ESF Plus Funding Guideline for Skilled Worker Retention and Social Participation – Startup Guideline

The funding program is aimed at natural persons planning a startup or business takeover in Thuringia and who are not yet economically independent. Additionally, legal entities under private law, Thuringian Chambers, and Associations can apply for funding for the establishment and operation of consultation and networking projects. The overarching goal is to strengthen entrepreneurial spirit, promote economic growth and employment in Thuringia, and improve the performance capacity of startups as well as small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Startup Guideline supports various measures to strengthen business startups and successions in Thuringia. This includes intensive consultations on diverse business management topics, the issuance of startup passes for individual consultation, qualification, and networking services, the establishment and operation of projects to support founders, as well as startup premiums for securing livelihoods in the pre-startup phase, particularly for innovation-based projects.

The Startup Guideline offers non-repayable grants to support business startups and company successions in Thuringia. The funding amount varies depending on the type of measure, with specific standard unit costs or percentage co-financing applying. Project durations are also tailored to the respective funding subjects.

Specific prerequisites and obligations apply to the granting of funding under the Startup Guideline, depending on the type of support applied for. These include requirements for the qualification of consultants, the necessity of support plans, regulations on aid such as the De minimis Regulation, financial provisions, and general administrative requirements.

The application process for the Startup Guideline is structured differently depending on the funding subject and requires the submission of formal applications to the Thüringer Aufbaubank (TAB). The approving authority decides on the grants within its discretion and the available funds. The disbursement of the approved funds takes place after examination of the disbursement requests and proof of incurred expenditures.

The Startup Guideline is based on a series of legal foundations, located at both the state level of the Free State of Thuringia and the EU level. These regulations ensure the lawful and purpose-bound granting of funding.