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

Grants

Lower Saxony Start-up Scholarship

Gründungsstipendium Niedersachsen

Status

Status not published

Rolling; applications are submitted through the NBank customer portal before the venture starts.

Open now

Amount

€2,200

2.200 EUR per month for applicants with a completed degree or vocational training; 1.100 EUR per month for current students or those without a formal qualification. Maximum 10 months per funding period.

Funder

NBank – Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen

public · regional

Deadline: rolling — Rolling; applications are submitted through the NBank customer portal before the venture starts.

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

moderate

Moderate — a form and supporting documents.

This is de minimis aid. It counts against the €300,000 ceiling that applies to your company across a rolling three years in this member state (Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831). If a new award would take you over, Article 3(7) disqualifies that award in full rather than reducing it — so check your headroom before you apply, not after.

Who can apply

micro enterprises
Sectors: ai, deeptech, any
Stage: idea, pre_seed
Locally registered entity required

At least 18 years old, residence and business operations in Lower Saxony, innovative, digital or knowledge-oriented business concept. The company must not be founded before approval. Cannot be combined with BAföG, SGB III benefits, or employment over 10 hours a week.

How to apply

Secure mentoring from an accredited supporting institution (university, research centre, incubator or accelerator). — link
Use the NBank Fördercheck for a preliminary eligibility assessment. — link
Submit the application via the NBank customer portal before founding the company. — link

What you will need

Project outline (Vorhabenbeschreibung)
CV
De-minimis declaration
ID copy
Coaching confirmation from the supporting organisation

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://www.nbank.de/F%C3%B6rderprogramme/Aktuelle-F%C3%B6rderprogramme/Gr%C3%BCndungsstipendium.html — checked 2026-08-14

"Sie dürfen Ihr Unternehmen vor der Bewilligung nicht gegründet haben."