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Unclaimed
Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.
Grants

EXIST Business Start-up Grant

EXIST-Gründungsstipendium

Status

Open continuously

No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.

Always open
Amount
€3,000

Monthly personal stipend per founder: "Promovierte Gründerinnen und Gründer: 3.000 €", "Hochschulabsolventinnen und Hochschulabsolventen: 2.500 €", "Gründende mit Berufsabschluss: 2.000 €", "Studierende: 1.000 €". Plus "Kinderzuschlag: 150 € pro Kind und Monat", "Sachmittel für Teams: 30.000 €" (or up to €10,000 for solo founders) and a "Coachingbudget: 5.000 €". Paid for twelve months.

Funder

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), operated by Projektträger Jülich

public · national

Deadline: Open all year — No fixed cut-off dates published; applications are submitted through the participating university at any time.

Your odds
54.9%

Published by the funder, 2007-2025 cumulative (Monitoringbericht Nr. 5). This rate is measured unstated, so the odds from a standing start are lower.

Source

Effort
moderate

Moderate — a form and supporting documents.

Who can apply

"Mindestens die Hälfte des Studiums abgeschlossen" for students; "Bis 5 Jahre nach Abschluss" for graduates; researchers also eligible. "max. 3 Personen im Team". The company must not yet be founded at application; the host institution applies on the team's behalf.

How to apply

  1. Contact the Gründungsnetzwerk / start-up support office of a German university or research institution. — link
  2. Develop the business idea and idea paper with the network; the institution is the formal applicant.
  3. The institution submits the application to Projektträger Jülich; on approval the stipend runs for twelve months.

What you will need

Related reading: How grant deadlines actually work · The EU SME definition (Recommendation 2003/361)

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://exist.de/programm/gruendungsstipendium/

"Promovierte Gründerinnen und Gründer: 3.000 € […] Studierende: 1.000 € […] Kinderzuschlag: 150 € pro Kind und Monat"

Verified on 14 August 2026

Source: exist.de

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Paid, separate from Unclaimed

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