Funding for AI Consulting in Germany 2026: Federal, EU and Berlin Programmes

In 2026, there is essentially one direct grant for AI consulting in Germany: the BAFA programme "Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU" (funding of business consulting for SMEs). It covers 50 % (in Berlin and the former West German states) or 80 % (in the eastern states excluding Berlin and the Leipzig region, and in the Lüneburg and Trier regions) of up to €3,500 in consulting costs per engagement, and it has been extended until the end of 2028. In addition, there are free points of contact (Mittelstand-Digital centres, European Digital Innovation Hubs) and KfW development loans. go-digital, Digital Jetzt and the Digitalprämie Berlin have expired, and ZIM has temporarily stopped accepting new applications since July 2026.

As of 2 November 2026. This article is not legal, tax or funding advice. Funding conditions change, sometimes at short notice. Only the guidelines and information sheets of the programme owners, linked below, are authoritative.

Anyone searching for "AI consulting funding" in 2026 will find many guides that still recommend programmes from 2023 or 2024. We checked every statement in this article against the official pages of BAFA, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), KfW, Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB), Berlin Partner and the European Commission. We only state funding rates and amounts where the programme owner publishes them.

The funding landscape for AI consulting at a glance

BAFA consulting grant: the only direct subsidy for the consulting itself

The BAFA programme is the one that actually subsidises the cost of external consulting. According to BAFA, the current guideline applies to all applications submitted since 1 January 2023 and "will be extended with amended conditions from 1 January 2027 until 31 December 2028". The amended guideline of 15 October 2026 has been published in the Federal Gazette (BAnz AT 28.10.2026 B3). The deadline of "31 December 2026" quoted in many guides is therefore outdated.

Amount. Consultant fees and travel expenses are eligible up to €3,500 per engagement. The funding rate depends on the location of the advised business: 50 % in the western states, the State of Berlin and the Leipzig region (maximum €1,750), and 80 % in the eastern states excluding Berlin and Leipzig and in the Lüneburg and Trier regions (maximum €2,800). Each company can receive funding for at most five engagements during the term, and no more than two per year. The grant is a de minimis aid.

Who can apply? SMEs as defined by the EU (fewer than 250 employees and no more than €50m turnover or €43m balance sheet total) with registered office and business operations in Germany, from commercial sectors or the liberal professions. Excluded are, among others, companies that themselves provide consulting, and non-profit organisations.

What the consulting must deliver. The guideline requires conceptual consulting: an analysis of the starting situation, identification of weaknesses and concrete, company-specific recommendations with guidance on implementation, documented in a consulting report. For AI consulting, this means that process analysis, assessment of use cases, a data and risk evaluation and an implementation roadmap fit this framework. According to the guideline, the following are not funded:

• seminars, workshops or group events (it must be one-to-one consulting),
• consulting aimed at purchasing goods or services sold by the consultant (neutrality requirement),
• consulting that mainly covers legal, tax or insurance matters, or the topic of funding itself,
• consulting that is also financed from other public grants (no cumulation).

Who may consult? Only consultants registered with BAFA. Among other things, more than 50 % of their revenue must come from paid business consulting, and they must demonstrate a quality assurance instrument.

What changes from 1 January 2027. According to BAFA, the mandatory meeting with a regional partner is dropped, a bank transaction statement is sufficient as proof of payment, several declarations move into the proof-of-use form, and applications are only possible via an ELSTER account or BundID. The quota of two engagements per year and five in total remains.

Free points of contact: Mittelstand-Digital and EDIH

Before you spend money on consulting, the free, vendor-neutral offers are worth a look. They do not replace project-specific consulting, but they often clarify whether and where AI makes sense in your company at all.

Mittelstand-Digital centres. The existing network ends at the end of 2026. On 20 October 2026, the BMWE announced that it will build a new network from 1 January 2027. According to the ministry, it will consist of six supra-regional centres, each covering two to three federal states with at least one physical contact point per state. From May 2027, eleven nationwide centres with sector and topic focus are to be added. In addition to the existing AI trainers, cybersecurity trainers are then to work in the centres. Expect gaps during the transition: some centres ended their funding earlier.

European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH). The EDIHs are financed from the EU's "Digital Europe" programme and, according to the European Commission, have been in their second term since early 2026. In Germany, 16 EDIHs currently support digital transformation "partly free of charge", with a focus on AI. Target groups are mainly SMEs, small mid-caps, start-ups and public administrations.

Direct calls from Horizon Europe or the Digital Europe Programme are usually not the right instrument for a single AI consulting engagement. They are mostly aimed at consortia and larger research and infrastructure projects.

Research and development: ZIM, KMU-innovativ and KfW

As soon as consulting turns into a development project of your own, other programmes come into play. A lot has shifted here in 2026.

ZIM. According to zim.de, since 7 July 2026 at 12:00, no grant applications can temporarily be accepted under ZIM, for all project types and project outlines. Applications with international partners under open bilateral or multilateral calls are exempt. Applications already submitted continue to be reviewed, and approved projects are not affected. The ministry cites demand that has risen sharply since the fourth quarter of 2025 combined with limited budget funds. Resumption is targeted for 2027 and depends on the 2027 federal budget; no binding date had been published at the time of writing.

KMU-innovativ. With KMU-innovativ, the BMFTR funds demanding research projects by SMEs, with a simplified application procedure and a guidance service. In the information and communication technologies field, which also covers AI projects, project outlines can be submitted at any time according to the BMFTR; assessment deadlines are 15 April and 15 October. Note: for the "Zukunft der Wertschöpfung" (future of value creation) line, the BMFTR cancelled the 15 October 2026 deadline due to budget cuts. Check the status of the specific technology field before every outline.

KfW. KfW has restructured its digitalisation and innovation loans. The ERP-Digitalisierungs- und Innovationskredit (380, 390, 391) can no longer be applied for; since 1 July 2025 it has been replaced by the ERP-Förderkredit Digitalisierung (511, 512) and the ERP-Förderkredit Innovation (513, 514). According to KfW, the digitalisation loan finances projects ranging from basic equipment to "future technologies such as artificial intelligence", covering investments and running costs. There are also grants of up to 3 % of the loan amount in level 2 and up to 5 % in level 3, capped at €200,000 each. Applications are not made to KfW directly but through your bank or another financing partner.

What no longer works: expired and suspended programmes

Many guides still refer to programmes for which you can no longer apply today:

• go-digital (BMWE): The guideline of 13 December 2021 stipulated that funding would run "not beyond 31 December 2024". Since then, no new applications have been possible; there is no direct federal successor programme.
• Digital Jetzt (BMWE): According to the project management agency DLR, the investment programme ran until 31 December 2023.
• Digitalprämie Berlin (IBB): According to IBB, applications were possible until 31 December 2023 at the latest. IBB now states that grants can no longer be applied for under the Digitalprämie Berlin programme.
• Berliner InvestitionsBONUS (IBB): ended and, according to IBB, will not be relaunched.
• Coaching BONUS (IBB): according to IBB, will not be continued; applications are no longer possible.
• ERP-Digitalisierungs- und Innovationskredit 380/390/391 (KfW): replaced by the ERP development loans since 1 July 2025.
• ZIM (BMWE): not abolished, but closed to new applications since 7 July 2026.

If a provider still offers you "go-digital consulting" or a "Digital Jetzt grant" in 2026, ask for the legal basis.

Berlin: what companies in the capital can use

For Berlin companies, the situation in 2026 is thinner than in previous years. We found no state programme on the IBB pages that directly subsidises AI or digitalisation consulting.

• BAFA consulting grant: applies nationwide; with a 50 % rate (maximum €1,750 per engagement), Berlin belongs to the group of western states.
• Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Berlin: according to the centre, its funding ended on 30 September 2026. Guides, videos and practical examples remain freely accessible. A successor offer for the region is to come with the new federal network from 2027.
• EDIH pro_digital: the European Digital Innovation Hub for Berlin-Brandenburg, run by TH Wildau, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, SIBB e. V. and DigitalAgentur Brandenburg. It supports companies and administrations with concrete digitalisation and AI projects, including events and open labs.
• Pro FIT (IBB): for technological development projects; a new guideline with higher grant funding has applied since 1 January 2026.
• Transfer BONUS (IBB): funds contracts with research institutions in Berlin and Brandenburg, not with private consulting firms. The digitalisation variant reimburses 70 % up to a maximum of €45,000. The guideline expires at the end of 31 December 2026; whether and how the programme continues had not been published at the time of writing.
• Berlin Partner: offers free information on state, federal and EU funding programmes, puts companies in touch with development banks, handles preliminary coordination with IBB and supports applicants in application workshops.

Anyone planning AI consulting in Berlin therefore usually ends up with the same combination: free initial orientation via Berlin Partner or EDIH pro_digital, where appropriate a BAFA-funded engagement with a registered consultant, and own funds or a development loan for implementation. For an overview of AI consulting in the capital, see our page AI consulting Berlin.

Typical application process for funded AI consulting

Using the BAFA programme as an example, the process looks like this:

1. Clarify your needs. Free of charge via Mittelstand-Digital, EDIH, the chamber of commerce (IHK) or Berlin Partner. The AI maturity self-assessment in our SME guide gives you a first self-assessment.
2. Choose a registered consultant. Obtain a quote, but do not sign a contract yet.
3. Submit the online application to BAFA. You enter your company data and choose a control office (Leitstelle). The control office and BAFA check the funding requirements and the consultant's eligibility.
4. Wait for the information letter. Only then may you start the consulting. Signing the contract already counts as the start.
5. Carry out the consulting. The consultant prepares a consulting report signed by both parties.
6. Pay the invoice in full. Through your bank account; receipts for cash deposits and offsetting are not accepted.
7. Submit the proof of use. No later than six months after the information letter, with report, invoice and proof of payment.
8. Review and payout. The control office reviews the documents and forwards them to BAFA, which decides on approval and payout.

Companies that have been on the market for no more than one year at the time of application must also hold an information meeting with a regional contact for applications until the end of 2026; according to BAFA, this requirement no longer applies to applications from 2027.

Common mistakes that cost you the funding

• Consulting commissioned before the information letter. The most common mistake. The signed contract already counts as the start, not just the first meeting. The same principle applies at IBB: for the Transfer BONUS, accepting the offer counts as the start of the project.
• Workshop instead of one-to-one consulting. BAFA explicitly excludes group formats and seminars.
• Consultant not registered. Without BAFA registration of the consulting firm, there is no grant, regardless of the quality of the consulting.
• Mixing consulting and sales. If the consulting is aimed at buying the consultant's own software or implementation services, it violates the neutrality requirement.
• Double funding. If the same consulting is partly paid from another public source, the BAFA grant is lost.
• Missed deadlines. The proof of use must be complete no later than six months after the information letter.
• Outdated information. go-digital, Digital Jetzt and the Digitalprämie Berlin still appear in many guides but can no longer be applied for.

Where Context Studios stands

Context Studios is not a consulting firm registered with BAFA and not a programme partner of any of the bodies mentioned. Our services therefore cannot be subsidised through the BAFA consulting grant, and we do not offer funding advice. If funded consulting by a registered consultant makes more sense for your situation, we will tell you.

What we offer: AI consulting and implementation at a fixed price after scoping, with a quote within 48 hours, as well as AI workshops at fixed prices of €1,500, €2,500 and €4,500. The funding list in the guide AI in German SMEs 2026 offers an additional starting point; the programme owners' pages are always authoritative.

Frequently asked questions

Is there still funding for AI consulting in Germany in 2026? Yes. The most important direct grant is the BAFA programme "Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU". It has been extended until 31 December 2028 and subsidises up to €3,500 in costs per engagement at 50 % or 80 %, depending on the region. Free orientation is available from Mittelstand-Digital centres and European Digital Innovation Hubs.

What replaced go-digital and Digital Jetzt? There is no direct federal successor. go-digital ended at the end of 2024, Digital Jetzt at the end of 2023. For consulting, the BAFA grant remains; for investments in digitalisation and AI, KfW's ERP-Förderkredit Digitalisierung.

How much funding does a Berlin company get for AI consulting? Through the BAFA programme, 50 % of eligible consulting costs, up to €1,750 per engagement, with at most two engagements per year and five in total. Since the end of the Digitalprämie Berlin, there is currently no dedicated Berlin grant programme for digitalisation consulting.

Can I start the consulting now and apply later? No. With BAFA, you may only start after receiving the information letter, and signing the consulting contract already counts as the start. Anyone who signs earlier loses eligibility.

Is an AI workshop for the team funded? Not through the BAFA consulting grant: according to the guideline, seminars, workshops and group events are excluded. Free AI formats are offered by Mittelstand-Digital centres and EDIHs; for training there are separate programmes, which you should check with the respective programme owner.

Sources

• BAFA: Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU, accessed 2 Nov 2026
• BAFA: Information sheet on grant, payment and proof of payment, as of 1 Jan 2027
• BMWE: Funding guideline for business consulting for SMEs, second amendment of 15 Oct 2026 (BAnz AT 28.10.2026 B3)
• BMWE: Press release on the network of Mittelstand-Digital centres, 20 Oct 2026
• Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Berlin: Notice on the end of funding on 30 Sep 2026
• European Commission: Network of European Digital Innovation Hubs in Germany
• EDIH pro_digital: Hub for Berlin-Brandenburg
• IHK Dresden: Application stop in the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM), 8 July 2026 (reproduces the notice from zim.de)
• BMFTR: KMU-innovativ: Information and communication technologies and KMU-innovativ: Zukunft der Wertschöpfung
• KfW: ERP-Förderkredit Digitalisierung and notice on the ERP-Digitalisierungs- und Innovationskredit 380/390/391
• BMWK: Guideline for the go-digital programme of 13 Dec 2021 (BAnz AT 27.12.2021 B1)
• DLR Projektträger: Digital Jetzt – investment funding for SMEs
• IBB: Digitalprämie Berlin, Transfer BONUS, Pro FIT, Coaching BONUS, Berliner InvestitionsBONUS
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Business Services