NRW Start-up Scholarship
Gründungsstipendium.NRW
Paused by the funder
Pause announced as temporary due to backlog; no resumption date published. Monitor gruendungsstipendium.nrw for the restart of jury sessions.
1.200 EUR per month for one year. For gender-diverse teams formed from 1 April 2025 onwards, 1.500 EUR per month plus a one-off bonus of up to 3.600 EUR per person.
Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen
public · regional
Deadline: closed — Jury sessions have been suspended since 1 April 2026 because of high demand and a processing backlog. Applications already submitted continue to be processed and stipends are still being paid out.
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.
Who can apply
- micro enterprises
- Stage: idea, pre_seed
- Locally registered entity required
Founders with an innovative business idea in NRW; selection is by jury pitch at a regional founding network (chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, universities, regional start-up centres).
How to apply
- Choose one of the regional founding networks (Gründungsnetzwerke) across NRW. — link
- Submit the idea and pitch before that network's jury (currently suspended). — link
- On a positive jury vote, the stipend contract is concluded.
What you will need
- Description of the innovative business idea
- CV
- Pitch presentation
Source. https://www.gruendungsstipendium.nrw/ — checked 2026-08-14
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