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Funding in Lower Saxony: grants for websites, marketing and digitalisation

In Lower Saxony, 3 state programmes are currently open that can subsidise services like ours – plus the federal programmes. Here you find all of them with funding rate, conditions and link.

Funding finder for Lower Saxony

1What are you planning? Select as many as you like.

State programmes in Lower Saxony (3)

Lower Saxonyplease verify

Trade fair funding – individual stand in Germany and abroad (Lower Saxony)

Official name: Messeförderung Einzelstand Inland und Ausland · NBank (grant from the State of Lower Saxony)

Participation with an individual stand at trade fairs in Germany/abroad (without state/public joint stand); all expenses necessary for organising and running the stand are eligible

Fixed amount · Germany €2,000; abroad EU €2,000; abroad outside EU €4,000

Suits: Trade fair presence, Print

  • Application before binding trade fair registration via NBank customer portal
  • Registered office/establishment in Lower Saxony
  • Trade fair listed in AUMA catalogue

Note: Stand construction and design by an agency probably count as expenses for organising and running the stand; promotional material/print not explicitly named – clarify with NBank beforehand.

Status: running

Checked: 13 May 2026Programme page ↗

Lower Saxonyplease verify

Trade fair funding – Lower Saxony state joint stands

Official name: Messeförderung Gemeinschaftsstände des Landes Niedersachsen · NBank

Participation in state joint stands

up to 80% (new start-ups up to 90%) · depends on trade fair, e.g. €13,500 (new start-ups €15,000)

Suits: Trade fair presence

  • Application per trade fair before deadline via NBank customer portal + original by post
  • Registered office/establishment in Lower Saxony
  • De-minimis

Note: Stand construction is usually handled by the joint-stand organiser – agency share more likely in exhibits/graphics/promotional material, small.

Status: running per trade fair with individual deadlines

Checked: 13 October 2026Programme page ↗

Lower Saxony

Low-threshold innovation funding programme for SMEs and skilled trades (nIFP, Lower Saxony)

Official name: Niedrigschwelliges Innovationsförderprogramm für KMU und Handwerk (nIFP) · NBank (State of Lower Saxony, ERDF)

Grant for innovation projects: new or improved products, processes and services.

up to 35% (small companies in the transition region up to 45%) · up to €100,000 grant

Suits: Software and apps, Automation

  • Application before start via the NBank customer portal
  • beyond the company's state of the art
  • external services max. 50% of total costs

Note: No substitute for the Digitalbonus: standard websites, shops and marketing are not eligible; agency services only as external services within a genuine innovation project.

Status: running – processing time currently 3 to 4 months

Checked: 13 October 2026Programme page ↗

Currently closed or expired

Lower Saxonyplease verifycurrently closed

Digitalbonus.Niedersachsen (innovative) – Lower Saxony digital bonus

Official name: Digitalbonus.Niedersachsen (innovativ) · NBank

Investments in hardware/software and digitalisation services (historical)

– · –

Note: No more applications possible (application deadline 31 December 2025, no successor announced). Information from the NBank advice line on 0511 30031-9333.

Status: expired

Checked: 28 September 2026Programme page ↗

Lower Saxonyplease verifycurrently closed

Further training call 2026 – support for regional skilled-labour alliances (digital transformation)

Official name: Weiterbildungsaufruf 2026 – Unterstützung regionaler Fachkräftebündnisse (Digitale Transformation) · NBank / State of Lower Saxony

Cross-company further training projects; in-house training/coaching for a single company excluded

– · €10,000–100,000 per project

  • Deadline passed
  • cross-company projects only

Note: Not suitable for agency client work; listed for completeness only.

Status: expired for 2026

Checked: 13 October 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wide programmes

Germany-wide

Funding for management consulting for SMEs (BAFA)

Official name: Förderung von Unternehmensberatungen für KMU (BAFA) · BMWE / BAFA (ESF Plus), applications via coordinating offices (Leitstellen)

Grant towards conceptual individual consulting on all economic, financial, HR and organisational questions of business management (max. 5 consulting days)

Saxony excl. Leipzig region: 80%; Leipzig region (City of Leipzig, Leipzig district, Nordsachsen) and western German states: 50% · Eligible costs max. €3,500 per consultation → max. €2,800 (80%) or €1,750 (50%); max. 2 consultations per year, 5 over the programme term

Suits: Consulting, Strategy, IT security, Automation

  • Apply online BEFORE consulting starts; sign contract only after the information letter from the Leitstelle (coordinating office)
  • Consultant must be registered with BAFA, mainly (>50% of revenue) management consulting, with QA system
  • Consulting report with analysis, weaknesses, specific recommendations for action

Note: Only consulting is eligible (e.g. marketing and sales strategy, digitalisation/AI strategy, recruitment concept, IT security concept), not implementation (design, website, campaign, film). Applications only until 31 December 2026.

Status: Running

Checked: 13 October 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wide

INQA coaching

Official name: INQA-Coaching · BMAS / ESF Plus; approval by DRV Knappschaft-Bahn-See; entry via INQA advice centres (IBS)

Grant for participatory coaching (agile method with lab team) on HR/work-organisation change needs related to digital transformation

80% of the maximum daily rate (€1,200 net/day); 20% own contribution · Max. 12 consulting days → max. €11,520 grant

Suits: Coaching, Consulting, Automation, Training

  • First INQA consultation at an IBS (initial advice centre), then INQA coaching voucher (early start permitted from voucher)
  • Only coaches from the pool authorised for INQA coaching, no subcontracting
  • Reimbursement principle: company pays upfront

Note: Suits AI/automation rollouts in terms of work organisation, leadership, employee participation – not technical implementation or marketing.

Status: Running

Checked: 22 June 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wideplease verify

ERP promotional loan for digitalisation (KfW 511/512) incl. ERP grant

Official name: ERP-Förderkredit Digitalisierung (KfW 511/512) inkl. ERP-Förderzuschuss · BMWE / BMF / KfW via your bank

Loan in 3 levels: Basis (hardware, standard software, cloud migration), LevelUp (process digitalisation, digital business models, implementation of a social media communication concept, digitalisation strategy, IT security concepts, further training), HighEnd (future technologies such as AI, big data).

Reduced-interest loan; grant 3% (LevelUp) or 5% (HighEnd) of the disbursed loan, level 1 without grant; optional 50% liability exemption · Loan up to €7.5 million (level 1) or €25 million (level 2/3); grant max. €200,000

Suits: Software and apps, Cloud, IT security, Automation, Online shop, Website, Social media, Training, Strategy, Web hosting

  • Apply via your bank before the project starts
  • KfW digitalisation check (mandatory for Basis level)
  • No refinancing/follow-up financing

Note: Broadest nationwide lever for implementation services, but a loan (grant share only 3–5%). Implementing a social media concept is explicitly named under LevelUp; whether a web shop or hosting is recognised is decided case by case by your bank and KfW.

Status: Running

Checked: 13 October 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wideplease verify

ERP start-up loan – StartGeld (KfW 067)

Official name: ERP-Gründerkredit – StartGeld (KfW 067) · BMWE / KfW via your bank

Loan for investments and working capital (e.g. software, marketing, website)

80% liability exemption for your bank; interest rate market-dependent · Up to €200,000 external financing need, of which max. €80,000 working capital

Suits: Brand and logo, Website, Online shop, Print, Social media, SEO and online marketing, Film and photo, Trade fair presence, Software and apps, Web hosting, Cloud

  • Apply at your bank before the project starts
  • Viable business concept

Note: Loan, not a grant. Have your bank confirm the terms before applying.

Status: Running

Checked: 1 February 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wide

Trade fair programme 'Young Innovators' – participation of young innovative companies in leading international trade fairs in Germany

Official name: Messeprogramm 'Young Innovators' – Teilnahme junger innovativer Unternehmen an internationalen Leitmessen in Deutschland · BMWE / BAFA (with AUMA and trade fair organisers)

Grant towards stand rent and stand construction on the BMWE joint stand (invoiced by the trade fair organiser)

60% for the first two participations, 50% from the third · Max. €7,500 per exhibitor and trade fair

Suits: Trade fair presence

  • Register with the trade fair organiser no later than 8 weeks before the fair starts, then apply to BAFA immediately
  • Only trade fairs on the annual BMWE list
  • Innovation must be described (own development)

Note: Only stand rent/construction of the joint stand – own stand design, print, film or trade fair marketing by the agency are NOT eligible.

Status: Running

Checked: 13 October 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wideplease verify

Mittelstand-Digital centres (free services)

Official name: Mittelstand-Digital Zentren (kostenfreie Angebote) · BMWE

Free workshops, demonstrators, practical projects, initial consulting (no cash grant)

100% free of charge · —

Suits: Consulting, Automation, IT security, Social media, SEO and online marketing, Online shop, Training

  • No grant for external service providers

Note: Which centres will start in 2027 is not yet known. Thematic centres (e.g. retail, crafts) partly run until 31 December 2026.

Status: Transition phase: existing network being gradually phased out until end of 2026

Checked: 13 October 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wideplease verify

Cybersecurity Transfer Office for SMEs / CYBERsicher check and emergency help

Official name: Transferstelle Cybersicherheit im Mittelstand / CYBERsicher Check und Notfallhilfe · BMWE (Mittelstand-Digital funding priority), a BVMW project

Free events, materials, CYBERsicher check, emergency help (no cash grant)

100% free of charge · —

Suits: IT security

  • No grant for external IT security service providers

Note: There has been no standalone federal GRANT for IT security in SMEs since go-digital ended; IT security is covered via Digi-Z/Digi-D (SN), KfW 511/512 (LevelUp) or as a consulting topic (BAFA, Saxon business consulting).

Status: Running

Checked: 1 October 2026Programme page ↗

Germany-wideplease verify

Training funding for employees (§ 82 SGB III, 'Qualifizierungschancengesetz' – Qualification Opportunities Act)

Official name: Weiterbildungsförderung Beschäftigter (§ 82 SGB III, 'Qualifizierungschancengesetz') · Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency, employer service)

Grant towards course fees and wages during training

< 50 employees: up to 100% of course fees and up to 75% wage subsidy; 50–499: 50%/up to 50%; 500 or more: 25%; +5 percentage points with a collective or works agreement · No fixed upper limit

Suits: Training

  • Course > 120 hours
  • Provider and course AZAV-accredited
  • More than job-specific adaptation training

Note: Only usable if the agency (or a partner) is an AZAV-certified training provider offering courses > 120 h (e.g. AI/digital marketing qualification).

Status: Running

Checked: 1 April 2024Programme page ↗

How funding works with Trendtreiber

  1. Initial consultationWe clarify your project and check together which programmes fit in your federal state.
  2. Quote for the applicationYou receive a fixed-price quote and a project description that you can attach to your application.
  3. Application before orderYou submit the application yourself. You only place the order once the programme allows it – usually after approval.
  4. Delivery and proofWe deliver the project and provide invoices and documentation so that you can easily prove how the funds were used.

Frequently asked questions about funding in Lower Saxony

What funding is available in Lower Saxony for digitalisation and marketing?

In Lower Saxony, 3 state programmes that can subsidise services such as automation, print, software and apps, trade fair presence are currently open: Trade fair funding – individual stand in Germany and abroad (Lower Saxony), Trade fair funding – Lower Saxony state joint stands, Low-threshold innovation funding programme for SMEs and skilled trades (nIFP, Lower Saxony). The federal programmes apply as well.

Is a new website or online shop funded in Lower Saxony?

A pure advertising website is hardly eligible in Lower Saxony at the moment. Digital processes such as an online shop, booking or interfaces have better chances and can be funded through digitalisation programmes.

Do I have to apply before placing the order?

In almost all programmes, yes. Talk to us before the project starts – you will get a quote and a project description for your application.

All information without guarantee, as of 13 October 2026. Funding programmes change often and budgets can run out. Only the guidelines and the decision of the funding body are binding. We are not a funding consultancy and do not submit applications for you; we provide the quote and documents for your application.

See all federal states and the funding finder →

Discuss funding in Lower Saxony

Briefly describe your project. We check which programmes fit and provide the quote and documents for the application.

+49 176 3858 9603

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