📋 Tender Overview
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) has today published the new announcement for the promotion of a nationwide network of the Mittelstand-Digital Centers and for broadly effective focus projects on digitalization or artificial intelligence (AI). This builds on the previous promotion of a nationwide network of the Mittelstand-Digital Centers which will expire at the end of 2026. Sketches for the new regional centers can be submitted until March 31 2026 and for the new topic- and industry-specific centers until April 30 2026. Existing and new non-profit consortia can apply equally.
Digital transformation is a challenge for large parts of the medium-sized sector. Artificial intelligence is changing business models and working methods. And the pressure for cybersecurity is rising rapidly. Our businesses must respond to this - with new strategies targeted investments and the expansion of knowledge. Our businesses need space for this - without innovation pressure. For this we are restructuring the network of the Mittelstand-Digital Centers. Provider-neutral. Practice-oriented. On equal footing. We offer guidance on all digital questions and obligations. For small and medium-sized enterprises crafts and start-ups - today and tomorrow.
The goal of the nationwide network of the Mittelstand-Digital Centers is and remains to make small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) more future- and competitive through new digital applications and technologies. The offerings of the centers sustainably support the digital transformation of SMEs in Germany. Furthermore the IT and cybersecurity level of companies is increased to meet current challenges. Since June 2021 a nationwide and industry-specific transfer network of Mittelstand-Digital Centers has been promoted which has supported many SMEs with over 340000 business contacts to date. The current network with up to 29 Mittelstand-Digital Centers is gradually expiring until the end of 2026. The now opened funding competition seeks new consortia from science chambers and associations. The conceptual changes through the new funding particularly concern:
- A stronger focus of the target group on small and very small enterprises while also continuing to address the general target group of SMEs including crafts and start-ups;
- An additional focus on the topic of cybersecurity (in addition to digitalization and AI) to address the increasing threat from cyberattacks as well as regulatory requirements for companies; for this purpose new cybersecurity trainers will be introduced at the centers based on the model of the previous AI trainers;
- The possibility to individually address the specific needs of SMEs with the AI and cybersecurity trainers;
- A stronger networking and cooperation mandate for the Mittelstand-Digital Centers which should be supported by centralized online offerings;
- The implementation of separate funding competitions for broadly effective focus projects on digitalization or AI with which complementary support formats for SMEs can be developed to address current digital developments.
What is Mittelstand-Digital? The funding focus Mittelstand-Digital of the BMWE offers comprehensive support for secure and sustainable digitalization with the nationwide network of the Mittelstand-Digital Centers and the initiative IT security in the economy. Small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from concrete practical examples and tailored provider-neutral offerings for qualification and IT security. The BMWE enables the free use of all offerings from Mittelstand-Digital.
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