Financing and public support

There are many forms of financial help available to entrepreneurs. The following list includes only a small selection. Certain requirements must always be met when applying for funding and grants. Make sure to get advice!

• Start-up grant from the Federal Employment Agency
  Start-up entrepreneurs who receive unemployment benefit (“Arbeitslosengeld”) before going self-employed can receive a start-up grant (“Gründungszuschuss”) from the Federal Employment Agency (“Agentur für Arbeit”).
  Startup grant
  • Visit the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Munich and Upper Bavaria or the Institute for Liberal Professions (IFB) for detailed information in German or the Federal Portal for information in English.
  • Find a list of contact points entitled to issue the official approval of your business plan required by the Federal Employment Agency.
  • Download the Federal Employment Agency’s directive on the start-up grant (“Gründungszuschuss”).
• Subsidies for coaching and advice
  Future startup entrepreneurs can apply for pre-start-up coaching support (“Vorgründungs-Coaching”) for the development of business expertise. The coaching support program contributes subsidies of 70 percent for management consulting. Are you planning to set up a commercial business? Then apply for the support program at your Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK). Are you planning to start in a liberal profession? Then turn to the Institute for Liberal Professions (IFB). Are you not sure which category your self-employment falls into? Read our feature “Business or liberal profession“.
• Crowdfunding financing program of the City of Munich
  Entrepreneurs based in Munich can be financed up to EUR 3,000. Currently 50 percent of the costs for creative services involved in a crowdfunding campaign are covered, for example costs for videos, graphics, copywriting, PR, social media. Vist www.munich-business.eu for more information.
• MunichCrowd: Follow-up financing from the Stadtsparkasse München
  Use the successul crowdfunding campaign as a convincing argument for your follow-up financing through MunichCrowd if you want to start a business as your main source of income.
• Start?Zuschuss! Funding program by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy
  The program is aimed at early stage technology-oriented business start-ups in the field of digitisation. Selected startups can receive funding to cover a maximum of 50 percent of their eligible expenses, up to EUR 36,000.
• Innovative business ideas
  a) developing and funding new technologies
  Innovative and research-intensive start-ups in high-tech industries can apply for special subsidy and support programs and innovation vouchers for their R&D activities.
  Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Munich and Upper Bavaria – Support programs for innovations
  Chambers of Skilled Crafts (HWK) for  Munich and Upper Bavaria –  Support programs
  Get advice from “Bayern Innovativ” to help you find the most suitable support program, tel. 0800-0268724, kontakt@projekttraeger-bayern.de
  b) non-technical innovations
  The federal funding program Innovationsprogramm für Geschäftsmodelle und Pionierlösungen (IGP) supports concepts of the creative industries, social startups, new platform models and many other innovations.
• Funding program Digitalbonus Bayern
  With the Digitalbonus funding program, the Free State of Bavaria wants to support small businesses in equipping themselves for the challenges of the digital world. Digitalbonus
  enables companies to digitize through hardware and software and to improve IT security. English language leaflet (PDF,  83 KB) available for download.
• Cultural and creative industries
  The City of Munich’s Cultural and Creative Industries team provides cultural professionals and creative individuals with free advice and support on self-employment and qualifications, networks, events and financing, finding studios, rehearsal space and exhibition space as well as assistance with applications and approvals procedures. A focus is on interim space in city-owned and private locations.
• Trade fair participation programs
  Support programs of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry
• International expansion program
  The Bavarian support program “Start-up International” helps startups to prepare and successfully enter international markets.
• Federal funding database
  A a central source of information on funding programs at federal, state and EU level.
• Competitions for startups
  Check Munich Startup, the official startup portal for Munich and the surrounding region for selection of competitions.
• Subsidies for startup entrepreneurs with severe disabilities
  The Integration Office “Inklusionsamt” at the Bavarian Centre for Families and Social Affairs (ZBFS) supports severely disabled founders with a range of financial services. These entrepreneurs can apply for help with costs for work assistance “Arbeitsassistenz“, professional training “berufliche Weiterbildung“, loans and subsidies for interest rates “Darlehen,  Zinszuschüsse“, assistive technical equipment “technische Arbeitshilfen“,  funds to finance an assistive vehicle  “Kraftfahrzeughilfen” or a disabled facilities grant “Wohnungshilfen“. Before applying for any of these services you need to file an application “Antrag auf Leistungen zur Teilhabe am Arbeitsleben”  with the respective rehabilitation cost carrier “Rehabilitationsträger” or the Integration Office. Make sure to get advice! Contact the Munich Integration Office for further information and counseling by phone at +49 89 18 96 60, by contact form, or in person at the service center in Bayerstrasse 32.