
Financial support/ Funding programs
Startup funding in Germany.
Several national financial support programs for startups have been established. These programs range from early investments and scholarships for founders to investments for innovation projects in SME. In the following tables you will find overviews of selected startup funding programs from the European Union (EU) as well as from different national sources.
EU funding programs
Relevant funding programs
EU funding programs can usually be accessed through national and regional authorities; see also on eu.europa.eu.
National funding programs
Relevant funding programs
Startups also receive funding at the federal level. The following table shows the different framework conditions for this.
Program name | Amount | For whom & conditions |
---|---|---|
ERP-Gründerkredit | Up to 125,000 (80%) |
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EXIST-Gründerstipendium | up to 3,000 per month, up to 30,000 material expenses, 5,000 coaching, max. 1 year |
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EXIST-Forschungstransfer | Up to 250.000 |
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High-Tech Gründerfonds | 1 million - 3 million |
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BMWi-Innovationsgutscheine (go-inno) | Covers up to 50% of the company's expenses for external consulting services |
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Zentrales Innovationsprogram Mittelstand (ZIM) | max. 420,000 to 2.3 million |
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ERP-Mezzanine für Innovation | Up to 5 million |
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Federal-State Funding Programs
Relevant funding programs
Financial support for startups is also available from the state level. Since the Rhine-Neckar region is located in three federal states, there are different programs depending on where your company is located. In addition, the funding requirements differ slightly between the federal states. In Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz, a legal entity must be local and the funding should be used in the respective states. In Baden-Württemberg, the startup's headquarters must be located in the state.
The experts in our network can advise you on suitable programs and how to apply. Below you will find an overview about various relevant programs per state and links to further relevant information (in German).
Federal state Baden-Württemberg
Program name | Amount | For whom & conditions |
---|---|---|
BW Pre-Seed | 50.000 - 200.000 |
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Innovationsgutschein BW | Up to 7,500 euros subsidy with a funding rate of 50 percent |
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Innovationsgutschein Hightech Start-up BW | Up to 20,000 euros subsidy with a funding rate of 50 percent |
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Innovationsgutschein Startup BW | Up to 20,000 euros subsidy with a funding rate of 50 percent |
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BW Startfinanzierung 80 | Up to 125.000 per person & 500.000 per company |
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Gründungsfinanzierung | 5.000 - 5 mio. (90 % guarantee, optional) |
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Wachstumsfinanzierung | 10,000 - 5 million (90% guarantee, optional) |
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Innovationsfinanzierung 4.0 | 10,000 - 5 million , for larger companies up to 25 million (50% or 70% guarantee, optional) |
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Bürgschaftsprogramme | 1,25 Mio - 15 Mio & 50% guarantee of the loan |
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Invest BW - Innovationsförderung | 20,000 - 650,000(individual project), 1.3 million(joint project) |
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Federal state Hessen
Program name | Amount | For whom & conditions |
---|---|---|
Innovationskredit Hessen | 100.000 - 7.5 million |
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Hessen Mikrodarlehen | 3.000 - 35.000 |
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Wachstumskredit der Europäischen Investitionsbank (EIB) | Up to 12.5 million |
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Gründungs- und Wanchstumsfinanzierung Hessen | Up to 1 million |
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Bürgschaften zur Bonitätsstärkung | Up to 1.25 million per company (80%) |
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Kapital für Kleinunternehmen (KfK) | 25.000 - 150.000 & 50% loan from the house bank |
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Hessen-MikroCrowd | 3.000 - 25.000 |
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Business Angels (Frankfurt) | 1 – 5 million CV |
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Futury Venture Beteiligungen Deutschland-Hessen GmbH | up to 500,000 per round |
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Technologiefonds Hessen | 100.000 – 1 million |
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Federal state Rhineland-Palatinate
Program name | Amount | For whom & conditions |
---|---|---|
Effizienzkredit RLP | max. 10 million |
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Betriebsmittelkredit RLP | max. 5 million |
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Business Angels RLP | from about 30,000 per BA |
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Bürgschaften RLP | usually 1.25 million - 3.5 million |
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Wagniskapital (Innovationsfonds) | max. 1 million |
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Start.in.RLP – Gründungsstipendium | 1000,- Euro/ month/ max. 12 months |
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startup innovativ | 10.000 – 100.000 Euro |
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Innovationsassistent RLP | 1.750 - 2.100 Euro/ max 24. months |
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Innovationsgutschein RLP | 50 % of the eligible costs; max. 20.000 Euro |
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Funding programs from the region
Local grants and risk capital
There are also local grants and risk capital available for startups. Below you will find a selection of regional options that are corporate venture capitalists and banking-backed VCs.
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