HESSEN TRADE & INVEST GMBH

Their core work

Hessen Trade & Invest is the official economic development agency for the German state of Hesse, operating as the regional Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) node. Their core function is helping Hessian SMEs access EU innovation funding, particularly the SME Instrument and EIC Pilot programmes, through hands-on consulting, Key Account Management (KAM), and internationalisation support. They do not conduct research themselves — they are the bridge between Hessian companies and the European innovation ecosystem, building SME capacity to compete for and deliver on EU-funded projects.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014-2016, the organisation was establishing its EEN presence in Hessen, focusing on foundational services like innovation consulting (EIMC — Enhancing Innovation Management Capacity) and general SME support. From 2017 onward, their work shifted toward more targeted Key Account Management for specific EU funding beneficiaries — first SME Instrument recipients, then expanding to FTI, FET-Open, and EIC Pilot participants. This shows a clear move from broad innovation consulting to specialised post-award support for EU-funded SMEs.

They are increasingly specialising in post-award support for EIC-funded companies, making them a relevant partner for anyone needing SME engagement infrastructure in the Hessen region.

How they like to work

Hessen Trade & Invest exclusively coordinates — all 5 projects have them as lead, with no participation as a junior partner. Their consortia are very small (only 4 unique partners across all projects, all within a single country), reflecting their role as a regional service operator rather than a research consortium builder. Working with them means engaging a well-connected regional gateway, not a large multi-country partnership.

Their H2020 network is notably compact: just 4 unique partners, all within Germany. This reflects their mandate as a regional agency — their real network extends through the Enterprise Europe Network to hundreds of EEN nodes across Europe, but their formal project partnerships stay close to home.

What sets them apart

As Hesse's official economic development agency and EEN node, they offer direct access to the SME ecosystem of one of Germany's strongest economic regions (home to Frankfurt, major pharma, fintech, and industrial clusters). Unlike private consultancies, they carry institutional credibility and long-term continuity backed by the state government. For consortium builders, they are a single point of contact to reach and support Hessian SMEs across multiple sectors.

Highlights from their portfolio

• InnoHessen2Europe (2015)
  Largest single grant (EUR 175,000) and established the template for all subsequent Hessian SME innovation support projects under H2020.
• InnoHessen2Europe (2020)
  Most recent iteration, expanded to cover EIC Pilot KAM services — shows the organisation adapting to the evolving EU funding landscape.