Finnish-German Collaboration Projects

For the first time since 2021, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and Business Finland, Finland’s government agency for innovation, have published a joint call for research and development projects.

A significant innovation of the future cooperation is that Business Finland will for the first time allow grants instead of low-interest loans for Finnish companies. The resumption of the German-Finnish call and the introduction of grants by Business Finland will create even more attractive conditions for joint innovative R&D projects.

Matchmaking and Webinar for Mobility Topics

To address the imporant transformation area of mobility in its many dimensions, a joint matchmaking initiative between Finland and the German state of Baden-Württemberg has been set up between Business Finland, AiF Projekt GmbH, e-mobil BW, and the KAMO: Karlsruhe Mobility cluster.

The goal of the initiative is to inform interested organizations (companies and research organizations) about funding regulations, and enabling matchmaking for cooperation projects, either for the current call for proposals (September 2025), or for an expected next call in 2026.

Current Call for Proposals

Official details of the call
13th Call | open until September 15, 2025
Funding provided by the German ZIM (BMWK) and Business Finland
Call documents with important information in Englisch (PDF, 596 KB)
Proposal Application Form (to be completed and signed by all project partners)
For German applicants, the funding conditions according to the ZIM guideline apply (only available in German)
ZIM application documents for the German partners can be requested as described in the Formularcenter

Matchmaking (by June 9)

If you want to participate in the online MATCHMAKING, fill in your company profile and/or project idea in the following questionnaire (3 minutes) until Jun. 9^th. Filled in information, including points of contact and expertise/relevant topics, will be shared among all participants.

Fill in matchmaking info

Collaborations between Finland and Germany in the Area of Mobility

For SMEs who are looking for international growth and digitalization opportunities, R&D development projects between Finnish and German companies are an excellent option: In joint projects, participants get strong support for the growth of their company, find new markets and can grow their business.

Germany has been Finland’s most important trade partner since 2014, and Finnish–German collaborations have proven highly flexible in the past in exploring and leveraging advanced digitalization opportunities and joinly addressing new international markets.

Companies can profit from international expertise and experience, and improve products for the international market. High competence, a positive image of Finland in Germany, and vice versa, and close relations between the countries contribute to the success of cooperating companies: The connection between Finland and Germany is a stable foundation in the conditions of global uncertainty, crucial mobility transformations, and supply chain difficulties.

Get in touch!

The webinar and matchmaking, with a focus on mobility topics, are organized by Business Finland, AiF, and e-mobil BW / KAMO: Karlsruhe Mobility, from the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The call is open for non-mobility proposals as well.