German–Taiwanese R&D projects: the ZIM call open until 28 October 2026
German SMEs currently have one realistic way to get ZIM funding: international calls. The German–Taiwanese call is open until 28 October 2026, and proposals are evaluated as they come in.
Since 7 July 2026, Germany's Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM) has stopped accepting new applications. The only exception are projects with international partners submitted under open bilateral and multilateral calls. For companies with a partner in Taiwan, the 9th German–Taiwanese call is therefore one of the few funding routes still open this year.
What the call funds
The call supports joint R&D projects between German and Taiwanese partners that develop new products, processes or technology-based services with strong market potential. It is open to all technologies and application areas.
There is no joint budget. Each side is funded by its own national programme:
Germany | Taiwan | |
Funding programme | ZIM, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) | national programme, contact agency ITRI |
Managing agency | AiF Projekt GmbH | Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) |
Funding rate | according to the ZIM guideline | up to 50 % of project costs, with a much higher funding ceiling than ZIM |
Because the Taiwanese ceiling is higher, the project still has to be balanced between both sides, as required by the ZIM guideline. A project in which the Taiwanese partner carries most of the work will not be approved on the German side.
Who can apply
In Germany: small and medium-sized enterprises eligible under the ZIM guideline. Previous German–Taiwanese calls were also open to mid-sized companies with fewer than 500 employees. Research organisations can join as partners of the companies.
In Taiwan: companies of all sizes. Taiwanese research institutes and universities can be involved as subcontractors.
The call is equally relevant for Taiwanese companies looking for a German development partner. They apply on the Taiwanese side, while their German partner applies under ZIM.
Process and deadline
Both partners agree on a joint project and fill in the joint proposal form. The form is sent out automatically by email: send an empty message to get.taiwan@aif-projekt-gmbh.de.
The German partner submits its ZIM application digitally via the Förderzentrale Deutschland portal. The Taiwanese partner applies through its national programme.
Both applications must be in by 28 October 2026.
Proposals are evaluated on a rolling basis, not only after the deadline. Submitting early can therefore shorten the time to a decision.
Our assessment
With less than four weeks to go, this call is realistic for companies that already work with a Taiwanese partner or have a concrete joint development in mind. Starting a partner search from scratch now is unlikely to make the deadline.
The call is especially interesting for semiconductor, electronics and photonics companies, where Taiwan is often already a supplier, customer or technology partner. It is also a good fit for German SMEs that had planned a ZIM project for this year and were caught off guard by the application stop.
How we support you
We have been guiding companies through national and European funding procedures since 2009. For the German–Taiwanese call, we check whether your project and your company qualify under ZIM, make sure the project is balanced between both partners, write the German application and the joint proposal form with you, and coordinate with your Taiwanese partner on timing and content.
We work with mid-sized companies and scale-ups that need to move fast. Do you have a Taiwanese partner and a project idea? Get in touch. In a 20-minute call, we will tell you honestly whether the 28 October deadline is realistic for your project.
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