Funding advice · founders, start-ups & SMEs
Funding Advice – Get What You Are Entitled To
Access to more than 2,000 funding programs: grants, low-interest loans, mezzanine capital, and guarantees. We find the right funding mix for your project.
2,000+
Funding programs
500+
Start-ups
4.9
on Google
Since 2018
Experience
- Access to more than 2,000 funding programs
- The right funding mix for your stage
- We take care of the red tape
- Free & non-binding
- Reply within 24 hours
- No obligation
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).
What Is Public Funding?
Public funding (Fördermittel) is provided by the public sector as financial support, whether through EU programs or from the federal government and the states. It differs greatly in scope and type:
- Grants: financial allocations that do not have to be repaid
- Low-interest loans: loans for eligible projects below the market interest rate, often with a repayment deferral
- Mezzanine (equity capital): a hybrid of equity and debt that strengthens your equity base
- Guarantees: loan security provided by third parties when collateral is lacking
Who Awards Funding?
Funding generally comes from the federal government, the states, and the EU. The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) awards funding to people who become self-employed; various funding pools are housed at the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) is the best-known source of funding in the form of loans.
How Do You Get Funding?
You usually apply for development loans through your house bank: it reviews the applications and forwards them to the responsible development banks. Since not every bank actively offers development loans, a well-prepared, well-substantiated application is worthwhile. This is exactly where we come in.
How Does Funding Advice Work?
With us, funding advice runs in five steps, from the funding check to the final accounting:
- Funding check in the initial consultation. In 30 minutes, we clarify your project, company stage, location, and financing needs free of charge. From this it becomes clear which programs are an option at all.
- Program selection. We put together your funding mix: grants, development loans, guarantees, or consulting funding, with conditions, deadlines, and combinability. You receive a written offer for the support.
- Application before you begin. Almost all programs require the application before you invest, sign a contract, or start consulting. We prepare the application, business plan, and financial plan; development loans run through your house bank.
- Approval. The funding body reviews and decides. For discretionary benefits (Ermessensleistungen) such as the start-up grant, AVGS, or entry allowance (Einstiegsgeld), there is no legal entitlement; we work with you to answer follow-up questions and requests for additional documents.
- Proof of use and final accounting. After the funded activity, you document how the funds were used, for example with a consulting report, invoices, or activity records; payout follows. We compile the documents on time.
Which Funding Programs Do We Check?
These are the programs we check most often. The terms come from the linked primary sources (as of September 2026); which program fits depends on stage, location, and project.
| Program | Provider | Who it is for | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAFA consulting funding (“Förderung unternehmerischen Know-hows”) | Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) | Small and medium-sized enterprises and freelancers based in Germany, after founding | Grant of 50% to 80% depending on company location on up to €3,500 in consulting costs per consulting engagement | bafa.de: program page and funding guideline of December 14, 2022, as amended on December 12, 2024 |
| Start-up grant (§§ 93, 94 SGB III) | Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) | People receiving unemployment benefit I (ALG I) with at least 150 days of remaining entitlement, business start-up as the main occupation with at least 15 hours per week, expert opinion (fachkundige Stellungnahme) | Six months of ALG I plus €300 per month, then, on a renewed application, up to nine months of €300; discretionary benefit | gesetze-im-internet.de: § 93 SGB III; arbeitsagentur.de: start-up grant |
| Entry allowance (§ 16b SGB II) | Jobcenter | People receiving basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld, formerly Bürgergeld) who start a business as their main occupation | Grant in addition to basic income support for up to 24 months; amount at the discretion of the Jobcenter, based on the standard rate plus supplements | gesetze-im-internet.de: § 16b SGB II |
| AVGS start-up coaching (§ 45 SGB III) | Employment Agency or Jobcenter; program with the AZAV-certified provider UW Unternehmensweg GmbH | Unemployed people and people at risk of unemployment who intend to start a business | One-on-one coaching with up to 120 teaching units, with no personal contribution after written approval; discretionary benefit | gesetze-im-internet.de: § 45 SGB III |
| KfW ERP start-up loan StartGeld (067) | KfW, applied for through your house bank | Founders and companies up to five years after founding, including side businesses | Development loan of up to €200,000 per person (maximum amount since December 1, 2025), of which up to €80,000 for working capital; 80% liability exemption (Haftungsfreistellung) for the house bank | kfw.de: product page ERP start-up loan StartGeld (067) |
| ERP development loan for SMEs (ERP-Förderkredit KMU, 365/366), formerly KfW Entrepreneur Loan (KfW-Unternehmerkredit) | KfW, applied for through your house bank | Small and medium-sized enterprises, sole proprietors, and freelancers, including start-ups and succession | Up to €25 million for investments, takeovers, and equity investments, of which up to €7.5 million for working capital and inventory; variant 366 with 50% liability exemption after two full fiscal years | kfw.de: product page ERP development loan for SMEs (365, 366) |
| NRW.BANK.Gründung und Wachstum as well as NRW.Mikrodarlehen (NRW microloan) | NRW.BANK, the development bank of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia | Start-ups, takeovers, and both young and established small and medium-sized enterprises with projects in North Rhine-Westphalia | Microloan of up to €50,000 without the collateral banks usually require; NRW.BANK.Gründung und Wachstum (formerly Gründungskredit) for larger projects of up to €10 million, with 50% liability exemption for the house bank on request, terms as per the program page | nrwbank.de: product pages NRW.Mikrodarlehen and NRW.BANK.Gründung und Wachstum |
Not in the table: go-digital expired on December 31, 2024, and Digital Jetzt has ended; we will add a successor program from the BMWK to the table as soon as it starts. We check state programs outside NRW through the federal funding database (Förderdatenbank des Bundes), which is linked in the sources block.
Funding by Company Stage
Which funding fits depends on your company stage. We support you at every stage:
- Founding: seed phase, launch, and market development
- Growth: stepping up in the face of competition
- Maturity: stabilization and expansion
- Crisis: turnaround and realignment
What Does Funding Advice Do?
As funding advisors, we guide you through the thicket of funding options. We know the funding pools and put together the right funding mix for you, which opens up considerable savings potential. Through expertise, experience, and networking, you save time and money.
What does funding advice cost?
The 30-minute initial consultation is free of charge. We bill the funding advice itself based on effort, with a written offer in advance. BAFA does not fund consulting that is mainly about funding (funding guideline no. 2.2); if the funding question is part of a broader business consulting engagement, for example on financing or strategy, that engagement can be subsidized for existing companies and freelancers at 50% to 80% depending on company location; BAFA decides on approval. If you are registered as unemployed, you receive the funding advice as part of the AVGS start-up coaching at UW Unternehmensweg GmbH, with no personal contribution after written approval.
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
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.
External links to official bodies, checked on June 19, 2026. 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 Funding Advice
What types of funding are there?
Mainly grants (non-repayable), low-interest loans, mezzanine/equity capital, and guarantees. Which form fits depends on the project and company stage.
Who awards funding?
The federal government, the states, and the EU, the Federal Employment Agency, BAFA, and KfW (the best-known source of funding in the form of loans).
Are grants taxable?
Grants are generally taxable. However, that does not necessarily mean an additional tax burden: through the net method (Nettomethode), your company can remain tax-neutral. We advise you on this.
Secure Your Funding
In the free initial consultation, we check which funding programs fit your project.