PFIF
PFIF is a German funding advisory consultancy helping SMEs, large enterprises, and startups secure R&D and innovation grants across federal, state, and EU programs. Operating on success-based fees tied to approved subsidies, the firm has facilitated over €1 billion in cumulative funding for 1,600+ clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLahr, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PFIF does
PFIF (Partner für Innovation & Förderung GmbH) is a German strategic funding advisory consultancy founded in 1994 and headquartered in Lahr/Schwarzwald. The firm helps companies — primarily SMEs, large enterprises, and startups — navigate Germany's complex landscape of federal, state, and EU R&D, innovation, and energy-efficiency subsidies. PFIF employs 70+ specialized funding experts (Förderexperten) across three German offices (Lahr, Mannheim, Berlin), supported by an international joint venture with ABGi/Visiativ that extends its reach to industrial locations worldwide. The firm has processed 4,100+ approved subsidy applications with a stated 98% approval rate and has facilitated over €1 billion in cumulative funding across 5,300+ realized projects for 1,600+ customers. PFIF is led by CEO Dr. Judith Cudaj and Managing Director Michael Zahm.
The service portfolio is organized around three core offerings: Forschungszulage (advisory on retroactive research tax credits of up to 25% of R&D personnel costs), FuE-Zuschuss (R&D grant consulting across programs including ZIM, KMU-innovativ, Horizon Europe, and go-inno), and PFIF Energie Invest (energy and resource efficiency funding under programs such as EEW). These are supplemented by advisory services across additional instruments including de-minimis, the Forschungszulagengesetz, and the Wachstumschancengesetz, plus knowledge products (webinars, the Förderstrategie 2026 ePaper, reference case studies). Industry coverage spans automotive, biotech/pharma, medtech, software/IT, energy/environment, electronics, machinery, and chemicals.
The business model is built on success-based consulting fees calculated as a percentage of approved and received subsidy amounts, eliminating client upfront cost and aligning PFIF's compensation with funding outcomes. Customer acquisition runs through a free initial analysis (Erstanalyse) booked via Calendly, supplemented by content marketing (webinars, ePapers, HubSpot-driven newsletters) and presence on LinkedIn, Xing, and Facebook. Two German legal entities operate the business — PFIF Partner für Innovation & Förderung GmbH and PFIF Forschungszulage GmbH — alongside the international JV with ABGi/Visiativ.
PFIF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PFIF
- Legal name
- PFIF Partner für Innovation & Förderung GmbH
- Website
- https://pfif.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- PFIF is a German funding advisory consultancy helping SMEs, large enterprises, and startups secure R&D and innovation grants across federal, state, and EU programs. Operating on success-based fees tied to approved subsidies, the firm has facilitated over €1 billion in cumulative funding for 1,600+ clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PFIF industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Funding and R&D Grants Advisory
- SIC
- Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF)
Keywords
Where PFIF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lahr
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
PFIF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Success-Based Consulting Fees: PFIF charges consulting fees that are calculated on a performance/success basis — specifically as a percentage of the approved and received subsidy amounts. This means clients bear no upfront financial risk, and PFIF's compensation is directly tied to successful funding outcomes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Performance-based consulting fees tied to approved subsidies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
PFIF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PFIF is a German funding advisory consultancy that helps SMEs, large enterprises, and startups secure government and EU subsidies for research, development, innovation, and energy efficiency projects. The firm operates three core service lines — Forschungszulage (research tax credits), FuE-Zuschuss (R&D grants), and PFIF Energie Invest (energy investment funding) — supported by advisory on programs such as ZIM, KMU-innovativ, Horizon Europe, and go-inno. Services are delivered through a success-based fee model, where compensation is calculated as a percentage of actually approved and disbursed subsidy amounts, covering the full project lifecycle from initial analysis and application through audit-compliant execution.
Product overview
PFIF (Partner für Innovation & Förderung) is a strategic consulting firm offering comprehensive funding advisory services for innovation and R&D projects. The company provides a unified service portfolio centered on three core offerings: Forschungszulage (tax-efficient R&D funding), FuE-Zuschuss (R&D grants), and PFIF Energie Invest (energy investment funding). PFIF also offers specialized advisory services for various government funding programs including ZIM, KMU-innovativ, Horizon Europe, go-inno, and others, complemented by educational resources through webinars and ePapers. The company serves SMEs, large enterprises, and startups across multiple industries including Automotive, Chemical, Machinery, Software & IT, BioTech, Pharma, Energy, MedTech, and Electronics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Forschungszulage Advisory Advisory service helping German companies claim the federal R&D tax credit (Forschungszulage) covering up to 25% of qualifying R&D personnel and project costs, with annual claim ceiling based on a 10 million EUR calculation basis per corporate group.
- FuE-Zuschuss Advisory Consulting service identifying and securing R&D grants and innovation subsidies from federal, state, and EU programs such as ZIM, KMU-innovativ, and Horizon Europe for German companies.
- PFIF Energie Invest Advisory service helping companies secure funding for energy and resource efficiency investments through programs such as EEW (Federal funding for energy and resource efficiency in businesses), covering up to 60% of eligible costs.
- Erstanalyse (Initial Funding Analysis) Free non-binding telephone consultation analyzing a company's funding potential and identifying suitable subsidy programs as the entry point for PFIF's full advisory engagement.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% approval rate (Bewilligungsquote) on submitted applications
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use PFIF
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PFIF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
PFIF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ABGi / VisiativflagshipPFIF is a joint venture between PFIF Partner für Innovation & Förderung GmbH and ABGi (now part of Visiativ). This international joint venture enables PFIF to support clients' activities at key industrial locations worldwide, extending its reach beyond Germany. ABGi/Visiativ brings international funding and innovation advisory capabilities to the partnership.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PFIF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EurA AG: EurA AG is a German consulting firm specializing in R&D funding, innovation management, and public-sector grant advisory for SMEs and industrial clients — a near-identical service model to PFIF with overlapping funding program expertise (ZIM, KMU-innovativ, Horizon Europe).
- ZENIT GmbH: ZENIT GmbH is a North Rhine-Westphalia-based innovation consultancy that advises SMEs on public R&D funding, EU programs, and technology financing — directly comparable to PFIF in service offering and target customer profile.
- VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH: VDI/VDE-IT is a leading German innovation and technology consultancy supporting R&D project management, EU funding program administration, and innovation policy — competing for the same advisory mandates and federal/state program expertise as PFIF.
- BIPRO GmbH: BIPRO GmbH is a German consultancy advising companies on R&D funding, innovation grants, and public subsidy programs — a smaller but directly comparable peer operating in the same niche as PFIF.
Broad incumbents
- Steinbeis: Steinbeis is a large German innovation and consulting network with deep expertise in R&D funding advisory and technology transfer — a broader incumbent offering overlapping services across multiple German states with a wider portfolio.
- Ramboll Group: Ramboll is an international engineering and management consultancy with a dedicated funding advisory practice serving European public-sector and industrial clients — a broader incumbent with overlapping grant-advisory capabilities.
- PwC Germany: PwC's German practice includes a public-sector and grants advisory team helping enterprises secure R&D and innovation funding — a broader incumbent competing for large-enterprise advisory mandates alongside PFIF.
Regional players
- Bayern Innovativ GmbH: Bayern Innovativ is the Bavarian state innovation agency offering funding advisory and technology-transfer services to Bavarian SMEs and industry — a regional player with a comparable service model but confined to a single German state.
- AGIT mbH: AGIT is the Aachen region's economic development and innovation funding consultancy serving NRW-based SMEs with R&D funding advisory — comparable to PFIF in model but regionally limited.
- Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH: Hessen Trade & Invest is the Hessen state economic development agency providing innovation and R&D funding advisory to local SMEs — a regional government-affiliated player operating a comparable advisory service to PFIF within one German state.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PFIF social profiles
Digital presencePFIF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PFIF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
PFIF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PFIF M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PFIF
What does PFIF do?
PFIF is a German funding advisory consultancy that helps SMEs, large enterprises, and startups secure government and EU subsidies for research, development, innovation, and energy efficiency projects. The firm operates three core service lines — Forschungszulage (research tax credits), FuE-Zuschuss (R&D grants), and PFIF Energie Invest (energy investment funding) — supported by advisory on programs such as ZIM, KMU-innovativ, Horizon Europe, and go-inno. Services are delivered through a success-based fee model, where compensation is calculated as a percentage of actually approved and disbursed subsidy amounts, covering the full project lifecycle from initial analysis and application through audit-compliant execution.
Is PFIF a public or private company?
PFIF is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was PFIF founded?
PFIF was founded in 1994. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is PFIF based?
PFIF is headquartered in Lahr, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does PFIF make money?
One revenue line is on record: success-Based Consulting Fees.
Who are PFIF's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EurA AG, ZENIT GmbH, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH and BIPRO GmbH. Broad incumbents are Steinbeis, Ramboll Group and PwC Germany. Regional players are Bayern Innovativ GmbH, AGIT mbH and Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH.
Does PFIF have an API?
No public API is recorded for PFIF.
What industry is PFIF in?
PFIF's product category is Government Funding and R&D Grants Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAOAF, Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants. Its SIC code is 7389.