Förderlotse Wachstumsmärkte ]init[ is implementing an AI platform for the German federal government

When German companies seek to establish a foothold in developing and emerging economies or expand their operations there, they need quick guidance: What funding options are available, where can they find advice, and who is responsible? Until now, companies have often had to painstakingly gather this information piece by piece from numerous different sources. This takes time, complicates decision-making, and results in investment and growth opportunities going untapped.

To simplify access to these services and strengthen the business community’s confidence in reliable, well-integrated digital government services, the Federal Government has set the goal of establishing the Förderlotse Wachstumsmärkte as part of its Modernization Agenda for Government and Administration. As a unified digital portal, it has efficiently consolidated the advisory services of foreign trade promotion and development cooperation since February 2026.

The digital platform was developed jointly by Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) and the Agency for Economic and Development on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

In this complex constellation of stakeholders, ]init[ served as the implementation partner, overseeing the development of the AI platform as a full-service project. CoreMedia 12 is used as the CMS foundation.

Find funding opportunities the smart way

The Förderlotse Wachstumsmärkte provides companies with a conversational way to quickly find suitable funding and financing options in approximately 140 countries. The search doesn’t start with filters, but with the company’s needs: Companies describe their project in plain language, and the AI chatbot guides them step by step to the right result.

We designed the assistant to ask targeted questions along a decision tree and systematically narrow down the results. Instead of “Please select from 20 filters,” the system asks one after another: “Where? For what? In which phase? What is needed?” The user receives tailored results that lead directly to relevant programs with background information, contacts, and further links. This makes the search easier even without prior knowledge of responsibilities or funding criteria.

Customized conversational AI with CoreMedia integration

The Funding Guide is not a “run-of-the-mill chatbot.” The project focused on the needs of its future users: a modern interface, clear navigation, and a tone that feels like a personal guide. The AI is not the main focus. It guides companies through the research process as a reliable point of contact and delivers tailored results.

Technically, we implemented a custom AI solution that uses data from the CoreMedia 12 CMS as its central content source. Because content is maintained editorially only there, information remains consistent and of high quality.

At the core of the platform is an AI service that enables semantic searches. It pre-sorts queries, filters them by taxonomies and content, and asks clarifying questions when necessary. It then forwards the query to the most up-to-date, privacy-compliant LLM from ChatGPT. The AI service also serves as the link to the CMS and continuously synchronizes content with the CoreMedia CMS.