Apply for funding for the "Health research - GO-Bio initial" program

Are you a scientist with promising research results and raw, sketchy commercialization ideas in the life sciences? GO-Bio-initial funding could be your starting point for the further development of these ideas.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds projects that identify and investigate life science research approaches with recognizable innovation potential.

The funding aims to identify and further develop life science commercialization ideas, preferably in the areas of

• therapeutics
• diagnostics
• platform technologies and
• research tools.

The focus is on the conceptual design through to the examination of possible exploitation options.

To this end, the work that takes place in the very early phase of the innovation process is to be supported. This phase is also known as the "Fuzzy Front End of Innovation" (FFE) and comprises the idea and discovery phase. The FFE ends with the initial problem definition and the decision to initiate an innovation project. As a result, the further exploitation path for an idea should be clearly mapped out.

Universities as well as university and non-university research institutions are eligible to apply. However, you can also submit a project outline as a private individual and, in the event of a positive assessment, transfer to an eligible institution. Funding for eligible project-related expenditure or costs is possible for projects with a significant degree of novelty compared to the current international state of the art in science and technology.

As a rule, you can receive funding for 100 percent of your project-related costs or expenses. Grants of up to EUR 100,000 are possible for exploring your project idea - plus a project lump sum for universities.

The following project-related expenses or costs are eligible for funding:

• Personnel (with the exception of permanent staff),
• business trips,
• Contracts with third parties, for example for market analyses or regulatory advice,
• expenses for the registration and maintenance of property rights during the official examination procedure as well as an initial property rights analysis,
• Material and consumables for preliminary orientation studies (only in justified exceptional cases)

You are not entitled to funding. The VDI/VDE-IT project management organization will review your claim on behalf of the BMBF and make a decision at its discretion and within the scope of the available budget funds.

Stage 1 of the application procedure: Project outline

• in German, maximum length 5 pages DIN A4, font Arial, font size 11 point, single line spacing, margins 2 centimeters, page numbering, with the following structure:
  • Description of the utilization idea including title and brief description (maximum 2 pages)
  • Objectives in the exploratory phase (maximum 3 pages)
  • Short CV (maximum 1 page per team member)
  • Letter of motivation (1 page per team member)
• Only if the project outline is submitted via a legally independent technology transfer institution: Statement from this institution on the exploratory project (1 to 2 pages)

Forms available: No

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance necessary: No

Eligible applicants are

• Universities
• university and non-university research institutions

• Administrative court action

The application procedure for the exploratory phase consists of two stages. Use the "easy-Online" portal for both stages.

Stage 1: Project outline

• Call up "easy-Online" and use it to submit your project outline to the VDI/VDE-IT project management organization.
• The project outline will be evaluated in a competitive procedure according to the following criteria
  • Suitability to the subject area and objective of the funding measure
  • Novelty and originality of the utilization idea
  • Plausibility of the exploitation perspective presented
  • Solution orientation and exploitation-related mindset of the idea provider and, if applicable, the team
  • Motivation of the idea provider and, if applicable, the team
• If your project idea is selected, you will receive a written request to submit your application (stage 2)

Stage 2: Submitting your application

• Call up "easy-Online". There you will be guided step by step through the application process.
• Fill in all the fields required for the application, provide it with a qualified electronic signature and send it off.
  • If you do not have a qualified electronic signature, you must print out the application in addition to submitting it electronically, sign it and send it to the project management organization together with the other application documents in the next step.
• The project management organization will confirm receipt of your application.
• The responsible administrator at the project management organization will contact you during the processing of your application to clarify any queries.
• You will receive a decision on your application. If it is positive, you will receive a grant notification by post.

Project outlines can be submitted annually by February 15.

The submission deadline is not a cut-off deadline. However, project outlines received late may not be considered until the next deadline.

The last submission date for project outlines is February 15, 2026.

Es fallen keine Kosten an.: Fee free of charge