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

Start-up Subsidy (for unemployed founders)

Gründungszuschuss

Status

Open continuously

No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.

Always open
Amount
€300

Phase 1 (6 months): the founder's previous Arbeitslosengeld amount plus €300 per month. Phase 2 (9 months): €300 per month towards social security cover. The individual total depends on the founder's ALG I entitlement, so no fixed maximum.

Funder

Bundesagentur für Arbeit

public · national

Deadline: Open all year — Applied for at the point of taking up self-employment, while ALG I entitlement remains.

Your odds
Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort
major

Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.

Who can apply

Founder must be receiving Arbeitslosengeld, have at least 150 days of remaining entitlement and work at least 15 hours per week hauptberuflich in the new business. It is an Ermessensleistung (discretionary), not an entitlement — the agency must be convinced of the venture's prospects.

How to apply

  1. Confirm at least 150 days of remaining Arbeitslosengeld entitlement.
  2. Obtain a Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung from a fachkundige Stelle (IHK, HWK, bank or business consultant) confirming the long-term viability of the business.
  3. Submit the application online through the Bundesagentur für Arbeit portal with the supporting documents. — link
  4. After 6 months, apply for the second phase (€300/month for 9 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://www.arbeitsagentur.de/arbeitslos-arbeit-finden/arbeitslosengeld/gruendungszuschuss-beantragen

"langfristigen Erfolg der Selbstständigkeit"

Verified on 14 August 2026

Source: www.arbeitsagentur.de

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