Funding · Digitalbonus Bavaria
Bavarian Digitalbonus: up to €30,000 for your AI project
- Grant of up to €30,000
- Up to 50% of the costs
- Applications until 31 Dec 2027
Last reviewed: · reviewed by Thomas Knorr, Managing Director datadice
Grant if approved
€30,000
Your share
€30,000
Maximum grant reached
No legal entitlement. The district government decides.
Digitalbonus Standard or Plus: what is the difference?
The Plus funds up to €30,000, the Standard up to €7,500. Both pay up to 50 % of eligible costs. Only projects with a particular degree of innovation receive the Plus.
Digitalbonus Standard
up to €7,500
- Funding rate
- up to 50%
- Eligible costs
- €4,000 to €150,000
- Maximum grant
- from €15,000 costs
- How often
- once per funding area
Digitalbonus Plus
up to €30,000
- Funding rate
- up to 50%
- Eligible costs
- €4,000 to €600,000
- Maximum grant
- from €60,000 costs
- How often
- once during the programme
- Requirement
- particular degree of innovation
The Plus is rare. Since the start in 2016, Bavaria paid out around 21,400 cases in the Standard but only 458 in the Plus. For AI projects it approved 181 companies in the Plus. Most came from crafts and services, 16 percent each.
Who receives the Bavarian Digitalbonus?
Commercial companies with fewer than 50 employees and a site in Bavaria receive the Digitalbonus. Check these five points:
From 50 employees the Digitalbonus does not apply. Larger companies can consider the KfW ERP digitalisation loan and, for research and development, the Bavarian technology funding programme.
- Fewer than 50 employees
- Annual turnover or balance sheet of at most €10 million
- Site in Bavaria where the solution is used
- Commercial company, no liberal professions, medical practices or agriculture
- The project has not started yet
Is AI funded through the Digitalbonus Plus?
Yes, if your project works with your own company data. The guideline explicitly names artificial intelligence and intelligent data analysis as examples of particular innovation.
„Hierzu zählen insbesondere die intelligente Aufbereitung bestehender Unternehmensdaten als auch der Einsatz von RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) und weiteren tiefgreifenden Anpassungen an bestehenden KI-Modellen.“
Counts for the Plus
- Preparing your own company data
- AI that searches your documents and cites sources (RAG)
- Integration with ERP, CRM and file storage
- Custom applications and automation
- Digital twins and simulation
Does not count
- Buying a licence only
- Standard software such as Microsoft 365
- Consulting or training without an implemented solution
- Standard hardware, devices and machines
- Travel and accommodation costs
From project idea to funding in 60 seconds
A fictitious example shows the way. Choose Digitalbonus Standard or Plus.
Scene 1/8
The project
Quotes take days. Knowledge sits in emails, files and people's heads.
Example with a fictitious company and fictitious figures
Eligible projects with datadice
datadice implements these solutions within the Digitalbonus. Each works with your own data and processes.
WissensAgent
Company AI that answers from email, files and ERP and cites sources. A typical Plus project.
Intelligent Data Management
A shared data foundation from your systems as the basis for analytics and AI.
Digital twin
A live image of your equipment with local AI. The guideline names digital twins explicitly for the Plus.
Process Automation
Automate recurring processes while your team keeps the approval.
Custom Software Development
Your own application for your process, connected to your systems.
Fits the Digitalbonus Standard
WissensAgent Light funding package
- Licence for the whole company, 18 months in advance
- €9,900
- Setup, introductory workshop and training
- €5,100
- Total eligible
- €15,000
- Grant if approved
- up to €7,500
All prices net. All customers pay the same price, with or without funding.
Explainer videos are built directly into the software. Everyone on the team finds the right help at every step. Every update comes with a notice and a short video about the new feature.
How does the Digitalbonus application work?
You submit the application yourself through your ELSTER company account. datadice prepares the offer and project description free of charge.
- 1
Check eligibility
In the free initial consultation we check whether your company and your project fit.
- 2
Talk to the district government
Before applying for the Plus, Bavaria recommends a short conversation with the responsible district government.
- 3
Quote and project description
We prepare a non-binding quote and describe the degree of innovation. This groundwork is free of charge for you.
- 4
Submit the application
You submit the application via your ELSTER company account. The quota opens on the first working day of each month at 10:00.
- 5
Place the order
The confirmation of receipt arrives automatically by email. Only then do you place the order.
- 6
Implement and settle
We implement the project within 18 months. You then report completion and receive the grant.
What we do
- Check eligibility
- Prepare a non-binding quote
- Describe the degree of innovation
- Be there when you submit the application
- Implement the project and itemise invoices in line with the funding rules
What you do
- Submit the application via your ELSTER company account
- Place the order only after the confirmation of receipt
- Pay invoices within the approval period
- Report changes to price or scope
- Submit the completion report and proof of use
Your company submits the application itself. Service providers may not use your ELSTER account.
For your management
When may I place the order?
Right after the confirmation of receipt, which arrives automatically by email directly after you submit.
Even a verbal commitment before the confirmation counts as the start of the project. You then lose the funding.
That is why datadice joins you when you submit, if you wish. You place the order in the same meeting as soon as the confirmation is in your inbox.
Tips for your Digitalbonus application
Talk to the district government early
Call your district government before applying for the Plus. This clarifies open questions about the degree of innovation.
Submit on time
The monthly quota opens on the first working day at 10:00. Applications are processed in order of receipt.
Do not order anything beforehand
Even a verbal commitment counts as the start of the project. Wait for the confirmation of receipt.
Describe the innovation concretely
Describe what is new and how your project differs from standard solutions. The word AI alone is not enough.
Itemise the quote
Have licences and service fees itemised for 18 months. Longer periods are not eligible.
State affiliated companies
If your company belongs to a group, have the details of affiliated companies ready. They count for the de minimis declaration.
Report changes
Report changes to price, scope or provider immediately. Otherwise the district government reduces the grant.
Pay invoices on time
Pay all invoices within the approval period. Only then is the grant paid.
Plan for pre-financing
The grant arrives after the project. Plan to cover the full amount from your own funds first.
Other funding programmes
ESF+ in-company training
Bavarian companies receive a 50% grant on the costs of external providers for training their employees. At least 20 teaching units and five participants are required.
KfW ERP digitalisation loan
For companies with 50 or more employees: a development loan for digitalisation projects, applied for via your bank.
Bavarian technology funding programme
For projects with a genuine research and development share, also for larger mid-sized companies.
Frequently asked questions about the Digitalbonus
Can datadice submit the application for us?
No. Your company submits the application itself via its own ELSTER company account. Service providers may not use the account. We prepare the quote and project description and can be there when you submit.
What does the application support cost?
Nothing. Preparing the quote and project description is free of charge for you.
Is a ChatGPT or Copilot licence enough for the Digitalbonus Plus?
No. Buying a licence alone does not count as innovative, and standard software such as Microsoft 365 is excluded. The Plus requires a project with its own degree of innovation, for example AI with your own data.
Is the strategy workshop eligible?
Not on its own. Consulting without an implemented solution is excluded. The workshop is also below the minimum of €4,000. As part of an implementation project it counts as consulting. In that case, commission it only after the confirmation of receipt.
When does the quota open?
On the first working day of each month at 10:00. If the quota is exhausted, applications continue the following month.
How long do I have for implementation?
18 months from the funding decision. In justified cases the district government extends the deadline on request.
When is the money paid?
After the project ends. You report completion, with proof of use for grants above €10,000. Until then you finance the project yourself.
How often can I receive the Digitalbonus?
Once per funding area, that is for digitalisation and for IT security. The Plus is available only once during the programme.
What applies from 50 employees?
Then the Digitalbonus does not apply. Larger companies can consider the KfW ERP digitalisation loan and the Bavarian technology funding programme.
Is datadice neutral?
No. We implement solutions and are not funding consultants. We support applications for projects we implement ourselves.
Your contacts at the Bavarian state
The district government of your location is responsible. For Upper Franconia:
Regierung von Oberfranken, Team DigitalbonusLudwigstraße 20, 95444 BayreuthYou can find the contacts of the other district governments on digitalbonus.bayern.Sources
- Förderrichtlinie Digitalbonus Bayern (Fassung vom 7. Oktober 2025)
- Digitalbonus Bayern: Förderprogramm
- Digitalbonus Bayern: Häufige Fragen
- Digitalbonus Bayern: Antragstellung
- Bayerischer Landtag, Drucksache 19/4711
- ESF+ Bayern: Betriebliche Weiterbildung
As of 19 October 2026. No liability; the guideline is authoritative.
Does your AI project fit the Digitalbonus Plus?
After the free initial meeting you know whether Standard or Plus fits and which costs are eligible.
Book an initial consultation