BAFA-funded business consulting
BAFA Funding for Your Business Consulting
BAFA funding (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control) subsidizes business consulting for small and medium-sized businesses at 50% (old federal states including Berlin and the Leipzig region) or 80% (new federal states, Lüneburg and Trier regions) of a maximum of €3,500 per consulting engagement; your personal contribution is €1,750 or €700, respectively. Before the consulting, BAFA only confirms receipt of the application; the grant notice (Zuwendungsbescheid) follows after the proof of use (Verwendungsnachweis) (funding guideline 2022, version of December 12, 2024).
ID 191790
BAFA-listed
50% to 80%
Grant depending on company location
4.9
on Google
Since 2018
Experience
- 50% to 80% grant depending on company location, up to €3,500 in consulting costs per engagement
- BAFA-listed consultant (ID 191790)
- We handle the application & settlement; you only proofread
- Free & non-binding
- Reply within 24 hours
- No obligation
- Reviewed by Pavel Deuble, start-up consultant
- Last updated:
Qualifications & experience
Your project in experienced hands.
Our credentials and track record at a glance.
4.88 / 5
92 reviews on ProvenExpert
As of September 2026
750+
business plans written
Since 2018
Registration
BAFA register of consultants
Pavel Deuble, management consultant
Consultant ID 191790
What does this mean for you?
Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). Pavel Deuble, consultant ID 191790. Your BAFA-funded consulting must be provided by a listed consultant.
Provider approval
AZAV-approved provider
UW Unternehmensweg GmbH, our sister company
AZAV provider approval Z-000392-2
What does this mean for you?
AVGS programs may only be delivered by approved providers. Our sister company UW Unternehmensweg GmbH, Leverkusen, takes care of this.
Our service
KfW financing support
We put together the documents for your loan application, which your house bank forwards to KfW, and prepare you for the bank meeting.
In practice: Since 2018 we have written more than 750 business plans. 99% of the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss) applications we supported were approved (internally documented). The start-up grant is a discretionary benefit under § 93 SGB III; the Employment Agency decides on approval.
Track record & funding notes
Listed in the BAFA register of consultants; AVGS programs through the AZAV-certified provider UW Unternehmensweg GmbH
4.88 out of 5 on ProvenExpert
Based on 92 reviews on ProvenExpert (as of October 2026).
Sound Familiar?
You sense that something is stuck and can’t find a starting point
Revenue, liquidity, processes, or succession: the need is there, but consulting looks like a cost item you don’t want to afford right now.
You stumble over the order of steps in the application
The application must be submitted through the BAFA application platform before the consulting begins. If you consult first and apply afterward, you lose the grant.
After the consulting, the proof of use is waiting
BAFA pays out only once it has the consulting report and the invoice. This is exactly where applications get stuck, because no one has time in the daily business to put the documents together.
What Is BAFA Consulting Funding?
BAFA consulting funding (“Förderung unternehmerischen Know-hows,” funding of entrepreneurial know-how) subsidizes business consulting for small and medium-sized enterprises (KMU) and freelancers based in Germany. The grant is 50% to 80% of the consulting costs depending on company location (NRW: 50%), with a calculation basis of up to €3,500 per engagement. Apply before consulting starts; BAFA decides on approval after the proof of use. Funding guideline 2022, version of December 12, 2024, for applications until December 31, 2026.
Requirement: the consulting must be provided by a consultant listed with BAFA. That is exactly what we are, with consultant ID 191790.
BAFA-funded business consulting
We take care of the application and proof of use so you can focus on your business.
Three short steps to your free initial consultation. We check your funding eligibility and take care of the application and settlement.
- 50% to 80% grant on your consulting costs, depending on company location
- BAFA-listed consultant (ID 191790)
- We handle the application & settlement; you only proofread
4.9 from 65 Google reviews
What to expect
Personal conversation
With an experienced expert
Individual recommendation
Tailored to your situation
Concrete next steps
Clear, understandable, and actionable
4.9/5
on Google
500+
Start-ups since 2018
How High Is the BAFA Grant? (As of 2026)
The grant is 50% or 80% of the consulting costs depending on company location, based on a maximum of €3,500 per engagement, so up to €1,750 or up to €2,800.
50%
Old federal states
incl. Berlin & the Leipzig region
max. €1,750 grant
80%
New federal states
+ Lüneburg & Trier regions
max. €2,800 grant
Eligible: a uniform maximum of €3,500 in consulting costs. For the Cologne/NRW location, the 50% rate applies.
Example (business in Cologne/NRW): With €3,500 in consulting costs, you receive a 50% grant = €1,750 from BAFA. Your personal contribution: €1,750. We take care of the application and settlement.
New in 2026: Since November 2025, the gross costs count as the calculation basis for applicants who are not entitled to deduct input VAT. Funding guideline valid until December 31, 2026.
The funding depends on your company location. Current key figures of the funding guideline (valid until December 31, 2026):
- Funding rate: 50% or 80% of the consulting costs, depending on company location
- Calculation basis: a uniform maximum of €3,500 in eligible consulting costs
- Up to 5 funded consulting engagements per business, a maximum of 2 per year
- Since November 2025, gross costs count for applicants who are not entitled to deduct input VAT
The figures given reflect the status in 2026; the funding guideline may change.
Calculate it now for your location
Select your federal state and see in seconds whether 50% or 80% applies, and what your personal contribution comes to in the end.
BAFA funding rate calculator
In a few seconds: which funding rate applies to your location, and what you pay yourself.
As of 2026 (funding guideline valid until December 31, 2026). Eligible consulting costs are a maximum of €3,500; grant 50% (max. €1,750) or 80% (max. €2,800) depending on location. BAFA decides on approval. The application must always be submitted before consulting begins. Non-binding guidance, not a substitute for consulting.
We check which funding rate applies to your location in the free initial consultation.
Who Is Eligible for Funding?
In principle, the following are eligible to apply:
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as defined by the EU
- Freelancers
- Both young and established businesses with their registered office and business operations in Germany
Separate conditions apply to businesses in financial difficulty. We check your funding eligibility in advance, entirely without obligation.
What Can You Get Advice On?
Consulting on all economic, financial, personnel, and organizational questions of business management is eligible for funding. In practice, we mainly support:
- Strategy, positioning, and business model
- Financing, liquidity, and preparation for bank meetings
- Marketing, sales, and digitalization
- Organization, processes, and cost structure
- Growth, investments, and business succession
Application and Settlement? We Handle It, and You Only Proofread
The real effort with BAFA funding is the bureaucracy: the online application in the BAFA portal before consulting begins and, at the end, the proof of use with the consulting report and invoice. We take exactly that off your hands.
We prepare the funding application for you and, later, the complete settlement (proof of use). All you have to do is read the documents over and approve them; we take care of all the formalities. That way the grant flows smoothly and you lose no time on paperwork.
How BAFA Funding Works With Us
Before consulting begins, the application is submitted through the BAFA application platform to the lead office (Leitstelle). It checks the formal requirements and confirms receipt with a non-binding information letter. Because we work closely with the BAFA lead offices, this letter is usually in hand the same day. Only once you have it may the consulting begin; even signing the consulting contract already counts as the start. Businesses in the first year after founding additionally hold a free information meeting with a BAFA regional partner, at the earliest three months before the application and at the latest before the proof of use. You receive the grant notice and the payout after the proof of use with the consulting report and the paid invoice, which must be submitted no later than six months after the information letter; BAFA decides on approval, and there is no legal entitlement. We take care of the process:
- Free initial consultation and review of your funding eligibility
- Submitting the application through the BAFA application platform, then waiting together for the lead office’s information letter; only then is the consulting contract signed and the consulting begun
- Delivery of the consulting by us as a listed consultant (ID 191790)
- Proof of use, after which BAFA pays out the grant
Important for your planning: the current funding guideline applies to applications submitted to BAFA by December 31, 2026. Whether there will be a successor program after that has not yet been published (as of September 25, 2026). You may begin the consulting only once the BAFA information letter is available; even signing the consulting contract counts as the start.
Personal Consulting, No Call Center
You have a dedicated contact person who knows your project and accompanies you from the first idea to implementation. On an equal footing, transparent, and tailored to your situation.
- A dedicated consultant instead of changing case handlers
- Bank-tested documents that meet funding requirements
- Support all the way to the meeting with the bank or authority
Apply on Your Own or With Us
| Preparing it yourself | With Unternehmenswerk |
|---|---|
| You work out yourself which funding rate between 50% and 80% applies to your company location. | We check the funding rate and funding eligibility in the free initial consultation, before any costs arise. |
| You create your own account on the BAFA application platform and fill out the application. | We prepare the application; you read it over and approve it. |
| You have to remember yourself that the application must be submitted before the consulting begins. | We keep to the correct order: first the application and the BAFA information letter, then the consulting contract and the start of consulting. |
| You look for a consultant who is listed in the BAFA register of consultants. | We deliver the consulting ourselves, listed under consultant ID 191790. |
| After the consulting, you prepare the consulting report and proof of use yourself. | We prepare the proof of use with the consulting report and invoice and submit it within the six-month deadline. |
Up to €3,500 in consulting costs per engagement are eligible. BAFA decides on approval.
Official Sources, Information Sheets & Flyers
The authoritative primary sources to read up on: information sheets and program pages of the responsible funding bodies, as well as the relevant legal texts.
We check external links to official bodies each time this page is updated (see the date above). Content and terms may change; the source itself is always authoritative.
Video testimonials
First-Hand Experiences
See how founders experienced the path to funded self-employment, with real names and verifiable on request.
4.9 / 5 · 65 Google reviews
In 30 minutes we answer all your questions, free of charge and without obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions About BAFA Consulting Funding
How much grant do I get through BAFA?
Depending on company location, 50% or 80% of the consulting costs. With a calculation basis of up to €3,500, that is a maximum of €1,750 (50%) or €2,800 (80%) per engagement. As of 2026, funding guideline valid until December 31, 2026.
Do I have to apply for funding before the consulting?
Yes. The application must be submitted to BAFA before the consulting begins. Retroactive funding is not possible. We take care of submitting the application for you.When may the consulting begin?
Only after the lead office’s information letter confirming receipt of your application. The program has no funding commitment before the consulting: BAFA decides on approval after reviewing the proof of use, and the payout follows. If you begin consulting before the letter, you receive no grant. We keep to the correct order for you.
Do I have to handle the application and settlement myself?
No. We prepare both the funding application and the later proof of use (the settlement with BAFA) completely for you. You only need to read the documents over and approve them; we take care of all the formalities.
Who is eligible to apply?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs as defined by the EU) and freelancers based in Germany, both young and established businesses. Special rules apply to businesses in difficulty.
How many consulting engagements are funded?
Up to five self-contained consulting engagements per business within the term of the guideline, a maximum of two per calendar year.
Why Unternehmenswerk?
We are a consultant listed with BAFA (consultant ID 191790) and handle the application, consulting, and proof of use from a single source so that the grant flows smoothly.
Can I still apply for BAFA funding in 2027?
Under the current guideline, only if your application reaches BAFA by December 31, 2026. A successor program has not yet been published (as of September 25, 2026). If you are planning consulting, submit your application in 2026 and begin only after the BAFA information letter.
Your BAFA Grant: 50% to 80% Depending on Company Location
In the free initial consultation, we check your funding eligibility and the right funding rate for your location.