Collaboration Projects

Get funding for a collaborative innovation project through Copenhagen Fintech.

Apply for up to DKK 100.000 to fund development and testing 

Copenhagen Fintech invites Danish start-ups and scale-ups to apply for funding for fintech-related projects.

A collaborative innovation project can help you develop and test new solutions. Each project must involve at least one additional partner, such as a large company, another SME, a knowledge institution, a public organization, or a non-profit private organization.

Danish SMEs may apply for funding of up to DKK 100,000 per project. The total budget allocated under this call is DKK 1.5 million.

Please read the Conditions carefully for full details.

Timeline

4 May 2026: Online information meeting - presentation slides
18 May 2026: Application deadline. Send your application to applications@copenhagenfintech.dk
End of June 2026: Funding decisions
July–November 2026: Project implementation (projects lasting 2–3 months)

Funding conditions and application forms

[downloads]

Conditions for funding

Application form, including work plan

Q&A

What type of project can be funded?

Funding is available for collaborative innovation projects within financial technology (fintech), involving at least one Danish SME working with at least one other partner. Partners may be Danish or international and can include a large company, another SME, a knowledge institution, a public organization, or a non-profit private organization.

Who can apply?

Danish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may apply for and receive funding. SMEs are defined as enterprises employing fewer than 250 people. Please read full definition in Annex 3 of the Conditions.

What costs are covered?

The maximum grant is DKK 100,000. Funding covers project work, with salary costs calculated at an hourly rate of DKK 406. In addition, an overhead supplement of 40 per cent is applied without documentation. The funding rate is up to 70 per cent of eligible salary costs, including overhead.

How do I apply?

An email with the completed application and budget forms attached must be sent to applications@copenhagenfintech.dk by 18 May 2026.

How are applications assessed?

Applications are assessed by Copenhagen Fintech staff, and decisions made by a subcommittee of the board. Selection criteria include: The clarity and novelty of the proposed innovation; commercial and societal relevance; feasibility, team quality and cost-effectiveness. Full details are provided in Section 5 of the Conditions.

What about state aid rules?

The grant is awarded in accordance with the de minimis regulation. This means that total state aid granted to a single undertaking must not exceed EUR 300,000 over a three-year period. For full details see Annex 3 of the Conditions.

Are there any changes from the previous call of January 2026?

While the Conditions remain largely unchanged, some important updates have been made, including the following: Art 1) Clarification of the role of certain types of collaboration partners. Art 2) Clarification of the role of funded SMEs and the responsibilities of the grant holder. Art 3) Maximum grant per project is set at DKK 100,000. Art 5) Increased emphasis on the strength and commitment of the applicant SME. Art 7) The first instalment is reduced to one-third of the grant.

Will there be further calls?

This call is the second of 1-3 annual application rounds planned by Copenhagen Fintech for 2026–2028. The strategic focus and eligibility criteria for future calls are yet to be determined.

How well-established must a start-up be to apply for funding?

In the assessment of the commercial relevance of the project, it is considered positive if a company can demonstrate that market need (“traction”) has been validated in the form of potential or actual users, customers, partners, investors, or development grants. Also, concerning the criterion of feasibility, the applicant must possess the necessary resources, competences and commitment—preferably on a full-time basis—to implement the project and exploit its results (cf. the selection criteria set out in Art 5 of the Conditions).

What should be included in the submitted budget?

A total budget for the project must be prepared using the designated budget template, which can be found on the website. The number of hours expected to be worked on the project by each individual must be stated, as the grant may cover up to 70 per cent of their total salary costs (including 40% overheads). For example, a grant of DKK 100,000 requires a total budget of approximately DKK 140,000, corresponding to around 250 hours. No more than 160.33 hours per month may be included across projects.

What are the requirements for documentation and reporting of salary costs?

The cost of a salaried employee’s project work must be documented on the basis of a job description (arbejdsbeskrivelse) indicating the average percentage of the employee’s working time with the employer that is allocated to the project. For entrepreneurs and business owners who do not draw a salary from their company, salary costs for project work may instead be included on the basis of a monthly record of hours worked (tidsopgørelse).

Upon completion of the project, the financial section of the budget template submitted with the application must be completed and submitted together with a technical report. All reports and accounting documentation, etc., must be retained for at least 10 years after the year in which the project is completed, in accordance with EU State aid rules.

Can the grant holder receive an early installment of the grant amount?

Yes. One third of the awarded grant may be paid as a first instalment upon return of the award letter signed by the recipient, together with signed job description(s). The remaining amount is paid once a technical and financial project report, along with supporting job descriptions, has been submitted and approved.

Must expressions of interest from partners be submitted with the application?

No. Expressions of interest or similar statements from collaboration partner(s) do not need to be attached to the application. However, an agreement must be concluded between the project partners and made available upon request. The Conditions of Funding do not stipulate any specific format for such an agreement.

Can multiple companies share the grant?

Yes. The applicant may share the grant (up to DKK 100,000 per project) with one or more other Danish SMEs collaborating on the project. To be eligible for funding, a collaboration partner must be an active participant in the design and implementation of the project and have a significant interest in the planned innovation. (The provision of advisory or testing services cannot be funded.) The grant holder is the responsible partner who signs the grant agreement and administers the project on behalf of all partners, and is therefore accountable to Copenhagen Fintech for the implementation of the project in accordance with the grant conditions, including any onward disbursement of the grant to other SME partners in the project (cf. Conditions, Art 2).

Where can I find the detailed rules governing the grant?

The criteria and grant conditions are set out in the Conditions of Funding, supplemented by this Q&A. In addition, detailed definitions and financial provisions can be found in the Danish Business Authority’s Vejledning til projekter med tilskud fra de decentrale erhvervsfremmemidler, including rules and templates for job descriptions and time recording (Art 3.1).

Questions?

For enquiries, please contact
‍David Grønbæk
Project Compliance Officer

+45 53 58 44 24
‍djh@copenhagenfintech.dk