Initial Fund

The Bremen Participation Fund, especially the Initial Fund, is aimed at founders of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the State of Bremen. The program aims to strengthen the capital base of future-oriented and innovative companies, improve access to private equity and debt capital, and thus optimize financing conditions for SMEs in the start-up, growth, and transfer phases.

The Bremen Initial Fund supports a wide range of projects within small and medium-sized enterprises across various economic sectors, with a clear focus on technology-oriented and innovative start-ups. The funding aims to support projects in different development stages and provide the necessary financial resources for growth and innovation.

The Bremen Initial Fund offers flexible participation forms in the form of open and silent participations, which can be supplemented by loans if required. The financing is time-limited and based on business management criteria and a clear exit strategy. The amount of funding varies depending on the participation form and co-investment.

Applications and funding through the Initial Fund are subject to specific legal and business management conditions. These include criteria for company development, requirements for overall financing, and special regulations for cooperations as well as compliance with EU state aid De minimis rules. These regulations ensure that the funding is used purposefully and in compliance with state aid law.

Applications for the Initial Fund must be submitted to BAB Beteiligungs- und Managementgesellschaft Bremen mbH and require detailed information about the company and the project. The selection process is based on business management criteria and includes the examination of the innovation content and the planning calculations by external experts or auditing firms.

The basis for the Initial Fund is the Bremen Participation Fund (BFB) including the Initial Fund Guideline. This guideline regulates the provision of public financing to strengthen the capital base of SMEs and promote innovation processes and growth in the Bremen economy, in compliance with EU state aid law.