Developing and financing R&D partnerships for SMEs
QRAI transforms technology-driven development projects into robust R&D partnerships with a suitable partner structure, clear project architecture, and particular expertise in ZIM partnership projects.
For CEOs, CFOs and decision-makers in technology-driven small and medium-sized enterprises
Strong innovation projects rarely fail because of the idea itself. They fail when the idea is not translated into a viable collaborative R&D project.
Many SMEs have strong development ideas. But once these ideas are meant to become collaborative R&D projects, complexity increases significantly.
A technical idea suddenly becomes a management challenge: Who are the right partners? Who contributes which part of the development? And how can individual interests be turned into one coherent joint project?
And how does the project need to be structured so that it can also be convincingly positioned for public funding?
When these questions are clarified too late, the project loses momentum. Coordination becomes drawn out, partners remain non-committal, technical contributions do not fit together cleanly, and the potential funding leverage becomes an additional burden rather than a source of relief.
The right partners are hard to find
Fit, capabilities and interests are often unclear
Calculations and budgets are prone to errors
Eligible costs, allocation and financing logic are demanding
Project architecture is complex and critical
Work packages, interfaces and roles must be precisely aligned
Contracts and IP require intensive negotiation
Fair, robust agreements take time and are crucial to the project’s success
Funding logic and rules are difficult to translate
ZIM requirements and public procurement rules involve many potential pitfalls
Coordination takes time and energy
Alignment, documentation and reporting tie up internal resources
Without a clear collaboration architecture, funding potential quickly turns into coordination effort
Partners provide inconsistent information. Development objectives are understood differently. Commercial exploitation remains too vague. And the key question remains unanswered: Is the project truly viable as a collaborative R&D project?
QRAI brings these perspectives together early before a strong idea turns into a project that becomes difficult to manage.
Collaboration first. Application second.
QRAI does not only get involved once an application needs to be written. We start where successful cooperation projects are created: with the strategic and operational structure of the project.
We support SMEs from the initial assessment through to the structured preparation and implementation of a viable collaborative R&D project. In doing so, we connect partner logic, technical project structure, funding eligibility and the commercial basis for decision-making.
We approach projects from the perspective of investors and funding agencies. And speak the language of your R&D partners.
Developing R&D Partnerships
We analyze your innovation project, identify opportunities for collaboration, and use these to develop a robust project framework
Structuring Partnerships
We help determine which partners are best suited for the project, what roles they should assume, and how this can lead to the formation of a viable consortium
Preparing for Funding Eligibility
We translate technical development goals into a funding-eligible project structure, including work packages, role assignments, innovation level, and exploitation strategy
Developing Business Decision-Making Skills
We help you clearly assess funding opportunities, costs, project structure, and next steps as the foundation for a sound decision
For companies that want to drive innovation without having to become in-house grant specialists
QRAI works with technology-driven companies that are pursuing a relevant development program and wish to make professional use of funding opportunities.
QRAI is particularly well-suited for companies where the executive board, CFO, or financial management wishes to deliberately outsource the process without losing control over objectives, profitability, and strategic direction.
Well suited for companies with:
- technology-driven innovation projects
- specific development needs
- potential for collaboration with companies or research partners
- interest in ZIM collaboration projects
- limited internal capacity for grant application and project coordination
- willingness to professionally structure a relevant project
This is probably not the right approach if:
- you only need to write a single application
- there is no actual collaboration project
- no decision-makers are involved
- the project scope is too small
- the process is to be managed entirely in-house
- lyou are only looking for occasional writing support
Key strength: ZIM collaboration projects
ZIM cooperation projects can serve as an effective lever for small and medium-sized enterprises to implement challenging development projects in collaboration with partners.
However, the key factor is not just the application itself. What matters most is that the project idea, partner structure, division of labor, level of innovation, and commercialization potential all align.
QRAI supports precisely this process: transforming an innovation initiative into a robust cooperation framework, and from there into a ZIM cooperation project eligible for funding.
Leave the funding process to us and focus on your development project
A ZIM collaboration project involves more than just filling out an application. Partners must be coordinated, technical content translated, work packages defined, documentation prepared, and inquiries from the project sponsor answered.
For many small and medium-sized enterprises, this is precisely where the bottleneck lies: it’s not that they lack ideas, but rather the internal capacity to properly coordinate funding, collaboration, and documentation.
QRAI takes care of this interface. We structure your project, prepare the application documents, coordinate the relevant information, and facilitate coordination with partners and project sponsors.
So that funding opportunities don’t turn into additional internal work
Less bureaucracy. More focus on projects.
less internal coordination effort
clear project and partnership structure
documents ready for signing
coordinated communication with partners and project sponsors
solid foundation for business decisions
more focus on development, implementation, and commercialization
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As a leading German provider of programming services for Industry 4.0, we are often faced with the question of how to prioritize and drive our developments. By working with QRAI Innovation Lab, we gained a highly competent and, above all, solution-oriented consultant for precisely this issue.
Since then, we have successfully implemented two projects. What I personally like about the team of QRAI is the positive attitude, the distinctive perseverance paired with an international network as well as very high professionalism.
Robofunktion GmbH
Dr. Thomas Werner, Managing Director -
As a Berlin-based KI startup for predictive maintenance, we were able to benefit from the Coaching Bonus Berlin program and from Natalia’s deep understanding of the robotic industry. Thanks to the coaching, we were able to get valuable insights and advice specific to our industry, analyze our business model and sharpen a comprehensive strategy. At the end of the coaching, we received a grant analysis that ensured we would not miss out on any financial support.
utpatti GmbH
Dr. Tejo Chalasani, CEO and founder -
I started working with QRAI a year ago and I have to say that it was the best decision I could have made for my company.
With the help of Mrs. Kourakina-Lattner and her team, we were able to completely restructure our R&D portfolio and concentrate on the one, promising development. We have gathered market feedback and already won a pilot customer. Through a structured funding strategy, we can now better manage the development risks. And the most important thing – we felt completely reassured during the project implementation and can concentrate on our core competencies, namely the development of innovative robot systems.
Sikora GmbH
Ralf Sikora, Managing Director -
Natalia was our dedicated life sciences expert and mentor from the EIT Health Program (EU). As an award-winning Hungarian biotech start-up, our company (APPERCELL) has developed a unique smart research and screening system for labs and pharmaceutical companies.
The coaching with Natalia helped us to focus on the relevant topics of business development and to sharpen our product offering. Jointly, we laid the foundation of our value proposition for the target markets. Natalia gave us tools to validate our assumptions and to prepare a territory-focused go-to-market strategy. She provided enormous marketing and sales expertise in a very authentic way and offered excellent training to our entire sales team. With this knowledge, we feel well-equipped to start scaling our business model.Appercell Biotech Kft.
Andras Bencsik, CEO -
The team of QRAI helped me reach the next level of my company’s growth via setting up the strategy both in product and related R&D. I was impressed about their expertise in European funding, especially in drafting approaches on EU grants for deep tech startups. They gave me clarity on additional business models and income opportunities tied to my original product idea. I also got a profound analysis on European market entry for my business.
Broad Mind Inc.
Ivan Tsyplukhin, Developer of the next generation non-invasive brain-computer-interfaces
Your path to a viable collaborative project
For Industrial Transformation and Technology-Driven Development
QRAI focuses particularly on the intersection of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), technology development, and industrial transformation. Relevant fields may include:
- Mechanical engineering
- Automation
- Production technology
- Energy and environmental technology
- Industrial digitalization
- Sensor and measurement technology
- Materials and process engineering
- AI-related industrial applications
What matters is not the industry alone, but the quality of the project: It requires a genuine development goal, potential for cooperation, and clear economic benefits.
If your project is too important to be structured on the side
An initial consultation with QRAI is a good idea if you are pursuing a relevant technical development goal and want to assess whether it can lead to a viable R&D collaboration project.
QRAI is particularly well-suited when company executives, CFOs, or commercial managers want to leverage funding opportunities without having to establish internal funding processes, partner coordination, and application management.
An initial consultation is worthwhile if:
Your development project is strategically or economically relevant
You see potential for collaboration with companies or research institutions
You want to utilize funding without becoming an internal ZIM specialist
Executive management, the CFO, or commercial management are involved in the decision-making process
You need a clear assessment of partner structure, eligibility, and the next steps
You are not looking for a mere writing service, but a partner for structure, coordination, and implementation
Find out if your project has potential for ZIM collaboration
In just 30 minutes, we’ll assess whether your development project can be turned into a viable R&D collaboration project and what the next logical step should be.