What is NRW.BANK.Impuls KI and who receives the funding?

NRW.BANK.Impuls KI is a grant programme by NRW.BANK for small and medium-sized enterprises based in North Rhine-Westphalia. It funds 50 percent of project-related expenses for preparing and testing AI applications, up to 25,000 euros per company within two years. Applications are submitted digitally through the NRW.BANK customer portal.

Funding covers consulting (module A) and testing including test licences and hardware rental (module B). The project must not have started before approval and should not exceed six months.

NRW.BANK.Impuls KI

A grant programme by NRW.BANK

Introduce AI without investing blindly first

Most companies know that AI is relevant for them, but not where to start. That is exactly the phase NRW.BANK funds: first work out which use cases pay off, then actually try one of them. We do that work with you. In the end you decide on the basis of a running prototype.

Why NRW.BANK.Impuls KI?

50 % grant

NRW.BANK reimburses half of your project-related expenses. On a 20,000 euro project you carry 10,000 euros yourself.

Up to 25,000 euros

That is the grant per company within two years. You can use the funding twice in that period until the amount is reached.

Consulting and testing

Funding covers more than preparation. Building a prototype, trying systems out, licences and hardware for the test are eligible too.

A decision with substance

What you get is a tested use case with solid figures on effort, benefit and risk.

How it works

1

First conversation

Free

We clarify without obligation whether your plan fits the programme and which use case gives the best leverage.

2

Quote and application

Customer portal

You receive a quote stating the eligible expenses and use it to apply through the NRW.BANK customer portal.

3

Wait for approval

Mandatory

The project may only start after approval. Starting earlier forfeits the funding, so we wait for the decision.

4

Consulting and test

Up to 6 months

We identify the fields of application, prioritise the use cases and build the test version you try on your real tasks.

5

Proof and payout

Closing

You account for the expenses incurred towards NRW.BANK and receive the grant.

Possible AI use cases

The programme funds finding suitable AI applications, preparing their deployment and testing solutions. Typical fields in mid-sized companies are:

Process documents

Read invoices, delivery notes and contracts automatically, check them and move the values into the right fields.

Draft quotes

Turn an enquiry, a scope of work and your templates into a solid draft that a person only has to review.

Triage enquiries

Recognise incoming mail, assign it and link it to the right case instead of distributing it by hand.

Make knowledge findable

Get answers out of your own documents instead of searching folders or asking colleagues.

Understand the numbers

Spot utilisation, demand and bottlenecks early and turn them into a statement you can plan with.

Calls and appointments

Capture call notes, callback requests and appointments without anyone taking minutes.

Quality and inspection

Detect deviations in photos, measurements or protocols before they become expensive.

Connect the workflow

Attach AI to the systems you already use, so results land where the work happens.

Who can use NRW.BANK.Impuls KI

The programme is open to small and medium-sized enterprises as defined by the EU that meet these conditions:

Registered office in North Rhine-Westphalia

Fewer than 250 employees

At most 50m euro annual turnover or 43m euro balance sheet total

Grant of 50 % of project-related expenses

Up to 25,000 euros per company within two years

At most twice within two years

Michael Schiller
NRW.BANK

Your contact: Michael Schiller

I support mid-sized companies in introducing AI, from the first assessment to a system that is genuinely used day to day. Whatever we build has to run without us afterwards.

AI adoption in mid-sized companies Prototypes on real data GDPR and data storage Practical and open-ended
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NRW.BANK.Impuls KI is a grant programme by NRW.BANK for small and medium-sized enterprises based in North Rhine-Westphalia. Applications are submitted digitally through the NRW.BANK customer portal. De-minimis rules apply. The conditions stated here reflect the current programme information and do not replace formal funding advice. Only the guideline and the decision issued by NRW.BANK are binding. NRW.BANK programme page

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