Bremen Participation Fund

The Bremen Participation Fund targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a registered office in the State of Bremen. Its goal is to strengthen their equity base and improve financing conditions during founding, growth, and transfer phases. The program considers specific exclusion criteria for certain company and activity areas.

The Bremen Participation Fund supports companies at various stages of development, from the founding phase to successful transfer. The focus is on strengthening the equity base for innovation and growth projects, as well as for structuring company transfers. The eligibility of costs is not explicitly broken down; instead, the purpose of financing is defined.

The Bremen Participation Fund offers financing in the form of open and silent participations, supplemented by loans. The amount of financing varies depending on the period and total volume per company, with special maximum amounts applying to the Initial Fund and de minimis aid. The financing instruments are time-limited and designed to be profit-oriented.

Certain prerequisites and conditions must be met to access the Bremen Participation Fund. These include presenting a future-proof concept, a closed overall financing plan, and fulfilling business economic criteria. Special regulations apply to compliance with EU state aid law, particularly the De minimis Regulation and the Risk Finance Guidelines. Application and administrative fees are also incurred.

Applications for the Bremen Participation Fund must be submitted directly to BAB Beteiligungs- und Managementgesellschaft Bremen mbH and require detailed information about the company and the project. Applications are selected and evaluated by the fund management and an independent approval committee according to business economic criteria. There is no legal entitlement to funding.

The Bremen Participation Fund is based on the "Bremen Participation Fund (BFB) Guidelines including Initial Fund" of February 12, 2021. The implementation and management of the fund are carried out by BAB Beteiligungs- und Managementgesellschaft Bremen mbH in compliance with relevant EU state aid regulations.