Our Expertise — Your Confidence
Certified and recognized by leading institutions
BVMW member
Recognized by BAFA
Co-financed by the EU
Our clients love us!
Your funding advisor — fully remote. BAFA-listed, available online for the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock and all of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Successfully delivered
Secured for our clients
Due to quality issues
In business founding
Certified and recognized by leading institutions
BVMW member
Recognized by BAFA
Co-financed by the EU
Our clients love us!
Three ways to launch your business in Rostock with public funding — pick the one that matches your case.
We discuss your situation and identify which funding programs apply to your case.
We verify your eligibility (AVGS, Gründungszuschuss, Einstiegsgeld, BAFA) and plan the sequence.
We guide you through the entire process: application, business plan, Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung (German viability assessment, mandatory for Gründungszuschuss applications), and approval.
From more than 200 successfully delivered business plans — voices of clients across Germany.
"Thanks again for the great work, we are very satisfied."
"A very good collaboration and a successful business plan in such a short time."
"Everything was excellent. Professional advice and fast execution."
As the largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Germany's most important Baltic Sea port, Rostock is a dynamic business location. The University of Rostock (founded 1419) runs the Zentrum für Entrepreneurship (ZfE — Centre for Entrepreneurship) with incubation spaces, the Ocean Technology Campus Rostock supports maritime innovations and startups, and the BioCon Valley network strengthens the healthcare economy. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern supports founders with the MV-Gründerstipendium (regional founder stipend, up to €1,400/month for innovative ventures), the Mikrodarlehen MV (regional micro-loan, up to €25,000 via the GSA), and guarantees from the Bürgschaftsbank MV (regional guarantee bank).
Important for Bürgergeld recipients: The responsible authority is the Hanse-Jobcenter Rostock (municipal Jobcenter of the city of Rostock) — not the separate "Jobcenter Landkreis Rostock", which covers only the surrounding rural district.
Founding in the MV state capital? We also have a dedicated page for Schwerin — that's where the GSA and LFI (state development bank) are headquartered.
| Institution | Address & Contact | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Agentur für Arbeit Rostock (German Federal Employment Agency, Rostock office) |
Kopernikusstraße 1a, 18057 Rostock 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
AVGS and Gründungszuschuss (for ALG I recipients) |
| Hanse-Jobcenter Rostock |
Erich-Schlesinger-Straße 35, 18059 Rostock 0381 4611-0 |
AVGS and Einstiegsgeld (for Bürgergeld recipients) |
| IHK zu Rostock (Rostock Chamber of Industry and Commerce) |
Ernst-Barlach-Str. 1-3, 18055 Rostock 0381 338-0 Qualified expert body contact: Martina Pfordte, Tel. 0381 338-650 |
Qualified expert body, founder consulting |
| Handwerkskammer Ostmecklenburg-Vorpommern (Chamber of Crafts East-Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) |
Schwaaner Landstraße 8, 18055 Rostock 0381 4549-0 |
Qualified expert body for craft trade founders |
| Rostock Business (economic development agency) |
Schweriner Str. 10/11, 18069 Rostock rostock-business.com |
Location consulting, founder ecosystem, navigation support |
Since 2019, we have been supporting founders and entrepreneurs with professional business plans. With more than 20 years of combined experience in business consulting, we are your reliable partner on the path to self-employment.
Online consultation for Rostock and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: From Heidelberg, we support founders in the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock online — flexible scheduling, no waiting for in-person appointments, with full BAFA funding expertise. Local agency appointments (Agentur für Arbeit, Hanse-Jobcenter, IHK) you attend in person.
You apply for the AVGS (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein — German Activation and Mediation Voucher, § 45 SGB III) at your responsible authority: if you receive ALG I (unemployment benefit I, contribution-based), at the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock (German Federal Employment Agency, Kopernikusstraße 1a, 18057 Rostock, Tel. 0800 4 5555 00). If you receive Bürgergeld (German basic welfare benefit since 2023, formerly ALG II), at the Hanse-Jobcenter Rostock (Erich-Schlesinger-Straße 35, 18059 Rostock, Tel. 0381 4611-0). The AVGS fully funds a certified founder coaching at 100%.
For residents of the city of Rostock, the Hanse-Jobcenter Rostock is responsible (the municipal Jobcenter of the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock, Erich-Schlesinger-Straße 35, Tel. 0381 4611-0). The separate "Jobcenter Landkreis Rostock" covers the surrounding rural district — if your residence is in the city of Rostock, it is always the Hanse-Jobcenter.
No official processing time is published for Rostock — it depends on the completeness of your documentation (business plan, qualified expert opinion, Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung) and the workload at the Agentur für Arbeit. Plan for several weeks as a precaution, and submit all documents in full to avoid delays.
The agency accepts opinions from freely chosen fachkundige Stellen (qualified expert bodies) — for example the IHK zu Rostock (contact: Martina Pfordte, Tel. 0381 338-650, Ernst-Barlach-Str. 1-3), the Handwerkskammer Ostmecklenburg-Vorpommern (for craft trade founders), tax advisors, or BAFA-listed business consultants like Business Start EU.
Yes. Business Start EU (BAFA ID: 205985), based in Heidelberg, supports founders from Rostock and all of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern online — with flexible scheduling and no waiting for in-person appointments. We do not have an on-site location in Rostock. Online consultation is officially recognized as equivalent to in-person consultation.
In addition to federal funding (Gründungszuschuss, AVGS, Einstiegsgeld), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern offers state-level programs: the MV-Gründerstipendium (monthly stipend for innovative, technology-oriented ventures, administered via the GSA), the Mikrodarlehen MV (up to €25,000 via GSA mbH), as well as default guarantees from the Bürgschaftsbank MV (€25,000–€2 million). Always check current terms at investorenportal-mv.de.
The University of Rostock (one of the oldest in the Baltic Sea region, founded 1419) runs the Zentrum für Entrepreneurship (ZfE — Centre for Entrepreneurship) with an early-stage incubator and incubation spaces. For maritime and tech ventures, the Ocean Technology Campus Rostock (BMBF Zukunftscluster, International Ocean Accelerator) is relevant; for the healthcare sector, the BioCon Valley cluster. The regional platform GründerMV connects founders across the federal state.
The Gründungszuschuss (§ 93 SGB III) is for ALG I recipients and is applied for at the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock — up to 15 months of funding. The Einstiegsgeld (§ 16b SGB II) is for Bürgergeld recipients and is applied for at the Hanse-Jobcenter Rostock — up to 24 months, plus a potential investment cost subsidy under § 16c SGB II.
Call us for a free initial consultation. We will discuss your project and identify the right funding path together.
100% free through the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock or the Hanse-Jobcenter. Online consultation — flexible and without waiting times.
Learn moreUp to 15 months of funding from the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock. We help with the application and the qualified expert opinion from the IHK zu Rostock.
Learn moreUp to 24 months of funding from the Hanse-Jobcenter Rostock, plus an investment cost subsidy under § 16c SGB II up to €5,000.
Learn moreBank-ready, BAFA-funded up to 50%, ready in 14 days. Experience with OstseeSparkasse Rostock, VR-Banken, and KfW programs.
Learn moreOnline consultation, BAFA-listed, active across the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock.