Do you have a digital product idea, but lack the time, budget or specific skills in your team to create a compelling prototype?
That's exactly what the Go-to-Market voucher NRW: a support programme that helps young start-ups with Development of digital product prototypes supports – with Grants of up to €35,000.
In short: You will receive a subsidy for external services (e.g. UI/UX, development, product design, licences) to help you get to a marketable prototype faster.
Synonym search field: Many are also looking for Prototype funding NRW Start-up. The content deals precisely with this use case: financing external services in order to quickly bring a digital prototype to market.
Official information about the programme can be found here:
Wirtschaft.NRW – Go-to-Market voucher
What is the Go-to-Market voucher NRW?
The Go-to-Market Voucher NRW is a programme run by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (as part of the ERDF/JTF funding) to more successful market entries by start-ups . A key lever in this regard is the Quality of the prototype — because it shows customers and investors what your product can „really“ do.
Go-to-market voucher: £35,000 or 70 per cent funding
The most important figures at a glance:
- Eligible expenditure: up to 50.000 € (External services)
- Subsidy rate: 70 % eligible expenditure
- Maximum subsidy: 35.000 €
- De minimis limit / minimum contribution: 15.000 €
- Duration: funding period up to 12 months
Go-to-Market Voucher Requirements
The following are eligible for funding: unlisted micro-enterprises (Start-ups) with:
- Established no more than 3 years ago
- Company headquarters in North Rhine-Westphalia
- as a rule. < 10 employees and < €2 million turnover/balance sheet total (Definition of micro-enterprise)
- no profit distribution (Start-up criterion)
There are also regulations governing situations where activities have been taken over or have resulted from mergers (with 10% limits).
Go-to-market voucher eligible costs
Funding is provided for project-related external services around your prototype, i.e. exactly the things you typically need to buy in order to achieve quality quickly, e.g.:
Direct prototype development (UI/UX, software, product design)
- Software creation/development
- Hardware development (if relevant)
- product design
- interface design UI/UX
Indirect services directly related to the project (marketing/sales)
- business model development
- Market, product and target group analyses
- Marketing & Sales (e.g. strategy consulting, tool training & implementation)
Preliminary products & licences
- Preliminary products/partial solutions incl. licence fees (also available internationally)
Important to know: Coach & mentor are part of it
The voucher is linked to an accompanying consultation:
- coach (Company, product and business model development, becoming investment-ready if necessary)
- Industry mentor (Sparring, industry knowledge, networking)
You must at least once per quarter meet binding deadlines and when submitting applications letters of intent submit.
Go-to-Market Voucher Application
The application may online about the EFRE.NRW online portal be provided or in writing at the approving authority (Innovation Promotion Agency NRW in Jülich).
Go-to-Market voucher expiry date: 31 October 2026
Important for planning: According to the funding information, submissions must be made by 31.10.2026 possible (subject to funding/programme status).
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
1) Unclear prototype scope
If it is not clear, what is actually being built and why If it is crucial for market entry, it will be difficult.
2) Budget does not match minimum allocation
If you are below the minimum allowance of 15.000 € land, the project does not fit into the programme.
3) Insufficient evidence of benefits and market potential
The programme aims at market entry: customer benefits, unique selling points and market logic should be evident in your documentation.
How Superblau can help (and how you can quickly gain clarity)
If you want to use the Go-to-Market voucher, you typically need two things:
- a clear prototype plan (Scope, schedule, deliverables)
- a clean performance setup (UI/UX, design, development, content/licences)
👉 Here you can find our Superblau landing page for the Go-to-Market voucher (digital prototype).
— there we also explain how we are implementing the prototype in a structured manner.
And if you want to see what „go-to-market“ can look like in practice:
👉 Client case: Go-to-market for TrustYou
FAQs about the Go-to-Market voucher in North Rhine-Westphalia
What is the maximum amount of funding available?
Up to €35,000 grant, based on 70 % of eligible expenditure (up to €50,000).
How long will the project run?
The funding period may up to 12 months amount to.
Can I also pay for licences and preliminary products?
Yes, Preliminary products, including licence fees are explicitly mentioned.
Who decides / where do I submit the application?
About the EFRE.NRW online portal or in writing to Innovation Promotion Agency NRW (Jülich).
When is the deadline for submissions?
According to the published funding information, the submission deadline is 31.10.2026.
