Start-up and Growth Financing – GuW Hessen (ERP)
The Start-up and Growth Financing (GuW Hessen ERP) offers low-interest loans of up to 1 million Euros for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), sole proprietorships, and freelancers. The program supports business formations, growth initiatives, and company acquisitions in Hessen and, under specific conditions, beyond, to secure competitiveness and jobs in the region.
Who is funded: Target Groups and Geographical Scope
The Hessen Start-up and Growth Financing (GuW Hessen ERP) program targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) according to the EU definition, sole proprietorships, freelancers, as well as cooperatives and commercial social enterprises with profit-making intent. It supports projects in Hessen and, under certain conditions, outside Hessen, with a focus on strengthening the regional economy and preserving jobs.
What is funded: Project Types and Eligible Measures
The Hessen Start-up and Growth Financing supports a wide range of measures relevant to the development and security of businesses. This includes both tangible investments, the financing of working capital, and support for company acquisitions. The program ensures that all funded projects comply with environmental and social legal standards.
Type and Extent of Funding
The Hessen Start-up and Growth Financing offers low-interest loans as its main funding instrument. The program allows financing of up to 1 million Euros and offers flexible terms with grace periods for repayment. Particularly advantageous conditions and interest rate reductions are provided for young companies and projects in certain Hessen funding areas to support regional development.
Conditions and Requirements
To receive funding from the Hessen Start-up and Growth Financing, applicants must meet certain legal and formal requirements. This includes compliance with the EU SME definition, specific qualification requirements for natural persons, and adherence to state aid rules, especially the De minimis Regulation. Projects must also comply with the environmental and social standards of the investment country.
Application Procedure
The application procedure for the Hessen Start-up and Growth Financing is carried out via the so-called house bank procedure, where applicants submit their documents to their principal bank (Hausbank). The house bank then forwards the application to Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen (WIBank) for review and decision.
Legal Basis
The Hessen Start-up and Growth Financing (GuW Hessen ERP) is based on a specific guideline and is made possible by a joint action of the State of Hessen, KfW, and WIBank. The program is also subject to relevant EU state aid rules and the program conditions of the KfW SME promotional loan.
Similar Programs
Funding Overview
Funding Status:
Open
Maximum Amount:
1,000,000 €
Open Until:
Ongoing
Award Channel:
Indirect Management Funding
Region:
Hessen (Odenwald district, Vogelsberg district, Waldeck-Frankenberg district, Werra-Meißner district, administrative districts of Kassel and Giessen, Biblis municipality, Odenwald region (Lautertal, Lindenfels, Fürth, Grasellenbach, Rimbach, Morlenbach, Birkenau, Wald-Michelbach, Absteinach, Gorxheimertal, Hirschhorn, Neckarsteinach, Modautal, Fischbachtal, Groß-Umstadt))
Sectors:
Other
Beneficiaries:
Business founders, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), sole proprietorships, freelancers, cooperatives, commercial social enterprises
Application Type:
Single Applicant
Funding Stages:
Planning, Implementation, Scaling, Commercialization
Funding Provider
Program Level:
Regional
Funding Body:
State of Hessen, KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau)
Managed By:
Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen (WIBank)
Additional Partners:
Hessen Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing
Website: