At 10 a.m. on 7 September 2026, applications opened for MID-Digitale Prozesse, the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state programme for process consulting. As early as 10 September, the chamber of commerce SIHK zu Hagen (in German) reported: "The maximum number of applications has already been reached, so the application portal is closed." According to the economic development agency of the Warendorf district (in German), the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs added €650,000, expected to be enough for around 50 more applications. According to the economic development agencies of the Warendorf and Borken districts, NRW.BANK was to accept applications again from 10 a.m. on 19 October; by 27 October, the portal was closed again.
What is still possible: in NRW, two MID programmes continue with a lottery procedure, BAFA's consulting grant accepts applications only until 31 December 2026, and the federal INQA-Coaching programme runs until 2028.
As of: 27 October 2026. This article is not legal, tax or funding advice. Only the funding guidelines and the formal decisions of the funding bodies are authoritative.
Which programmes are open and which are closed?
| Programme | Status on 27 Oct 2026 | Funding | What matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| MID-Digitale Prozesse (state) | closed again, NRW.BANK's programme page names no new date | up to €500 per consulting day, 10-30 days, max. €15,000 | first come, first served, once in two years |
| NRW.BANK.Impuls KI | currently closed | 50% of eligible expenses, up to €25,000 in two years, at least €5,000 | drafts already started no longer count |
| MID-Digitalisierung (state) | lottery, registration possible | 50% of net costs, max. €15,000, at least €4,000 | digital products only, e.g. with AI; once in two years |
| MID-Digitale Sicherheit (state) | lottery, registration possible | 50% of net costs, max. €15,000, at least €4,000 | analysis, training, basic IT protection (first purchase only); once in two years |
| BAFA consulting grant (federal) | applications until 31 Dec 2026 | 50%, max. €1,750 per consultation in NRW | consultant must be registered with BAFA |
| INQA-Coaching (federal) | open, vouchers until 30 Jun 2028, later only with approval of the Federal Ministry of Labour | 80% of the daily rate, counted up to €1,200 net per consulting day (gross without input tax deduction), max. 12 days | HR and organisational issues arising from digitalisation, only once per company |
In the two MID programmes that are still open, you register your interest monthly; if your lot is drawn, you have 28 days to submit your application. Below a grant of €4,000, i.e. €8,000 of eligible net costs, there is nothing.
For many small businesses, MID-Digitale Sicherheit (in German) is, in my view, the more promising option that is still open. It funds an external analysis of your current state, staff training, and antivirus, anti-ransomware, patch management and firewall solutions including installation; standard hardware such as servers or PCs is not covered. For software and hardware, only the first purchase counts: updates, renewals of existing licences, a switch between manufacturers or providers, and maintenance contracts for the existing system landscape are not eligible under the annex to the guideline (PDF, in German); licences and SaaS are funded for no more than 36 months, and software with a BSI warning not at all. Here too, medical practices, clinics and similar institutions are excluded, and you may only place the order after the funding decision. Both lottery programmes reimburse only after completion and a paid final invoice.
What would MID-Digitale Prozesse have paid for a project?
NRW.BANK works through an example itself in its FAQ (PDF, in German): a consultancy quotes €1,000 net per consulting day for 25 days, €25,000 in total. The programme pays a fixed amount of no more than €500 per day, so €12,500; the business pays the rest.
With the same figures, the federal programmes look like this:
- BAFA: No more than five days, eligible costs up to €3,500, funded at 50% for businesses located in NRW. Five days at €1,000 each therefore yield a grant of no more than €1,750 per consultation; the guideline allows several consultations, but no more than two per year and five over its term. Costs count net; only businesses that cannot deduct input tax have the grant calculated on the gross amount, according to the BAFA programme page (in German).
- INQA-Coaching: It covers 80% of the daily rate, counting no more than €1,200 net per consulting day; for businesses without input tax deduction, the gross amount is eligible. At €1,000 net that is €800 per day, so up to €9,600 for the maximum of twelve days. In both federal programmes you pay the fee first; the grant follows after the final documentation has been checked.
My assessment: MID-Digitale Prozesse delivers the most for a process project, €12,500 against no more than €1,750 from BAFA; even so, I rarely think it is right to postpone a project you need anyway to a call without a date.
Who misses out on MID-Digitale Prozesse
The guideline of 29 July 2026 (in German) and NRW.BANK's FAQ exclude, among other things:
- Medical practices: hospitals, clinics, medical care centres (MVZ), doctors and medical practices, sanatoriums or similar institutions are excluded.
- Mandatory projects: measures that only implement legal requirements, "such as time recording, e-invoicing or cash register solutions".
- Technology: software, hardware and licences; only current-state analysis, target concept, software selection and implementation support are funded.
- Double funding: no further public grants from the state, the federal government or the EU for the same measure; loans and guarantees are allowed.
- Repeat applicants: only once per company in two years, counted from the receipt of the final proof of use; ongoing and pending projects as well as affiliated and partner companies count. Under their guidelines, the same rule applies to MID-Digitalisierung and MID-Digitale Sicherheit; there, earlier MID vouchers (MID-Gutscheine) and grants under the earlier MID-Digitale Sicherheit funding notice, respectively, count as well.
- Early starters: sign the offer or accept it verbally only after the funding decision (Zuwendungsbescheid).
How to prepare for the next call
NRW.BANK announces dates and budgets of future calls in advance on its programme page (in German), provided budget funds are available; the guideline applies until 31 December 2029. Because only complete applications count and the order of receipt decides, put your file together now:
- Proof of business activity: an extract from the commercial register no older than three months, for small trades and civil-law partnerships (GbR) the trade registration, for freelancers a certificate from the tax office, for tax advisers the registration with the chamber of tax advisers.
- Declarations: de minimis declaration, SME declaration and declaration on other grants; the forms are only available in the customer portal.
- Project description: structured along the four fundable components. Which processes take priority is best settled beforehand with an IT strategy in five steps.
- Offer: from exactly one consultancy based in the EU, for at least ten consulting days, in German, in euros, with the daily rate, valid on the day you apply. The consultant needs no certification; subcontracting is not allowed, including the consultant's use of freelance staff.
- Schedule: after the funding decision, the project runs for three months, and invoices must be paid no later than five weeks after that; check your consultant's capacity in advance.
What you can use in the meantime
BAFA consulting grant. The funding guideline (PDF, Federal Gazette, in German) applies "only to applications submitted by 31 December 2026 at the latest". You may only start after the information letter from the coordinating office (Leitstelle), and concluding the contract already counts as the start; you submit the final documentation (Verwendungsnachweis) no later than six months after that letter. Businesses in their first year after founding hold a free information meeting with a regional contact point, at the latest before the final documentation. Not eligible to apply are, among others, management and business consultants, auditors (Wirtschaftsprüfer, vereidigte Buchprüfer), tax advisers and lawyers; for doctors, dentists, psychotherapists and non-medical practitioners (Heilpraktiker), BAFA funds only consulting on a quality assurance system. The consultant must be registered with BAFA. Among the prerequisites is that more than 50% of their total turnover comes from paid management consulting; in justified cases, BAFA can grant an exemption limited to the term of the guideline.
INQA-Coaching. For HR and organisational issues of digitalisation, the INQA-Coaching programme of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is a good fit. At the time of the initial consultation, your business must have been on the market for at least two years and must have at least one full-time position subject to social security contributions, both in the last completed financial year (as an annual work unit) and at the initial consultation and at the start of the coaching; mini-jobs, apprentices, staff on maternity or parental leave and the management do not count, and part-time staff count pro rata. Each company gets the coaching only once; excluded are, among others, businesses that have already taken part and those with public-sector holdings of 25% or more of the capital or voting rights. The coaching must be completed within seven months of the voucher being issued (extensions only in exceptional cases), and by 31 December 2028 at the latest; if you use the full seven months, you file the reimbursement application within one month of the end, and by 31 January 2029 at the latest. A regional INQA advice centre issues the voucher after a free initial consultation; an authorised INQA coach runs the coaching using a fixed agile method that involves the employees.
Loans. If you are investing in an ERP or CRM system anyway, you can use NRW.BANK.Invest Zukunft via your bank: small businesses receive a repayment bonus of up to 20% on loans of up to €1 million. Pure replacement investments and routine changes to existing processes are excluded, and you only get the bonus if you submit the confirmation of use within the repayment-free period. Apply before the project starts.
Questions on digitalisation funding in NRW
When does the next call for MID-Digitale Prozesse start?
On 27 October 2026, NRW.BANK's programme page named no new date; that is where you will hear about it first. The guideline runs until the end of 2029.
Can I combine BAFA and MID for the same project?
No, MID rules out further public grants for the same measure; loans and guarantees are allowed.
Is there still funding for AI projects?
MID-Digitalisierung only funds AI in marketable digital products. For AI consulting, the BAFA grant may be an option until the end of the year: as conceptual one-to-one consulting with no product sales by the consultant, provided your business is eligible and the consultant is registered. On costs: What Does AI Consulting Cost for Small Businesses?
Would you like to know which programme suits your project? Then let's check it together before you place any order. More on this in my AI consulting for SMEs in Recklinghausen.
Note: The articles on this blog are produced with the help of AI and are editorially reviewed before publication. Editorial responsibility lies with Emre Yurtbay (see the legal notice).