Future Environmental Economy.NRW

Climate change, biodiversity loss and geopolitical uncertainties highlight the growing importance of an innovative, sustainable environmental economy. Small and medium-sized enterprises in NRW in particular play a central role here: with their innovative strength and flexibility, they make a significant contribution to developing resource-efficient technologies that address ecological challenges and at the same time create economic resilience.

The call for funding is aimed at SMEs whose projects focus on the development of critical technologies within the meaning of the STEP Regulation. A funded project should create a new, pioneering element of significant economic potential for the EU internal market or reduce or prevent strategic dependencies of the European Union. Innovations from the entire spectrum of the environmental economy are supported, provided they make a measurable contribution to environmental protection, resource conservation or biodiversity. This includes in particular technologies for:

• environmentally friendly energy generation, transportation and storage
• energy efficiency and energy saving
• materials, material efficiency and circular economy
• water management
• sustainable timber and forestry
• environmentally friendly agriculture and food
• sustainable mobility
• mitigation and protection technologies

Funding is provided for implementation-oriented individual and cooperative projects by SMEs. Universities or research institutions, municipal companies and institutions, chambers, associations and foundations are also eligible for funding in cooperation with SMEs. Funding is available for applied research, experimental development of prototypes and demonstrators as well as process and organizational innovations.