Background information
Funding opportunities for upskilling and reskilling to support the digital competences of individuals and organizations are available in form of loans, grants and financial instruments. For the period 2021 – 2026 most of the activities in digital transformation are financed through Recovery and Resilience facility but also as activities in Horizon, Erasmus+, ESIF and EEA grant schemes. You may find more on the page of German Recovery and Resilience plan.
Recovery and Resilience Plan
Digital transition In Germany is targeted with 52% of total Recovery and Resilience resources, divided between digitisation of public services (€3 billion) investments in microelectronics and communication technologies (€1.5 billion) and cloud infrastructures and service (€750 million). From a total budget of EUR 26.5 billion, more than 50% is allocated to digitalisation . The plan features two major multi-country important project of common European interest on digitalisation: Microelectronics and Communication Technologies, and Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services.
Investments relating to the Digitalisation of enterprises and the development and integration of advanced digital technologies are included in several measures. For the measure on building continuing education and training (CET) networks at least 200 additional businesses are expected to be actively involved in CET networks.
Digitalisation of public services, accounting for more than 50% of digital investment under the plan, is supported by a number of measures in the ‘Modern public administration’ component.
Digitaler Bildungsraum – Nationale Bildungsplattform (Digital Education Space – National Education Platform) is central element of digital education initiative in Germany’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, financed with 630 million euros. That digital education space should link existing and new digital education platforms into a seamlessly accessible, nationwide and European platform system. Goal is the development and gradual establishment of a (federated) networking system with common rules, interfaces, standards and functions that enables every user to access and participate in educational offers. National Education Platform will store individual educational achievements (e.g. references, certificates) in digitized form creating personal educational biography. The Nationale Bildungsplattform is being developed under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is one of the flagship projects of Germany’s digital strategy.
Digitalisierung der Wirtschaft (Digitization of the economy) is financed in RRP with 3.138,5 million euros for 1. Investment program for vehicle manufacturers/supply industry 2. Federal program “Establishment of further training associations” 3. Centre for Digitization and Technology Research 4. Promotion of the digitization of the railways.
The federal program “Establishment of further training associations” (Aufbau von Weiterbildungsverbünden) pursues the goal of increasing the participation of small and medium-sized companies in further training and strengthening regional economic and innovation networks by establishing cooperation and networks. It is intended to help establish further training associations as a common concept for organizing further training in Germany.
National Funding
In order to make it easier for medium-sized companies to implement digitization, the funding program „Digital Jetzt – Investitionsförderung für KMU“ (Digital Now – Investment Funding for SMEs)” offers financial grants to encourage appropriate investments in small and medium-sized companies – including craft businesses and freelancers. Grants are available for: investing in digital technologies and investments in the digital skills qualification of employees.
Mittelstand-Digital offers competent and provider-neutral contact points for information, awareness, and qualification throughout Germany for small and medium-sized companies and craft businesses offering digitization through practical examples, demonstrators, information events and mutual exchange.
Different funding options are also available on the Digital Skills and Jobs platform, you may find a listing for Germany on this link.