Forschungsmittel.com

Client: Forschungsmittel.com — R&D funding advisory in Germany. Industry: B2B consulting, grants, innovation. Scope: relaunch, architecture, performance, SEO, security, content. We rebuilt a brochure-style site into a fast funding platform. It behaves like a SaaS product: structured, secure, and built for the full funding journey of enterprises, research teams, and startups.

Challenge

Forschungsmittel advises on six- and seven-figure funding. The old site did not match that level of trust. The new platform had to:

• Translate complex funding programmes into clear, approachable content
• Build authority and trust for decision-makers in enterprises and research institutions
• Be designed in alignment with GDPR principles and German data-protection requirements
• Engineered with a focus on achieving strong Core Web Vitals performance under typical mobile network conditions
• Support a scalable content & SEO strategy around Fördermittel, Förderprogramme, Zielgruppen and Whitepapers
• Act as a hub for future integrations (CRM, marketing automation, analytics)

In short: it had to feel like a real product, not a PDF.

Our Approach

1. Modern Architecture & Stack

We rebuilt the platform on a modern, type-safe stack: • Framework: Next.js 16 (App Router, Server Components, Turbopack) • Frontend: React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS • Rendering: Hybrid SSR + static generation with ISR • Animations: Framer Motion • Hosting: Vercel Edge + global CDN • CI/CD: Automated pipeline with previews, linting, and Lighthouse gates Outcome: • predictable releases • fast cold starts • a stack any React/Next.js team can extend

2. Design System & UX: Consulting That Feels Like SaaS

The UX is closer to fintech/SaaS than a typical consulting site. Key patterns:

• Clear journeys for each ICP: Fördermittel-Check (lead magnet), Fördermittel-Beratung (service explanation), Förderprogramme (deep programme pages), Für wen? (target-group specific landing pages)
• Section patterns that lead users step by step: From "What is funding?" → to "Which program fits?" → to "How do we apply together?"
• Multi-step, validated contact forms with structured data capture
• Strong use of social proof via success stories, volumes, and expertise signals

Typography, contrast, and spacing focus on clarity and authority.

3. Performance & Core Web Vitals

Speed builds trust. We optimized for Core Web Vitals from day one. Latest Lighthouse audit (Mobile, Slow 4G, Lighthouse 13): • Performance: 98 / 100 • LCP: 2.3 s • FCP: 1.2 s • TBT: 30 ms • CLS: 0.003 • Speed Index: 3.3 s How we achieved it:

• SSR with modern Next.js and minimal blocking JS
• next/image everywhere with WebP/AVIF and responsive sizes
• Lazy loading for non-critical media, preloading hero assets
• Dynamic imports for 14+ components to keep bundle size low
• Removal of legacy polyfills and unused JS (~45 KB saved)
• Explicit width/height on images → near-zero layout shifts
• font-display: swap and preloaded core fonts to avoid invisible text

Result: fast and stable even on mid-range Android devices on slow 4G.

4. Security, Compliance & GDPR

The platform represents a regulated advisory brand. We built it with a security-first mindset: • Hosting & infra: Vercel, isolated environments, HTTPS-only, HSTS • Secrets: client/server separation, no secrets in the browser • App security: CSP-ready, COOP/COEP, server-side escaping by default • Forms: encrypted transport, server validation, honeypot spam protection • Privacy & GDPR: minimal data, explicit opt-ins, EU-only storage

• This gives Forschungsmittel a technically credible security posture that matches the expectations of German enterprises and research institutions.

5. SEO Architecture & Content Strategy

The goal was topical authority, not just rankings. We built a topic-first, intent-driven system. Key elements:

• Clear intent clusters: Advisory & transactions (Fördermittel-Beratung, Fördermittel-Check, Kontakt), Programme cluster (ZIM, KMU-innovativ, EXIST, Digital Jetzt, WIPANO, Horizon Europe), ICP cluster (Unternehmen, Forschungseinrichtungen, Startups), Knowledge cluster (Whitepaper, Förderkompass, Leitfaden Mittelstand, Glossar), Case studies & authority content
• Information architecture as "funding journey": From first research → to understanding programmes → to ICP-specific guidance → to advisory & check
• Internal linking strategy: Minimum 6 internal links per important page, Strong central hub in /foerdermittel-beratung, Program pages interlinked and always leading back to advisory & check, Glossary and resources acting as authority feeders into commercial pages
• Structured data (Schema.org): Organization, WebSite, WebPage, BreadcrumbList globally, Service markup for advisory & program pages, FAQPage for Q&A-heavy sections, Article + ItemList for knowledge cluster and case studies

The result is a focused semantic system around Fördermittel.

Results

• Measured increase in user inquiries via contact forms and the Fördermittel-Check during the initial post-launch phase
• Improved organic visibility for key funding-related search queries, including advisory and application-focused terms
• Core Web Vitals within the recommended ranges under standardized Lighthouse mobile test conditions
• A flexible architecture ready for: deeper marketing automation, CRM integrations (e.g. HubSpot), expanded program and content clusters
• A platform that better reflects the scope and positioning of the consultancy

Results depend on market conditions, user behavior, and ongoing optimization. Past outcomes do not guarantee future results.

Key Takeaways

• Traditional consulting can look and behave like SaaS – without losing its credibility.
• Investing in architecture, performance and security from day one pays off in both SEO and lead quality.
• A carefully designed topic & cluster strategy turns a website into a genuine knowledge platform, not just a digital brochure.
• With a modern stack (Next.js 16, React 19, Tailwind) and CI/CD-first mindset, professional service firms can iterate as fast as startups – without accumulating technical debt.

Tech Stack (Summary)