What is the Gründungszuschuss and how much is it?

The Gründungszuschuss is a subsidy from the Agentur für Arbeit for ALG I recipients who start their own business. In Phase 1 you keep receiving your ALG I for 6 months plus 300 euros per month. In Phase 2 you can apply for another 9 months at 300 euros each. Depending on the ALG I level, up to about 22,500 euros in total is possible — tax-free and non-repayable.

Which requirements do I have to meet for the Gründungszuschuss?

You receive ALG I and have at least 150 days of Restanspruch left at the time of application. The self-employment must be full-time (at least 15 hours per week) and a viable concept, confirmed by a fachkundige Stelle, is required. If you receive Bürgergeld instead, the right path is the Einstiegsgeld.

When do I have to apply for the Gründungszuschuss?

Before registering the self-employment and as long as at least 150 days of ALG I Restanspruch remain. Whoever waits too long loses the entitlement.

What does the support from Business Start EU cost?

The intro call is free. If you are eligible for an AVGS (ALG I or Bürgergeld), the Agentur für Arbeit often covers the coaching including the business plan at 100 percent — you pay 0 euros. Otherwise the costs for the business plan and the certificate are stated transparently upfront.

What can I do if my Gründungszuschuss application has been rejected?

A rejection is not the end. Usually the cause is a weak business plan or a thin certificate. Business Start EU analyses the decision letter, reworks the documents and supports you with the appeal (Widerspruch) or a new application.

Gründungszuschuss · Rostock & Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Gründungszuschuss in Rostock: up to €22,500 — honestly guided.

Q: Do I have a legal entitlement to the Gründungszuschuss?

No. The Gründungszuschuss is a discretionary benefit (Kann-Leistung) — the Agentur für Arbeit decides at its discretion. A convincing business plan and an expert Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung are therefore decisive for approval.

Q: Why do I need a Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung?

Without a fachkundige Stellungnahme under § 93 SGB III there is no Gründungszuschuss. A qualified expert body such as a BAFA-listed consultant (Tobias Späth, no. 205985), an IHK, a Handwerkskammer or a tax advisor reviews the business plan and confirms its economic viability. Business Start EU issues it in 5 working days.

Q: I live in Rostock — can Business Start EU still guide me?

Yes. Business Start EU is based in Heidelberg and has no on-site office in Rostock, but guides founders in Rostock Germany-wide online by video and phone through the business plan, the Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung and the funding application. The local appointments with the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock and the IHK zu Rostock you handle yourself on site.

Six months of your ALG I (unemployment benefit I, contribution-based) keeps flowing, plus €300 per month — tax-free, non-repayable. The Gründungszuschuss (German founder grant for ALG I recipients, up to 15 months from the Agentur für Arbeit) application goes to the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock (local branch of the German Federal Employment Agency). We deliver the bank-ready business plan and the Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung (business viability certificate) to go with it — online Germany-wide, with local Rostock know-how and no wait for in-person appointments.

Phase 1: 6 months of your ALG I rate + €300/month for social insurance
Phase 2: another 9 months of €300 each — up to €22,500 in total
BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control)-listed consultant no. 205985 — business plan + certificate from one source

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Honestly pre-checked — if your plan does not stand up, we say so clearly.

Gründungszuschuss calculator · 30 sec.

How much can you receive?

Enter your ALG I rate — you see your possible total funding instantly.

Your monthly ALG I

€ / month

Do not know your rate? It is usually about 60% of your last net salary.

Phase 1 · 6 months (ALG I + €300) 9.000 €

Phase 2 · 9 months (€300 each) 2.700 €

Possible total funding 11.700 €

Non-binding example calculation. The Gründungszuschuss is a discretionary benefit ("Kann-Leistung") — approval depends on the quality of your business plan.

Check your eligibility — free

Online Germany-wide · local Rostock know-how

Gründungszuschuss in Rostock — guided with local expertise.

✓ Application at the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock, Kopernikusstraße 1a

✓ Fachkundige Stellungnahme (expert viability statement from a qualified body, fachkundige Stelle) via the IHK zu Rostock (Industrie- und Handelskammer, Chamber of Commerce; contact: Martina Pfordte, 0381 338-650) or the Handwerkskammer Ostmecklenburg-Vorpommern (Chamber of Skilled Crafts)

✓ We are based in Heidelberg and guide you online — Germany-wide, with no on-site office in Rostock

On top of the federal Gründungszuschuss, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern offers its own state-level programmes: the MV-Gründerstipendium (state founder grant of €1,200–1,400/month for innovative, technology-oriented founders) and the Mikrodarlehen MV (state micro-loan of up to €25,000 via the GSA development bank). Which path fits your venture is something we will clarify in the free intro call.

The hard truth

Why so many applications for the Gründungszuschuss fail — and yours will not.

The Gründungszuschuss is a discretionary benefit ("Kann-Leistung"). You have no legal entitlement. The case worker at the Agentur für Arbeit decides based on your business plan and your Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung — and this is exactly where most applicants get stuck.

Why applications typically fail

Application filed too late — under 150 days of Restanspruch (remaining ALG I entitlement, minimum 150 days required) and the train has left the station
Weak, template-style business plan without solid figures
No or thin Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung — the Agentur is in doubt
Self-employment looks like a side job rather than full-time (15+ hrs/week)
No strategy for appeal ("Widerspruch") or a new application after a rejection

What you get with Business Start EU

Deadline and Restanspruch check in the free intro call — before it is too late
Bank-ready, individual business plan with a robust financial section
Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung from a BAFA-listed consultant (no. 205985) in 5 working days
Clear positioning as a full-time business start-up
One dedicated contact — from application to approval

Where it fits

Gründungszuschuss, Einstiegsgeld or AVGS — which one fits you?

These three subsidies are constantly mixed up. The decisive difference is simple: which benefit do you currently receive — ALG I or Bürgergeld (German basic citizens' allowance, the welfare benefit that replaced ALG II / Hartz IV)?

Subsidy	For whom	What you get	Requirement
Gründungszuschuss for ALG I	ALG I recipients	6 months ALG I + €300, then 9 months of €300 each (up to €22,500)	At least 150 days Restanspruch, viable plan
Einstiegsgeld	Bürgergeld recipients	Monthly subsidy (individual amount)	Bürgergeld status, viable concept
AVGS founder coaching	ALG I or Bürgergeld	Free coaching + business plan (€0)	Aktivierungsgutschein (Activation Voucher from the Agentur)

In short: ALG I → Gründungszuschuss. Bürgergeld → Einstiegsgeld. You need the business plan and the Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung in both cases — and the coaching can often be financed via an AVGS for €0. We will clarify your case in the intro call.

How it works

How you reach your Gründungszuschuss.

Step 1 · Free

Intro call & entitlement check

15 minutes on the phone with Tobias. We check your ALG I Restanspruch and the deadlines. Key point: you must file the application while you still have at least 150 days of Restanspruch left — otherwise the train has left the station.

Step 2 · Week 1 – 2

Bank-ready business plan & financials

We create your individual business plan with a robust financial section — or bring your existing plan up to the level the Agentur wants to see. No template copy-paste.

Step 3 · 5 working days

Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung

You receive the fachkundige Stellungnahme (expert viability statement) under § 93 SGB III (Social Code Book III, German unemployment-insurance law) — signed with BAFA consultant number 205985, recognised nationwide. Exactly the document that gives your application its foundation.

Step 4 · Submission

Application at the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock

You submit the application, business plan and certificate to the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock (Kopernikusstraße 1a) — we prepare the complete package so that the case worker has no open questions.

Step 5 · Approval

Approval & payout

Phase 1 starts: 6 months of your ALG I plus €300 per month. After that, you can apply for Phase 2 — another 9 months of €300 each.

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Eligibility

Do you meet the requirements for the Gründungszuschuss?

Five points decide whether you qualify in principle. The Agentur für Arbeit checks each case individually — but if these basics are in place, the application is worth filing.

In the free intro call we go through the points together and tell you honestly whether the application is worth pursuing — before you invest time.

200+ business plans. Guided since 2019 — with financial sections that withstand scrutiny.

ALG I status. You receive Arbeitslosengeld I (German unemployment insurance benefit). With Bürgergeld, the path runs via Einstiegsgeld — we will tell you which one fits.
150 days of Restanspruch. At the time of application, your ALG I entitlement must still be at least 150 days.
Full-time (15+ hrs). The self-employment must become your main occupation, at least 15 hours per week.
Viable concept. A commercially plausible business plan — confirmed by a fachkundige Stelle (qualified expert body) under § 93 SGB III.
Personal & professional suitability. You bring the knowledge and experience to execute your venture.

Tobias Späth

BAFA-listed consultant · Managing Director

Who will guide you through?

With the Gründungszuschuss, what matters is who writes your plan.

The Agentur für Arbeit does not approve an application "out of sympathy". It approves a viable business plan and a credible fachkundige Stellungnahme. My name is on the certificate. My BAFA number 205985 is below it. That is exactly why I check honestly upfront whether your venture stands up.

Since 2019 I have been listed with the BAFA (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle, the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control) as a business start-up consultant. Since then I have guided more than 200 business plans and helped founders secure over €55 million in financing. From the first call to approval, you speak to the same person — not a call centre.

"If a plan does not stand up, I will tell you honestly — before the Agentur für Arbeit does. But if it does stand up, we build it so that the approval comes through."

I studied economics at Heidelberg University, am a member of BVMW (Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft, the German federal SME association) and work with a defined consulting process that the Bundesagentur can follow step by step. The seat is in Heidelberg, the work happens Germany-wide — online or on site. If you are eligible for an AVGS, the coaching often runs free of charge via the Agentur.

BAFA consultant number

205985 (since 2019)

Recognition

Fachkundige Stelle under § 93 SGB III

Membership

BVMW · nationwide

Experience

200+ certificates · €55+ million in financing

Book a personal intro call 06221 - 3215930

Frequently asked questions

Answers to the key questions.

What is the Gründungszuschuss — and how high is it? +

The Gründungszuschuss is a subsidy from the Agentur für Arbeit for ALG I recipients who start their own business. In Phase 1, you keep receiving your ALG I for 6 months plus €300 per month for social insurance (Sozialversicherungspauschale, social-security flat rate). In Phase 2, you can apply for another 9 months at €300 each. Depending on your ALG I level, up to about €22,500 in total is possible — tax-free and non-repayable.

Do I have a legal entitlement to the Gründungszuschuss? +

No. The Gründungszuschuss is a discretionary benefit ("Kann-Leistung") — the Agentur decides at its discretion. That is precisely why a convincing business plan and an expert Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung are so important: they are the lever that turns the discretion in your favour.

Which requirements do I have to meet? +

You receive ALG I and, at the time of application, you still have at least 150 days of Restanspruch left. The self-employment must be full-time (at least 15 hours/week), and you need a viable concept confirmed by a fachkundige Stelle. If you receive Bürgergeld instead of ALG I, the path for you is Einstiegsgeld.

Why do I need a Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung? +

Without a fachkundige Stellungnahme under § 93 SGB III, there is no Gründungszuschuss. A qualified expert body — such as a BAFA-listed consultant like Tobias Späth (no. 205985), an IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer, Chamber of Commerce), a Handwerkskammer (Chamber of Skilled Crafts) or a tax advisor — reviews your business plan and confirms its economic viability. We issue it in 5 working days.

When do I have to file the application? +

Before you register your self-employment — and while you still have at least 150 days of ALG I Restanspruch. Wait too long and the entitlement expires. In the free intro call, we check your deadlines immediately.

What does your support cost? +

The intro call is free. If you are eligible for an AVGS (ALG I or Bürgergeld), the Agentur für Arbeit often covers the coaching including the business plan at 100% — you pay €0. Otherwise we tell you transparently upfront what the business plan and the certificate will cost.

What if my application has already been rejected? +

A rejection is not the end. Usually it comes down to a weak business plan or a thin certificate. We analyse your decision letter, rework the documents and support you with an appeal (Widerspruch) or a new application.

Which fachkundige Stelle does the Agentur für Arbeit Rostock accept? +

The Agentur für Arbeit Rostock accepts the statement of any fachkundige Stelle you choose — for instance the IHK zu Rostock (Industrie- und Handelskammer, Chamber of Commerce; contact: Martina Pfordte, tel. 0381 338-650), the Handwerkskammer Ostmecklenburg-Vorpommern (Chamber of Skilled Crafts) for trade start-ups, a tax advisor or a BAFA-listed consultant such as Tobias Späth (no. 205985). We issue it for you in 5 working days.

I live in Rostock — can you still guide me? +

Yes. Business Start EU is based in Heidelberg and has no on-site office in Rostock — we guide you Germany-wide online by video and phone through the business plan, the Tragfähigkeitsbescheinigung and the funding application. The local appointments with authorities (Agentur für Arbeit Rostock, IHK zu Rostock) you handle yourself on site; we prepare all the documents for them with you.

Contact

Book your free intro call.

A free intro call with Tobias takes 15 minutes. Afterwards you know whether you are entitled to the Gründungszuschuss, roughly how high it will be in your case — and which documents you need. No obligation, no sales pitch.

Three ways to reach Tobias

The fastest route is the phone call. If that does not suit you right now — WhatsApp and email work just as well. You write once, we get back to you personally (no bot, no call centre).

Request your intro call

We will get back to you personally within 24 hours.

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