Prepare your meeting at the Agentur für Arbeit
Fillable PDF to prepare for your meeting with the case worker — all the key points for your Gründungszuschuss application (German-language form, since you will hand it in at the Agentur für Arbeit).
Table of contents
The Gründungszuschuss (German founder grant — paid by Agentur für Arbeit to ALG-I recipients starting self-employment; Phase 1: ALG-I rate + €300 living-cost flat for 6 months; Phase 2: €300 flat for 9 more months on application) is the most important funding program for ALG I (Arbeitslosengeld I — German unemployment insurance benefit, distinct from Bürgergeld/welfare) recipients on the path to self-employment. Hamburg has almost 2 million residents, Germany's largest seaport, and a dynamic founder scene — your chances are good if your application is prepared professionally.
1. What is the Gründungszuschuss?
The Gründungszuschuss under § 93 SGB III (German Social Code Book III, governing unemployment insurance) is a funding program from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency, national level) for jobseekers who want to start a full-time self-employed business. It has two phases:
| Phase | Duration | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: base funding | 6 months | Your ALG I rate + €300/month for social insurance |
| Phase 2: stabilization phase | 9 months (on application) | €300/month for social insurance |
2. Eligibility — who qualifies in Hamburg?
- ALG I entitlement: You currently receive Arbeitslosengeld I — not Bürgergeld (German basic welfare; Bürgergeld recipients use Einstiegsgeld, not Gründungszuschuss).
- Restanspruch: At least 150 days of Restanspruch (German remaining-entitlement period — at least 150 days of remaining ALG I needed to apply) on ALG I at the time of founding.
- Full-time: The self-employment must be your main occupation (at least 15 hours per week).
- Fachkundige Stellungnahme: Viability confirmed by Handelskammer (Hamburg Chamber of Commerce — a common Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung issuer), Handwerkskammer (chamber of trades), or a BAFA-listed consultant.
- Personal suitability: Professional and personal requirements met.
Important: no legal entitlement — the Hamburg reality
The Gründungszuschuss is a discretionary benefit ("Kann-Leistung"). The Agentur für Arbeit Hamburg decides case by case. Roughly 90% of all applications across Germany are either rejected or never submitted in the first place — a professionally prepared application makes the difference.
3. How much money do you get?
Example calculation — Hamburg
Assumption: Your ALG I rate is €1,400/month
Phase 1 (6 months): (€1,400 + €300) × 6 = €10,200
Phase 2 (9 months): €300 × 9 = €2,700
Total: €12,900
4. Where to apply in Hamburg
Agentur für Arbeit Hamburg
Address: Kurt-Schumacher-Allee 16, 20097 Hamburg
Phone: 0800 4 55 55 00 (free of charge)
Online: You can also apply via the Bundesagentur für Arbeit portal
Important: Submit the application before you register your business (Gewerbeanmeldung). Funding begins on the day of founding — there is no retroactive payment.
5. The fachkundige Stelle in Hamburg
A key requirement is the fachkundige Stellungnahme (fachkundige Stelle = German expert body — typically IHK, Handelskammer, or BAFA-listed consultant) — an expert statement on the viability of your project. Note: for historical reasons Hamburg has a Handelskammer, not an IHK!
| Expert body (fachkundige Stelle) | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Handelskammer Hamburg | Adolphsplatz 1, 20457 Hamburg | 040 36138-433 (founder advisory) |
| Handwerkskammer Hamburg | Holstenwall 12, 20355 Hamburg | 040 35905-361 |
| BAFA-listed consultants | e.g. Business Start EU (BAFA no. 205985) | 06221 - 3215930 |
Our offer
As a BAFA (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle — Federal Office of Economic Affairs and Export Control)-listed consultant we can issue your Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung (German viability assessment — mandatory document from a fachkundige Stelle, e.g. IHK or BAFA-listed consultant, confirming the business plan is economically viable) — based on a professional business plan we develop together with you.
6. Why 90% of applications are rejected
- Weak financial plan: unrealistic figures, missing assumptions and derivations.
- Viability not demonstrated: "Can the founder make a living from this?" — if unclear, the application is rejected.
- Thin business plan: no clear target audience, no unique selling proposition.
- Negative fachkundige Stellungnahme: doubts from the Handelskammer carry over to the Agentur für Arbeit decision.
- Restanspruch too low: less than 150 days of remaining ALG I entitlement.
7. Step by step to an approved application
Step 1: initial call with us
Day 1We clarify your situation, check the requirements, and agree on next steps.
Step 2: write the business plan
Weeks 1-2Together we build your bank-ready business plan with full financial planning.
Step 3: fachkundige Stellungnahme
Weeks 2-3As a BAFA-listed consultant, we issue the fachkundige Stellungnahme (viability statement) for you.
Step 4: submit the application
Week 3You submit the complete file to the Agentur für Arbeit Hamburg.
Step 5: founding & funding
After approvalOnce the application is approved, you can register your business and start receiving the Gründungszuschuss.