France-Germany Collaborative R&D Call (Bpifrance / ZIM)

Joint call from Bpifrance and Germany's ZIM agency funding collaborative R&D projects with strong commercial potential between French and German companies. A consortium needs at least one French company and one independent German SME with a balanced technological contribution (no partner above 70% of person-months in a two-partner project; 50% with more partners), and projects may last up to 36 months. Funding is national: French SMEs and mid-caps (up to 2,000 employees) request an innovation aid from their regional Bpifrance office, typically EUR 50,000 to 3 million, which can take the form of an R&D Innovation Loan or an unsecured loan. Eligible costs are industrial research and experimental development; industrialisation and commercialisation costs are not eligible, and French academic partners can only join as subcontractors. French applicants must first contact their Bpifrance innovation account manager. Deadline: 18 November 2026.

Contact your Bpifrance innovation account manager first (copy international.innoproject@bpifrance.fr). Then, before 18 November 2026, email the joint consortium application form to zim-international@aif-projekt-gmbh.de and international.innoproject@bpifrance.fr, and submit your funding request in your Bpifrance en Ligne space.