Funding

The quality label "Cluster of Excellence Baden-Wuerttemberg" is a seal of quality for the professionalism of management organizations, which is associated with a high reputation in Europe. Merely the process of appraisal is chargeable. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing finances 50 % of the costs resulting from the labeling process for cluster initiatives and statewide networks that are based in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Conditions of funding

After successful submission of the evaluation request, the labelling process implies several costs for the managers. These costs are generated in case of a favourable decision of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing and upon conclusion of a contract with VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH for carrying out the evaluation. Subsidies are granted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing helping covering these costs.

The first on-site assessment and written documentation is carried out by two cluster experts at a fixed unit price of EUR 4,975.00 plus statutory value-added tax. The recertification is at a fixed unit price of EUR 3,975.00 plus statutory value-added tax. Until further notice, 50 % of these costs will be covered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing. The remaining 50 % have to be borne by the cluster initiatives and networks at federal state level, respectively. Additional subsidies provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will not be granted.

Only regional cluster initiatives and networks at federal state level having their management organizations registered in Baden-Wuerttemberg are entitled to apply for such financial support. Moreover, the cluster initiatives and networks at federal state level have to be listed in the "Regional Cluster Atlas Baden-Wuerttemberg" as well as in the "Cluster Database Baden-Wuerttemberg".

If the assessment reveals that the applicant does not comply with the required criteria, the labeling process will be discontinued by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik, who will then inform the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing. All costs accumulated up to the point of termination have to be paid to VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH by the applicant against documentary evidence.

Remark: The submission of the evaluation request and the performance of the self-learning tool and the self-test are free of charge.

Contact person
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing
Unit Cluster Policy
Regional Economic Policy
Andrea Krueger
Theodor-Heuss-Straße 4
70174 Stuttgart
Germany
Phone
+49 (0) 711 123-2439
Fax
+49 (0) 711 123-2474
Email
andrea.krueger(at)wm.bwl(dot)de
Contact person
VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
Helmut Kergel
Director European Secretariat
for Cluster Analysis (ESCA)
Steinplatz 1
10623 Berlin
Germany
Phone
+49 (0) 30 310078-154
Fax
+49 (0) 30 310078-376
Email
helmut.kergel(at)vdivde-it(dot)de