Partnering in Business with Germany
Partnership programme
for business cooperation
Global support for small and medium-sized enterprises
Partnering in Business with Germany is a global programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and designed to promote foreign trade and investment. It seeks to help SMEs from emerging and developing countries forge successful business ties with German SMEs. Each year, around 1,000 managers from around the world are prepared to enter the German market and brought into contact with German companies that themselves are interested in entering new markets abroad. The programme leads to the establishment of long-term business partnerships and a global network of internationally active SMEs.
22
22 partner countries – 22 markets. Learn more about our 22 partner countries.
2,400
German companies participate in the programme every year. Two thirds of these German companies are SMEs.
19,750
selected managers from abroad have been prepared for business with Germany under the programme since 1998. They form a global network of internationally active SMEs.
A forward-looking business partnership programme for an international network of competitive SMEs, ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow
Feedback about the programme
The programme gives companies from abroad a very good toolbox for approaching German companies. This has helped us a lot, because our Indian partner knew where his focus should be and where the difficulties lay. Partnering in Business with Germany has helped us understand the exact potential India has to offer our company.
Trust is essential. Coming here on a German programme is totally different from coming here on my own. Under the programme, you’ll hear from Germans what to expect, how they do business here, what information you should provide.
In our experience, the exchange of visits is crucial for driving forward collaboration between potential partners. Through the participation in ‘Partnering in Business with Germany’, our business partner was able to convince us of his business idea.
Supporting international business partnerships for over 25 years
Partnering in Business with Germany is the link between Germany and companies from 22 countries. Discover partner countries
What’s new in Partnering in Business with Germany?
Learn more about our successful B2B cooperation and visits to German companies. Read on to see what fields and industries are in the focus in the various countries.
Beginning of project worth €200 million: Frenell-SES is shaping Egypt’s energy transition
Frenell and SES are forming a joint venture for solar power plants and demonstrating how successful economic cooperation between Europe and Africa can be. A history of this flagship project.
IFAT Munich 2026: dialogue and cooperation at the BDE joint stand
The IFAT Munich 2026 provided a central platform for Partnering in Business with Germany (PG) to foster international business initiation in the circular economy, the water management industry and the environmental sector in a targeted manner. The focus of the participation in the trade fair was on the involvement of international PG delegations and the direct exchange with German companies at the joint stand of the Federal Association of the German Waste, Water and Circular Economy Management Industry (BDE).
Strong impetus for German-Turkish cooperation
The first session of the German-Turkish Partnering in Business with Germany steering committee, which took place in Berlin on 29 April 2026, sends out a clear signal for the further development of economic cooperation between German and Turkish SMEs.
Hannover Messe 2026: international cooperation as key to success for German SMEs
The Hannover Messe 2026 trade fair, which attracted around 110,000 visitors, impressively showed the extent to which industrial transformation is characterised by international cooperation. It is becoming more and more obvious for German SMEs that economic success increasingly depends on access to new markets and innovative partners.
Internationalisation from a single source: services for German SMEs
The Future Day for SMEs, organised by the BVMW (German Confederation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises), the largest network of SMEs in Germany, serves as a unique forum for exchange between business and policymakers. More than 6,000 exhibitors took part in the event, focusing in particular on services and innovative solutions for German SMEs. Partnering in Business with Germany was showcased at a joint stand together with other foreign trade and investment promotion instruments of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.