Access to funding for the security and defense industry (SVI) is complex—and is increasingly becoming a strategic competitive factor. In our webinar on July 21, we provided companies with little experience in securing funding with a structured overview of the funding instruments available at the state, federal, and EU levels.
Jesper Spangenberg of Werter GmbH began by introducing the military procurement process in Germany before systematically categorizing the relevant funding instruments: at the state level, defense clusters as well as state-specific laws and initiatives; at the federal level, KfW funding and innovation loans as well as programs offered by individual federal ministries; and at the EU level, specific programs and other funding sources. It became clear that dual-use applications are gaining in importance, while at the same time funding avenues are increasingly opening up even for purely defense-related projects, for example through KfW. Furthermore, ESG compliance is taking center stage—particularly at KfW—meaning that sustainability requirements and ethical considerations must be factored into funding applications. Spangenberg advised SVI member companies to specifically build up expertise in the area of grant applications, to develop a clear funding strategy, and to think beyond the borders of their own federal state as well as internationally in order to leverage synergies. Networks such as security and defense clusters help companies position themselves in this highly dynamic regulatory and political environment.
We organized the event in close cooperation with the Lower Saxony Defense Cluster. We will publish additional dates for the Funding in a Nutshell | Security Edition series on our website and in our newsletter.
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This event is part of the German federal government’s Transformation Networks (funding agency: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, BMWE). The Regensburg-based project transform.r supports companies in navigating structural change in the automotive industry.