ERP Capital for Start-ups
ERP-Kapital für Gründung (058)
Open continuously
No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.
"maximal 500.000 Euro pro Antragsteller". A subordinated loan (Nachrangkredit) treated as quasi-equity, requiring no collateral. "Kreditlaufzeit: 15 Jahre, davon 7 Jahre tilgungsfreie Anlaufjahre". The Hausbank receives a "100-prozentige Haftungsfreistellung auf Grundlage einer Bundesgarantie". Merkblatt Stand: 01.01.2022.
You must co-fund 15%.
KfW
public · national
Deadline: rolling — Continuous; application must be made before the project starts.
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.
Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.
You fund 15% yourself.
Who can apply
- Under 3 years old
- Stage: pre_seed, seed
- Locally registered entity required
Business must "noch keine 3 Jahre bestehen" since starting operations. The loan strengthens the equity base and requires no collateral from the borrower.
How to apply
- Confirm the business has been operating for less than 3 years.
- Contribute own funds of "15 % (alte Länder) beziehungsweise 10 % (neue Länder und Berlin) der förderfähigen Kosten".
- Apply through a Hausbank, which passes the application to KfW.
- On approval, the subordinated loan is disbursed with 7 repayment-free years.
What you will need
- Business plan and investment plan
- Evidence of the required own contribution (Eigenmittel)
- Profitability forecast
Source. https://www.kfw.de/PDF/Download-Center/F%C3%B6rderprogramme-(Inlandsf%C3%B6rderung)/PDF-Dokumente/6000000213_M_058_ERP_Kapital_Gruendung.pdf — checked 2026-08-14
"maximal 500.000 Euro pro Antragsteller […] Kreditlaufzeit: 15 Jahre, davon 7 Jahre tilgungsfreie Anlaufjahre […] noch keine 3 Jahre bestehen"