Germany already has the oldest population in Europe, and an increasing number of people are suffering from chronic diseases. As a result, the demand for medical care will not only grow in the future but will also need to change in quality. For example, it is necessary to find ways to ensure that emergency medical care in rural areas can be maintained, both by using telemedicine approaches and by delegating medical tasks to trained healthcare professionals. Equally, it must be investigated how digitalisation can contribute to further developing medical care in all areas – including with regard to the shortage of skilled professionals.

It was precisely for this purpose that the Federal Government established the Innovation Fund in 2016. Its task is to strengthen health services research and to promote the development of new forms of care. The overarching goal: to improve established treatments and models of routine care and to advance the further development of the German healthcare system on an evidence-based footing. Accordingly, recommendations for the integration of projects into the standard benefits have already been issued.

There from the very beginning: the DLR-PT

The Health department at the DLR Projektträger has accompanied the GBA's funding measures as a central partner from the outset. Underpinned by the scientific expertise of our staff in all matters relating to clinical research, health services research, and comprehensive know-how in grant management, our services cover a broad range of tasks. These range from the content-related preparation of funding notices and funding decisions, through the specialist and administrative support of individual projects, to the final evaluation of project results.

In order to overcome the challenges in medical care, specialist expertise is also required, for example on contract physician remuneration, the uniform valuation scale for outpatient services, and possible pathways for integrating new forms of care into routine care. The DLR Projektträger brings this expertise to good effect in the support of the Innovation Fund's grant-making activities.

10 years of the Innovation Fund – impressive figures, high levels of commitment

By mid-2026, more than 800 projects with a total volume of almost two billion euros had been funded – these figures testify to the significant catalytic power of the Innovation Fund for improving care within statutory health insurance, and equally to the high level of commitment of our staff: to date, more than 60 funding notices have been supported, during which our staff conducted over 20,000 advisory consultations with potential applicants via the central telephone hotline and webinars. In addition, a further 24/7 advisory service has been available to potential applicants through our chatbot KAI and to funded projects through KAIrun since 2026.

Permanence of the Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund was made permanent on 1 April 2024 by the Act to Accelerate the Digitalisation of the Healthcare System (Digitalisation Act). The DLR Projektträger continues to be responsible for implementing the associated funding measures. From 2026, funds of 100 million euros will be made available each year for the further development of the healthcare system; as the service provider for the Innovation Fund, we play a key role in this. Of this amount, 80 million euros per year is allocated to the funding of new forms of care; 20 million euros is set aside each year for health services research projects, of which at least 2.5 million euros per year is dedicated to the development and adaptation of medical clinical guidelines that provide physicians with decision-making and treatment options and support them in patient care.