Funding Opportunities for Digital and Cybersecurity Projects in Hesse (Germany)
Recap after the Distr@l info evening on February 4, 2026 · HUB31 office in Darmstadt
On February 4, 2026, the Distr@l funding info evening took place at the HUB31 office in Darmstadt.
The event was attended in person to better understand funding logic, eligibility boundaries, and typical pitfalls.
Funding is available — but only for clearly scoped, well-prepared projects.
Systematic program selection saves time and improves success rates.
Distr@l — for real innovation (R&D)
Program: Distr@l – Digital Innovation Funding (Hesse)
Event & overview:
https://hub31.de/events/distral2026/
Project examples (LIDIA):
https://www.lidia-hessen.de/projekte-entdecken/
Relevant for:
- companies with revenue
- planned R&D projects
- measurable advancement of the state of the art
Not suitable for:
- company formation / early-seed stage
- pure implementation projects without an innovation component
Funding tracks (quick overview):
- 1 Feasibility studies – validate technical feasibility
- 2 Digital innovation projects – product or process innovation
- 3 Knowledge & transfer projects – research → economy
- 4 Validation & growth – scaling digital solutions
Especially relevant: a targeted call for dual-use innovations
(civil, potentially security-relevant).
RKW Hesse — pragmatic support for digitalization & IT security
Program: Digitalization Consulting Hesse
Website:
https://www.rkw-hessen.de/beratungsfoerderung/digitalisierungsberatung.html
What it funds: external consulting services (no product purchases).
Typical use cases:
- digital business models
- process digitalization
- digital marketing
- IT security incl. DIN SPEC 27076 Cyber Risk Check
Conditions:
- up to 50% grant
- max. €400 per consulting day
- max. 15 consulting days per calendar year
Additional programs (depending on your stage)
WIBank — funding advisory
Appointment booking (IHK Darmstadt office calendar):
https://www.etermin.net/ihkdarmstadt
Neutral guidance on program selection and combinability.
push! — start-up scholarship (Hesse)
Website:
https://push.hessen.de/
- up to €40,000 grant
- focus: business model development
- not combinable with Distr@l
- useful before classic innovation funding
DIGI grant (Hesse)
Website:
https://www.wibank.de/digital-zuschuss
Funds:
- digital production and work processes
- digital products & services
- improvements to IT security within your own organization
Software Sprint / Prototype Fund (Germany)
Website:
https://prototypefund.de/
- open-source software with social value
- up to 95% funding
- duration approx. 6 months
- max. €50,000 project volume
De minimis: essential knowledge (not a detail)
Overview:
https://www.foerderdatenbank.de/FDB/Content/DE/Foerderprogramm/de-minimis.html
- maximum €300,000 within 3 years
- all de minimis aid amounts are added up
- must be checked before submitting an application
Many projects don’t fail because of the idea — but because of an unclear de minimis situation.
A quick check upfront often saves weeks.
Practical takeaway
- Distr@l: strategic, formal, high leverage
- RKW / DIGI: fast, pragmatic, ideal for IT security basics
- push!: buys time, does not scale delivery
- Open-source programs: narrow scope, very attractive funding share
Conclusion
👉 Funding works systematically — not opportunistically.
The next sensible step is usually a short pre-selection of eligible programs:
does the project really match the program’s logic — and are the prerequisites fully met?
