Get off to a flying start with state funding for your ERP software.

The Digitization is currently on everyone's lips in Germany, as many small and medium-sized companies are at a technically outdated level in international comparison. Yet "Industry 4.0" is opening up many additional attractive future potentials with exciting business models and new markets. According to KfW Bankengruppe, almost 50 percent of all SMEs invest less than EUR 10,000 per year to drive forward the digital transformation. Only a fifth of the companies surveyed have a digitalization strategy at all. According to a ZEW study, the main reason for the sluggish investments is unsecured financing. Despite a high equity ratio, 77% of digitalization projects are financed from current income according to this study, with bank loans playing virtually no role.

For these reasons, a number of EU, federal and state funding programs have recently been launched from which you can also benefit. Each of these programmes has its own focus, e.g. migration of old IT solutions, digitization and automation of workflows or IT-supported development of new products and services. In the case of ERP software projects, funding is generally provided primarily for consulting services, which also include documentation services.

The prerequisite for using the funding programs is usually the prior application before an investment is made.

Overview of some funding programs

Below you will find a brief overview of funding programs that are available for the promotion of ERP software may be suitable.

"Digital Now" funding program of the federal government

To enable SMEs to exploit the economic potential of digitalization, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the "Digital Jetzt - Investitionsförderung für KMU" programme. The program offers financial grants and is designed to encourage companies to invest more in digital technologies and employee training.

Applications are submitted online using an application tool. Small and medium-sized companies from all sectors with 3 to 499 employees are eligible for funding. The company must present a digitalization plan by answering specific questions when applying for funding. Applications for funding can be submitted until the end of 2023.

More information on the "Digital Now" funding program

Digitalbonus Lower Saxony (and other federal states)

The Lower Saxony Digital Bonus offers a grant for investment in IT security or for the introduction or improvement of information and communication technology (ICT) hardware and software. This is intended to accelerate digitization processes in companies. The target group is small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); the self-employed are excluded from this program. The program is tied to individualized service provision and can therefore be used, for example, in conjunction with gFM-Business Custom or an open license and corresponding adaptation by a FileMaker developer. All desired requirements must be documented in writing in advance.

• Target group 1: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the commercial sector, life sciences, the eHealth sector or the skilled trades with their registered office or place of business in Lower Saxony. The digital bonus is also available in other federal states.
• Target group 2: small freelance planning offices based or operating in Lower Saxony
• Subsidy for small companies up to 50 %; for medium-sized companies up to 30 %
• Funding of at least 2,500 euros and a maximum of 10,000 euros
• Investments to digitize products, services or processes and to improve IT security
• More information on the Digitalbonus Bayern (extended until 2023)
  

go-digital (BMWi funding program)

With go-digital, the BMWi aims to promote digitalization in small and medium-sized enterprises, supports the optimization of everyday work and finances measures that protect against the loss of sensitive data. Authorized consulting companies support the companies in the three modules "Digitalized business processes", "Digital market development" and "IT security" and relieve them of formalities such as applications and certificates.

Support measures:

The consultancy services in a selected module (with any necessary secondary modules) are funded at a rate of 50 % up to a maximum daily consultancy rate of EUR 1,100. In the case of a combination of main module and secondary module(s), a maximum of 30 consultant days are eligible for funding.

More information on the go-digital funding program

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Horizon 2020 (EU funding program)

Horizon 2020 is the European Union's framework program for research and innovation. As a funding program, it aims to build a knowledge- and innovation-based society and a competitive economy across the EU while contributing to sustainable development. In order to have a targeted impact on society, the program sets priorities and contains a comprehensive catalog of measures. Funding is provided both for joint projects involving several companies and for individual companies with a European or global business model.

More information on the Horizon 2020 funding program

Eurostars funding program

Eurostars is a joint funding program of EUREKA and the European Commission, which will also be continued under Horizon 2020 under the name Eurostars 2. The aim of Eurostars is to motivate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in European cooperation in research and development projects. Eurostars works according to the same principle as the overarching EUREKA initiative: Eurostars projects are open to technology and serve civil purposes. They aim to develop an innovative product, process or service. According to the so-called "bottom-up principle", the project content can be freely determined by the participating partners.

Applications for digitization funding can be submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups that invest at least ten percent of their turnover in research and development or employ ten percent of their staff in this area. The funding rate for SMEs is 50% - this is a non-repayable grant.

More information on the Eurostars funding program

There are many other funding programs available on the market, an overview of Support programs by the federal states can be found on the website of the Institute for Digital Transformation, for example. Your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce or Chamber of Crafts can also be a point of contact to find out about suitable funding programs.

TV Talk Special: EU funding programs and subsidies for SMEs

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Further information

• Digitization funding program - how SMEs receive the necessary funds (Blog post from municall)
• Digitization funding - funding programs 2022 (itPortal24 with instant check)
• Funding for digitization (IHK Regensburg)
• The Fördercafé (Ki-supported nationwide search for funding)
• Förderdatenbank.de (The federal funding database)
• BAFA (Federal Office of Economics and Export Control)
• KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau with funding database)
• NBank (Support programs from A-Z)

Financing customizable ERP software with funding programs

In most cases, the funding programmes set up by the EU, the federal government and the federal states aim to promote digitalization in private companies as well. Customizable ERP software fulfils precisely this purpose and also offers the option of adapting the software to individual operating processes.

gFM-Business ERP system for Apple macOS, Windows and iOS

With the gFM-Business product line, we offer a customizable ERP system that runs on macOS, Windows and iOS and can be adapted and expanded with the Claris FileMaker Pro database software. The software is scalable from a single workstation to use in the Network or via the Internet with several users.

All company data always at a glance

gFM-Business is an integrated ERP software that consists of many modules and makes all stored data available for further use in a meaningful context in all modules. The software consists of the following ERP modules:

• CRM - Management of customers, suppliers and interested parties as well as short notes before customer registration (GDPR)
• Document management and e-mail - Template system, graphic emails and newsletters with HTML template
• Invoice - Quotations, orders, delivery bills, invoices, returns, credit notes, reminders, inquiries, purchase orders, Cash bookDATEV, account statements from online banking, SEPA mandates, direct debits and SEPA transfers
• Article management - Supplier management, warehouse stock with stock log, product variants, Parts lists, Batch management
• Project management with folder for customers, contacts, documents, articles, employees and billing documents
• Task management for delegating tasks to employees
• Inventory management for the management of company inventory
• Driver's logbook management with legally compliant change log
• Personnel administration with calendar connection, documents, actions and much more.
• Integrated e-mail client for sending and receiving e-mails with automatic customer assignment
• Integrated group calendar with synchronization to Apple calendars
• Integrated REST API for WooCommerce online stores, Shopware and Gambio

Customization made to measure: Your ERP system for your individual processes

The gFM-Business ERP software is customizable and extensible and is available in different versions. In all versions, print layouts can be customized and extended with FileMaker Pro. gFM-Business Custom Pro also allows the customization and extension of all screen layouts and the addition of new fields in all relevant tables. With the open license, all functions of the software can be adapted and extended to your business processes.