Innovative Startup Funding

Wer wird gefördert: Zielgruppen und geografische Reichweite

The "Gründung Innovativ" program supports innovative and socially innovative small businesses in the state of Brandenburg during their first three years after founding or acquisition. It is aimed at a wide range of legal forms that conduct economic activity and meet specific innovation criteria.

The program supports investment and non-investment expenditures that serve the development of new products, services, processes, or business models. Specific types of costs are eligible for funding, while others are expressly excluded to ensure targeted use of funds.

The "Gründung Innovativ" program provides grants as project funding with co-financing. The amount of funding is limited, requires a co-payment, and sets specific upper limits for personnel expenses. The funding is aimed at the company's early growth phase.

Funding is tied to various legal and administrative conditions, including requirements for corporate governance, EU state aid law, cumulation with other funding, and transparency and reporting obligations.

The application process for "Gründung Innovativ" begins with a mandatory initial consultation with the Investment Bank of the State of Brandenburg (ILB) and the Brandenburg Economic Development Corporation (WFBB). Applications are submitted digitally via the ILB customer portal, and the approving authority decides based on the submitted documents and a technical statement.

The "Gründung Innovativ" program is based on a specific funding guideline from the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy of the State of Brandenburg. It is legally underpinned by the State Budget Ordinance and by European regulations, particularly in the context of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).