Getting AI Supported in Your Company: What Programs Will Be Available in 2026

Many companies want to implement AI but don’t know where to start and wonder if the government will help them get started. The answer for 2026 is twofold. Grants and subsidized loans are available for AI projects that are actually being implemented, as well as for preliminary consulting. For traditional team-based AI workshops, however, there is hardly any funding available, though there are a few free options.

For this guide, on October 13, 2026, we reviewed the guidelines and FAQs for federal and state programs, ranging from INQA and BAFA to KfW, NRW.BANK, and the Bavarian Digital Bonus. Several programs changed or expired in 2026, and the EU’s AI Regulation was also amended.

In a nutshell (as of October 13, 2026)

AI implementation and AI consulting are funded, but team workshops are rarely supported. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the new NRW.BANK.Impuls program provides funding for AI concept consulting and the testing of AI systems at a rate of 50% up to €25,000; however, the application portal is currently closed. Bavaria provides funding for AI through the Digital Bonus program, with grants of up to €30,000. Nationwide, INQA coaching is available with an 80% grant, as well as the KfW Digitalization Subsidized Loan for AI integration using a company’s own data. BAFA and Impuls KI explicitly exclude workshops from funding. Free AI workshops are offered by the Zukunftszentrum KI NRW and the Mittelstand-Digital centers, though several of these programs will have expired by 2026.

An Overview of the Programs

The overview shows where AI support is available and under what conditions.

Funding and free resources related to AI in the workplace, as of October 13, 2026.

Free: Centers for the Future and Mittelstand-Digital

There are free workshops to get you started. According to its own description, the Zukunftszentrum KI NRW—funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and the European Social Fund—offers small and medium-sized enterprises and their employees “practical, people-centered consulting and training,” including a series of workshops to introduce them to AI. The Mittelstand-Digital Centers of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs offer AI trainers, workshops, and, in some cases, free AI application projects.

Several Mittelstand-Digital centers will have closed by 2026. The Handwerk Center’s program ended on June 30, 2026, as did those in Hanover, Kaiserslautern, Chemnitz, and Berlin; the Ruhr-OWL Center in North Rhine-Westphalia closed as early as 2024. Others, such as those in Darmstadt, Saarbrücken, and Augsburg, will continue to operate. Check in advance to see which center still has programs available for you.

Grant for Consulting Services: INQA and BAFA

INQA Coaching covers 80% of the cost, but only for coaching on the topic of change in the workplace. The new guideline dated June 12, 2026, is valid through the end of 2029. Funding covers 80% of coaching costs, up to a maximum of €1,200 net per day for up to twelve days. AI qualifies as a topic under “Work Organization in the Digital Transformation”—that is, how AI is changing processes and collaboration—but not as a technical introduction. Only authorized INQA coaches may provide coaching.

BAFA provides funding for individual consulting services, not workshops. In North Rhine-Westphalia, funding for management consulting covers 50% of costs, up to a maximum of €3,500. The guidelines clearly state: “The measure must be carried out as individual consulting. Seminars, workshops, or group events are not eligible for funding.” Applications will only be accepted until December 31, 2026.

North Rhine-Westphalia: AI and MID Initiative

NRW.BANK.Impuls AI supports concept development and testing, but the portal is currently closed. The program launched on August 17, 2026, and runs through the end of 2028. According to the guidelines, funding is provided for “conceptual consulting services (Module A) and the testing of AI systems (Module B) for a specific use case,” at 50% of costs, up to a maximum of €25,000 over two years. Training on AI regulations and the permanent implementation of AI systems following the testing phase are excluded. On October 13, the NRW.BANK program page stated that the portal was “currently closed” due to numerous applications. It is not yet clear when it will reopen. Eligible service providers are companies with relevant expertise and a registered office in the EU.

MID digitization now only supports digital products. Starting in January 2026, the state program will focus on new products incorporating AI, machine learning, or AR and VR, offering 50% of the costs up to €15,000, awarded by lottery. If you want to use AI for internal processes, this program is not for you.

The Education Check is available only to individuals. Since February 2026, the Education Check 2.0 NRW has covered 50% of the cost of continuing education, up to a maximum of €500, but only for individuals with a taxable income of up to €50,000, and the invoice must be made out to that individual.

Bavaria and other states

The Bavarian Digital Bonus explicitly supports AI. Funding covers 50% of eligible costs, up to €7,500 for the Standard package and up to €30,000 for the Plus package. Training and consulting are eligible for funding if they are part of the implementation. The October allocation has been exhausted; new applications will be accepted starting November 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Please note: In Bavaria, even a verbal order is considered the start of a project.

Elsewhere, loans and consulting vouchers are available. Hesse supports innovation projects through Distr@l, provided a preliminary project outline is submitted; Saxony offers the Digi-D digitization loan; and Hamburg subsidizes consulting services up to €7,500 through the Digital Check program. In Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, and Berlin, the previous digital grants have expired.

Nationwide: KfW Loans and Continuing Education

The KfW Digitalization Subsidized Loan funds AI integration. Starting in July 2025, the ERP Digitalization Subsidized Loan will be available through a company’s primary bank with a 3 to 5% principal repayment subsidy. Eligible for funding is the integration of AI that uses the company’s own data, including training. Explicitly excluded: “The use of standard software with integrated AI tools is not considered the use of future technologies for the purposes of this funding.” Licenses for off-the-shelf AI assistants are therefore not eligible for funding.

The Employment Agency only provides funding for long-term continuing education programs. According to Section 82 of SGB III, continuing education programs for employees are eligible for funding if “the program lasts more than 120 hours” and both the provider and the program are accredited. The conditions are particularly favorable for companies with fewer than 50 employees. A one-day workshop does not qualify.

Do I need to train my team in AI?

The AI Regulation requires measures, but not a certificate. Article 4 has applied since February 2, 2025, to all organizations that use AI. Since the amendment by the so-called Digital Omnibus Regulation of 2026, it essentially states that operators must take measures to “support” the development of their staff’s AI competence. They are expressly not required to guarantee a specific level of proficiency, and according to the European Commission’s FAQs, external training or a certificate is not mandatory. Nevertheless, a short, practical workshop is the fastest way to ensure that AI is used effectively and safely within the team. Learn more in “The EU AI Act Explained Simply.”

Here's how to do it

Distinguish between the initial phase, the concept, and implementation. Free offers are sufficient for an initial overview. For a concrete concept, consider Impuls KI in North Rhine-Westphalia (once the portal reopens), INQA, or BAFA. For implementation using your own data, consider the KfW loan or, in Bavaria, the Digital Bonus.

Get quotes, but don’t sign them until you’ve received the decision. For almost every application, you’ll need a quote or a cost estimate. That’s not a problem. It’s the contract itself that can cause issues: At BAFA, simply signing the consulting contract counts as the start date; in Bavaria, even a verbal agreement counts; and in North Rhine-Westphalia, no agreements may be legally binding before approval is granted. We’d be happy to provide you with a quote that you can include with your application, and we won’t start until you have the green light.

Be aware of restrictions on combining funding sources. BAFA, INQA, MID, and Impuls KI do not allow the same service to be billed for under another grant as well. Loans, such as those from KfW, can usually be combined, however. Almost all grants are de minimis aid with a cap of €300,000 over three years.

What if the funding doesn't work out?

In that case, you can pay us in installments. Grant programs have quotas, lotteries, and deadlines, and often your project simply doesn’t meet the guidelines. To ensure that a worthwhile project doesn’t fall through because of this, we offer installment payments for all our services. For example, you can pay for the website (999 euros ) in four installments with no extra charge; for larger projects, we’ll work with you to determine the installment schedule during our initial consultation. Just ask about it, even if you’re still waiting for a funding decision at the same time.

What Has Changed and What That Means for You

By 2026, AI funding had been restructured. North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) had shifted its MID program to focus on AI products and launched its own AI program, Impuls KI; INQA had adopted new guidelines; several “Mittelstand-Digital” centers had expired; and Article 4 of the AI Regulation had been weakened. For you, this means: Take advantage of free offerings to get started, check which programs are suitable for specific projects, and, if in doubt, finance workshops out of your own budget or in installments.

Date of this version: October 13, 2026. Funding programs often change, and quotas are sometimes filled within hours. Always check the current status directly with the program before making plans. This article does not constitute funding or legal advice.

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