Overall Description

This bilateral call supports market-oriented research and development cooperation between German and Taiwanese companies. Projects should develop innovative products, processes or technical services with strong commercial potential and provide clear added value through international technological cooperation.

The call is open to all technology fields. German participants receive support through the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM), while Taiwanese participants are funded under Taiwan’s applicable industrial innovation programme.

Funding Amount

Funding is provided separately by the two countries under their national rules.

German participants

• Maximum eligible costs per company: €560,000.
• Maximum eligible costs per German research organisation: €280,000.
• Maximum ZIM grant for the entire cooperation project: €3 million.
• Company funding rate: Generally 40%–60% for international cooperation projects, depending on company size, age and location.
• Research organisations: Up to 100% of eligible project costs.
• Funding instrument: Non-repayable grant.

Taiwanese participants

• Taiwanese companies may generally receive funding for up to 50% of eligible R&D costs, subject to the applicable Taiwanese programme rules, project assessment and budget availability.
• The precise grant amount is determined by the Taiwanese funding authority.
• Universities and research organisations are generally not funded directly but may participate as subcontractors or self-funded partners.

Total call budget: Not specified.

Submission Deadlines

• Application deadline: 28 October 2026.
• Applications must be submitted to the relevant German and Taiwanese programme authorities by the deadline.
• The call documents do not specify a common fixed project-start date.

Submission Conditions

• The consortium must include at least:
  • One eligible German SME.
  • One eligible Taiwanese company.
• The principal German and Taiwanese company partners must be legally and economically independent of one another.
• The project must focus on joint R&D leading to a marketable product, process or technical service.
• All partners must make a substantive technical contribution.
• The cooperation must provide clear added value, such as access to complementary expertise, R&D infrastructure, new applications or markets.
• Project results and costs must be distributed in a balanced manner.
• No single participant should undertake a disproportionate share of the project.
• Each partner must submit a national funding application to its respective authority.
• The consortium must also prepare a joint bilateral project proposal in English.
• German applications must comply with the current ZIM guidelines.
• Taiwanese applications must comply with the applicable Taiwanese industrial R&D programme rules.
• Funding is awarded only when both countries approve their respective participants.
• A cooperation agreement addressing intellectual property, exploitation rights and responsibilities must be concluded before the project begins.
• Projects must not start before funding approval.
• Maximum project duration: Three years.

Eligible Types of Businesses

Germany

• Small and medium-sized enterprises with a German establishment.
• Companies with fewer than 500 employees.
• Companies with 500–999 employees when cooperating with at least one funded EU-defined SME.
• Universities and non-profit research or technology organisations participating as cooperation partners.

Taiwan

• Taiwanese SMEs.
• Other Taiwanese companies meeting the national programme requirements.
• Taiwanese universities and research organisations as subcontractors or self-funded partners.

Eligible Countries

• Germany
• Taiwan

Additional organisations from other countries may participate on a self-funded basis if permitted, but they do not replace the required German and Taiwanese company partners.