organizational, and innovative insights that contribute to innovative construction and digital development. Knowledge transfer between research and practice is of great importance in this regard.

The funding is aimed at a wide range of actors in the construction industry in North Rhine-Westphalia, including companies of various sizes, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. The overarching goal is to strengthen competitiveness and address future challenges in construction through innovation.

The program supports a variety of innovative projects in construction, focusing on resource-efficient and digital processes, but also including new materials and resilient construction methods. Both research and development phases, as well as their practical application and knowledge transfer, are funded.

The program offers financial support in the form of non-repayable grants, the amount of which depends on the type of project and the size of the applicant company. The maximum funding amount per project is set to ensure a broad distribution of funds.

Specific legal and administrative conditions apply to the application and project implementation, including compliance with state aid regulations such as the GBER and the De-minimis Regulation. Furthermore, regulations on budget planning and the publication of project results must be observed.

The application process is straightforward and digital, allowing for continuous application submission. Approval is granted at discretion within the scope of available budget funds, based on the submitted documents.

The funding principles “Innovation in the Construction Industry” are based on a specific regulatory framework that defines the legal conditions for granting funding and ensures compliance with European state aid rules.