How Much Does Research Allowance Consulting Cost?

Q: How much does research allowance consulting cost?

At NOVARIS: 70 % of the fee is due only after the allowance is paid out, and the first consultation is free. The market also has fixed-fee, hourly, and retainer models, under which you pay regardless of the outcome. What matters is therefore less the rate than the question: what do you pay before the allowance arrives?

At NOVARIS, 70 % of the fee is due only after the allowance is paid out, and the first consultation is free. The risk of a rejection sits with us, not you: in the market, fixed-fee, hourly, and retainer models are due regardless of the outcome. This page compares the DIY application, a tax advisor, and specialized consulting honestly, without naming any third party's prices.

Clarify the cost in a first consultation Dossier

Success-based: 70 % due only after the allowance is paid out
First consultation free, no upfront costs
25 of 25 supported BSFZ applications approved (as of 09/2026)

Written by Max Nodes, Founder and Managing Director · 25 of 25 supported BSFZ applications certified (as of 09/2026) · Last updated: September 18, 2026 · Law as of: September 2026

At a glance

Fees follow the application stages

Certification and payment

Figures and details

When each part of the fee falls due

Without approval, no fee is owed.

What the consulting costs

At NOVARIS, research allowance consulting costs 70 % of the fee only after the allowance is paid out, and the first consultation is free. The market also has fixed-fee, hourly, and retainer models, under which you pay regardless of the outcome of the BSFZ review. Whether consulting is worth it at all depends on the comparison with the DIY application: time, the risk of a cut, and whether the assessment basis of at most EUR 12 million (from 1 January 2026, EUR 10 million before that) is fully exploited. 25 of 25 supported BSFZ applications were approved (as of 09/2026).

25+engagements supported
EUR 18.85Mfunding volume filed
25 of 25BSFZ applications approved (as of 09/2026)
3.5 monthsto the BSFZ certificate on average

Key facts on the cost

Fee: Success-based. 70 % of the fee is due only after the allowance is paid out, the first consultation is free.
In the market: Fixed fee, hourly rate, and retainer are due regardless of the outcome of the BSFZ review.
Fees: Neither the BSFZ certificate nor the tax office application (research allowance application (ELSTER)) costs a fee.
Worth it when: Time, the risk of a cut, and an underused assessment basis make the DIY route more expensive than it looks.

Who at NOVARIS judges whether consulting is worth it?

A consultant who knows the research allowance from the largest application practice in Germany, not just the fee models.

Max Nodes

Founder and Managing Director

Background

Leadership role at the largest provider

Before founding NOVARIS, Max Nodes held a leadership role at the largest provider of research allowance consulting in Germany. There he successfully wrote more than 90 BSFZ applications and supported 50 companies through to approval.

Outcome

On average 40 % more funding

Before NOVARIS, the companies he supported received on average 40 % more research allowance than they had initially calculated themselves. The difference comes from fully exploiting the assessment basis, not from a different fee model.

NOVARIS

Since 2026, 70 % due only after payout

NOVARIS Consulting was founded in early 2026 and works exclusively success-based: the first consultation is free, 70 % of the fee falls due only once the allowance is paid out. Track record: 25 of 25 supported BSFZ applications approved (as of 09/2026).

When does each part of the fee fall due?

30 % of the fee falls due with the BSFZ decision, 70 % only after the allowance has been paid out.

Only the timing is fixed: you agree the percentage of the assessment basis (Bemessungsgrundlage) in the first consultation.

Fee models in the market: what happens if the application is rejected
Model	How It Is Paid	If The Application Is Rejected
Hourly rate	Paid for hours worked, regardless of outcome	Hours already worked remain payable
Fixed fee	Set amount, usually due before or at project start	The fixed amount typically remains owed
Success fee	A share of the approved allowance, due only after approval or payout	Without approval, no fee is typically owed

Which fee models exist for research allowance consulting?

Four models exist in the market. They differ in when you pay and who carries the risk of a rejection.

Four fee models exist in the market for research allowance consulting: success-based, fixed fee, hourly rate, and retainer. NOVARIS works exclusively success-based: 70 % of the fee is due only after the allowance is paid out, the first consultation is free.

Fee models at a glance
Model	When You Pay	Risk of Rejection
Success-based	Only after approval or payout of the allowance	Sits with the consultant
Fixed fee	Set amount, usually in installments from project start	Sits with the company
Hourly rate	Ongoing, by effort	Sits with the company
Retainer	Monthly, independent of progress	Sits with the company

Upfront charges, minimum terms, and exit fees rarely come up in the first meeting. So ask explicitly: what is due if the BSFZ rejects the project?

What the fee buys: the process and scope of research allowance consulting are set out on the consulting page, the fee models of other providers in the register: compare research allowance advisers.

DIY, tax firm, or specialized consulting: what separates the three routes?

All three routes lead to the same application. They differ in time, expertise, and the risk of a cut.

The honest counter-question on consulting costs is: what does the application cost without consulting? Time, BSFZ language, and fully exploiting the assessment basis decide.

DIY, tax firm, and NOVARIS compared
Criterion	DIY	Tax firm	NOVARIS
Time	no 40 to 80 hours per first application	partly Technical description stays with you	yes One conversation per project, we handle the rest
BSFZ language (novelty, technical risk, systematic approach)	no Has to be learned first	partly Strong on tax, rarely on BSFZ practice	yes Daily practice, 25 of 25 applications approved
Risk of a cut	no Assessment basis often not fully exploited	partly Accounting is correct, technical presentation often missing	yes Project scoping and hours preparation from one source
Cost	Your own working time	Usually hourly or fixed fee	Success-based, 70 % after payout

If you have the hours and know the BSFZ language, you do not need consulting. How the DIY route works is on applying for the research allowance yourself.

Which questions do companies ask most often about the cost?

What does research allowance consulting cost at NOVARIS?+

30 % of the fee falls due with the BSFZ decision, 70 % only after the allowance has been paid out, and the first consultation is free. The percentage applied to the assessment basis is agreed individually in the first consultation, because it depends on the number of projects, retroactive years, and the state of your documentation.

Which other fee models exist in the market?+

Besides the success-based model, fixed fee, hourly rate, and retainer exist. Under all three you pay regardless of the outcome of the BSFZ review, often before the application is even filed.

Does the BSFZ or the tax office charge a fee?+

No. Neither the BSFZ certificate nor the tax office application (research allowance application (ELSTER)) costs a fee. Costs arise only from the consulting fee, if you commission consulting.

What happens to the fee if the BSFZ rejects the application?+

At NOVARIS, 70 % of the fee is due only after the allowance is paid out; without payout, this payment obligation never arises. Under fixed-fee and hourly models from other providers, the fee remains due regardless of the outcome.

Is the DIY application worth it to save on consulting fees?+

That depends on time, BSFZ expertise, and fully exploiting the assessment basis. How the DIY route works and where its limits lie is covered in applying for the research allowance yourself.

Can I deduct the consulting fee from the research allowance?+

No. The research allowance is credited against your tax liability via research allowance application (ELSTER), and any surplus is paid out (§ 10 FZulG). The consulting fee is a separate, ordinary business expense: it reduces your taxable profit but is not offset against the allowance.

What separates specialized consulting from a tax firm?+

The tax firm files research allowance application (ELSTER) and books the allowance. The BSFZ stage is a technical procedure with its own language, which specialized consulting handles. More on the research allowance and tax advisers.

From what point does consulting pay for itself?

From about EUR 500,000 in eligible personnel costs, support pays for itself almost always based on NOVARIS's experience; two worked cases show the scale.

Small project

EUR 100,000 in personnel costs, SME, project from 2026.

R&D personnel costs (employer gross)EUR 100,000

Overhead flat rate 20 %+ EUR 20,000

Eligible expensesEUR 120,000

Funding rate35 %

Research allowance per yearEUR 42,000

At this volume, support mainly pays off if the DIY application would take a lot of time.

Project above the threshold

EUR 500,000 in personnel costs, not an SME, project from 2026.

R&D personnel costs (employer gross)EUR 500,000

Overhead flat rate 20 %+ EUR 100,000

Eligible expensesEUR 600,000

Funding rate25 %

Research allowance per yearEUR 150,000

Above this scale, the allowance clearly exceeds the fee.

NOVARIS's own experience, not a legal rule: from EUR 500,000 in eligible costs, support is worth it as a rule, unless the company has its own FZulG experts in-house.

When is consulting not worth its fee?

Three cases in which we recommend the DIY route or advise against commissioning consulting in the first conversation.

A very small allowance
If the expected allowance is small, for instance because only one person works part-time on the project, the effort for project scoping and the application is out of proportion to the fee. The DIY route is then worth it; see applying for the research allowance yourself.
A tax firm with BSFZ experience
If your tax firm already knows the BSFZ language and has capacity for project scoping, it covers both stages. An extra fee for pure translation work is then not worth it.
Pure contract development
If the customer defines the result and carries the risk, your own technical risk is missing. The BSFZ rejects such projects regardless of the fee model.

Work through your case in 30 minutes.

In the first consultation we tell you whether consulting is worth it for your project and what allowance you can expect. Free of charge, no obligation.

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Official sources

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