the United Kingdom → Germany
Expanding a UK climate-tech company into Germany
Germany is the largest industrial decarbonisation market in Europe, and the least forgiving about process. Technical documentation, certification and reference customers carry more weight than narrative.
Assume German-language capability is needed for public-sector and Mittelstand sales, and plan a longer sales cycle than at home.
The order of work
Step 1
Pick one country, not 'Europe'
Regulation, procurement, language and grant routes are national. A single-country beachhead with a named customer beats a pan-European plan every time.
Step 2
Work out the language requirement honestly
Public-sector and corporate sales in much of the EU need local-language capability. Decide whether that means a hire, a partner or a different first market.
Step 3
Check the entity and VAT position early
Selling into a country and being established in it are different things, with different tax and registration consequences. Get advice before pricing contracts.
Step 4
Get into a consortium for EU funding
Most EU programme money reaches companies through consortia. Being invited into one is faster than assembling one, so use national contact points, associations and accelerators you already know.
Step 5
Use the local ecosystem for proof, not just introductions
Testbeds, research institutes and city programmes give you a reference deployment in-country, which is what unlocks the next sale.
Cities on this route
Indicative benchmarks with the source and reference year shown on each city page. Confirm locally before budgeting.
Guides that matter most here
Horizon Europe for UK-based climate-tech companies
How a UK-based climate-tech company approaches Horizon Europe, where to confirm the current association arrangements, and how to check eligibility for a specific call.
VAT and customs basics for EU↔UK climate-tech trade
An orientation to the VAT and customs questions that come up when climate-tech hardware, spare parts or demo units cross the EU–UK border, and where to check the current rules.
Organisations to contact
Named accelerators, testbeds and trade bodies with official websites and enquiry pages, each with the date we last checked it.
Make this route specific to your company
GreenLaunch scores open funding calls, tenders and pitching opportunities against your company profile, ranks the cities on cost and fit, and drafts the applications and intro emails.