Promoting innovation and supporting transformation
The Foundation was founded in 1990 with the name „Bavarian Research Foundation“ by the Bavarian state government. Its purpose was to boost Bavaria as a site for quality high-tech through efficient and flexible promotion of application-based research. In the field of research the Foundation concentrates on forward-looking projects, the realization of which challenges science and commerce conjointly while assuring close and successful collaboration. In 2025, the foundation was renamed the „Bavarian Transformation and Research Foundation“ and was given the additional purpose of financing a transformation fund for Bavarian companies undergoing transformation.
Rules on granting financial support
In the field of research wo types of projects are funded: cooperation projects and research groups. The duration of the funding is limited, and the projects must be jointly carried out by science and industry. The goal is to create economic value from the research results of main focus areas such as life sciences, digitalization, mobility, materials, energy and the environment, and process and production engineering. In the field of transformation companies all over Bavaria are supported in adapting their production processes and developing alternative business areas with the aim of maintaining company locations.
Application procedure
In the field of research independent industrial companies, members of the professions, universities, non-university research institutes and universities of applied sciences, and members and establishments of institutes of higher education who are authorised to carry out research and development programmes are entitled to submit applications. They must have a registered office, plant or branch in Bavaria. Professional advice is given to all applicants. External experts and a scientific advisory board ensure that the Foundation’s committees select only the very best projects. In the area of transformation, support encompasses various funding options summarized in the Guidelines for the Transformation Sector for Bavarian Companies in Transition (internal link to PDF file). The program modules listed in the guidelines are managed by the Project Management Agency Bavaria at Bayern Innovativ.
Successful support concept
Up to now, in the field of research about 1093 projects have been funded. The obligatory co-financing by the business sector has more than doubled the issued foundation funds of approximately 663 million euros. As a result, industry and science have together funded future-directed research topics with a total contribution of approximately 1.45 billion euros towards the advancement of innovation (as of 05/2025).
More information is available from
Bayerische Transformations- und Forschungsstiftung
Prinzregentenstraße 52
80538 München
Tel. : +49/89 / 2102 86-3
Fax.: +49/89 / 2102 86-55
www.forschungsstiftung.bayern.de