The funding program 'Support for the Use of Research Infrastructure – Innovation Voucher' by the NBank is aimed at facilitating access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial sector in Lower Saxony to external research infrastructures. The overarching goal is to support the development of improved or entirely new products, production processes, or services through external research and development (R&D) services.

The program provides non-repayable grants covering up to 80% of eligible expenses, with a maximum grant amount of 30,000 €. Eligible activities include the use of large-scale equipment and instruments for research, e-infrastructures (such as databases, libraries, virtual research environments), provision of laboratory and measurement technologies, creation of prototypes or test samples, material or tooling studies, and engineering services related to the infrastructure. Use of unique research facilities may also be funded.

Applicants must be SMEs operating in the commercial sector in Lower Saxony. The project must exceed the company's current technological standards, be feasible and market-ready, and involve a technical development risk. It must be conducted before starting the project and requires co-financing from the company. Only third-party services are eligible — in-house R&D or duplicate EU-funded projects are excluded.

The subsidy is based on the reimbursement principle: payment is made after submission and verification of cost-related documentation. The application process is digital and must be completed via the NBank customer portal before the project starts.

The funding is regulated under the De-minimis Regulation and is part of the broader efforts of the state of Lower Saxony to enhance innovation capacities in the regional SME landscape by promoting collaboration with research entities and the use of advanced infrastructure.