The starting point

Funding programmes yes – but difficult for SMEs to access

There are many funding opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at regional, national and European level - whether for innovation, research, digitalisation or sustainability. However, despite the existence of programmes, access remains a barrier for many businesses.In addition to the general complexity, there is another structural problem: many companies now rely on external funding consultants to help them find programmes and submit applications for a fee. For smaller companies in particular, this is a financial barrier – with the risk of missing out on funding opportunities.At the same time, public institutions do not have enough staff to provide comprehensive, high-quality funding advice. The available resources are barely sufficient to meet the high demand, especially in the areas of digitalisation and innovation.

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Typical challenges

• The funding landscape is fragmented: Information is scattered across multiple platforms, PDFs and institutions.
• Finding relevant programmes can be time consuming, especially for companies without in-house funding experts.
• The programmes are constantly changing: new calls for proposals, changing deadlines, changing criteria.
• Many SMEs give up in frustration or miss deadlines because they get lost in the funding jungle.

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The vision

An AI-powered platform as intelligent conveyor navigator

The solution is a centralised, AI-powered funding platform built on CIU (Central Innovation Unit) technology. The aim is to automate, personalise and simplify the entire funding process - from research to partnering.

So funktioniert's:

1. Companies enter a short description of the project.
2. The AI analyses the content and goals of the project.
3. ...

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