Here you can see important dates and milestones during the application and funding phase:The Prototype Fund is a funding project for software developers and small teams, which was originally designed for 16 rounds. The funding phase of 15 of these rounds has been completed, and the projects of the 16th round are already being developed. As a learning funding program, we continue to evolve: You can find out how we will proceed at new.prototypefund.de and also on our blog. All information for interested applicants can also be found there.
Summer Round
You can apply for Prototype Fund funding twice a year: there is a summer and a winter round. The application period for the summer round starts on August 1st and ends on September 30th. After the end of the application period, the Prototype Fund team reads the applications and prepares a shortlist according to formal criteria. The shortlist is then presented to a jury, which evaluates it. At the beginning of November there is a jury meeting. During this meeting the jury members select the projects which then are nominated to the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for funding. The BMBF checks the proposals. Applicants receive feedback by the end of November.Afterwards all selected projects need to hand in a formal application as this is always necessary for public funding. For this reason, one person of each project participates in the formal application workshop (Antragsworkshop) which takes place in mid December. By the beginning of January your formal application for funding must be submitted to the BMBF so that it can be fully reviewed and approved by the start of the funding phase. The funding phase will begin on March 1st. The kick-off workshop in Berlin, which all team members must attend, will also take place around this date.From April 1st you can request the first payment, from July 1st the second, and from September 30th the third. The funding period for the summer round ends on August 31st. The Demo Day takes place around this day. One month later, by September 30th, the final report (Abschlussbericht) needs to be sent to the DLR to obtain the third payment.
Winter Round
You can apply for Prototype Fund funding twice a year: there is a summer and a winter round. The application period for the winter round starts on February 1st and ends on March 31st. After the end of the application period, the Prototype Fund team reads the applications and prepares a shortlist according to formal criteria. The shortlist is then presented to a jury, which evaluates it. At the beginning of May there is a jury meeting. During this meeting the jury members select the projects which then are nominated to the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for funding. The BMBF checks the proposals. Applicants receive feedback by the end of May.Afterwards all selected projects need to hand in a formal application as this is always necessary for public funding. For this reason, one person of each project participates in the formal application workshop (Antragsworkshop) which takes place in mid June. By the beginning of July your formal application for funding must be submitted to the BMBF so that it can be fully reviewed and approved by the start of the funding phase. The funding phase will begin on September 1st. The kick-off workshop in Berlin, which all team members must attend, will also take place around this date.From October 1st you can request the first payment, from January 1st the second, and from March 31st the third. The funding period for the winter round ends on February 28th. The Demo Day takes place around this day. One month later, by March 31st, the final report (Abschlussbericht) needs to be sent to the DLR to obtain the third payment.
