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 for the region — BAFA-listed, fully online, with deep knowledge of the state capital's funding landscape (GSA, LFI, MV-Gründerstipendium all located in Schwerin itself).
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 Schwerin 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."
Schwerin is the smallest state capital in Germany (99,687 inhabitants as of 31 Dec 2024) and seat of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) state government, the state parliament and numerous state authorities. That gives Schwerin founders a real location advantage: the GSA mbH (the approval body for the MV-Gründerstipendium and the Mikrodarlehen MV) and the Landesförderinstitut M-V (LFI — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's state development bank) are based directly in Schwerin — short administrative paths to all major state funding programs. Strong university connections: the Hochschule Wismar (Wismar University of Applied Sciences) (~25 km away) with its RSI/StartUpYard, the InnovationPort Wismar hosting IHK consulting hours, and the TGZ Schwerin/Wismar (Technology and Business Centre) as a startup incubator. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern supports founders with the MV-Gründerstipendium (up to €1,400 per month for innovative ventures), the Mikrodarlehen MV (up to €25,000 via GSA Schwerin), and guarantees from the Bürgschaftsbank MV (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Guarantee Bank).
Practical advantage in Schwerin: the Agentur für Arbeit Schwerin (German Federal Employment Agency, Schwerin branch) and the Jobcenter Schwerin (joint welfare/employment office, Schwerin) share the same building (Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin) — one appointment covers both authorities, if you need to handle both ALG-I and Bürgergeld matters.
| Institution | Address & Contact | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Agentur für Arbeit Schwerin (German Federal Employment Agency, Schwerin branch) |
Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin 0800 4 5555 00 (toll-free) |
AVGS and Gründungszuschuss (for ALG I recipients) |
| Jobcenter Landeshauptstadt Schwerin (welfare/employment office of the state capital Schwerin) |
Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin 0800 4 5555 00 · German public-services hotline 115 |
AVGS and Einstiegsgeld (for Bürgergeld recipients) |
| IHK zu Schwerin (Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Schwerin) |
Graf-Schack-Allee 12 (Ludwig-Bölkow-Haus), 19053 Schwerin 0385 5103-0 info@schwerin.ihk.de |
Qualified expert body, founder consulting |
| Handwerkskammer Schwerin (Chamber of Crafts Schwerin) |
Friedensstraße 4a, 19053 Schwerin 0385 7417-0 |
Qualified expert body for craft trade founders, BTZ founder seminars |
| GSA mbH (state funding approval body) |
Headquarters: Schwerin gsa-schwerin.de |
MV-Gründerstipendium, Mikrodarlehen MV |
| Landesförderinstitut M-V (LFI — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's state development bank) |
Werkstraße 213, 19061 Schwerin lfi-mv.de |
GRW investment funding, other state-level programs |
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 Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: From Heidelberg, we support founders in the state capital Schwerin online — flexible scheduling, no waiting for in-person appointments, with full BAFA funding expertise. Local agency appointments (Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenter, IHK, HWK, GSA, LFI) 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 Schwerin (German Federal Employment Agency, Schwerin branch). If you receive Bürgergeld (German basic welfare benefit since 2023, formerly ALG II), at the Jobcenter Schwerin. Both authorities share the same building (Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin, service hotline 0800 4 5555 00). The AVGS fully funds a certified founder coaching at 100%.
For residents of the state capital Schwerin, the Jobcenter Landeshauptstadt Schwerin is responsible — a joint institution of the German Federal Employment Agency and the city of Schwerin (Am Margaretenhof 14-16, 19057 Schwerin). The surrounding rural district Ludwigslust-Parchim is served by a separate Jobcenter — if your residence is in the city of Schwerin, always go to the Jobcenter Schwerin.
No official processing time is published for Schwerin — 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 Schwerin (Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Schwerin) (Graf-Schack-Allee 12, Tel. 0385 5103-0), the Handwerkskammer Schwerin (Chamber of Crafts Schwerin) (Friedensstraße 4a, Tel. 0385 7417-0) 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 Schwerin 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 Schwerin. 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), the Mikrodarlehen MV (up to €25,000 via GSA mbH), default guarantees from the Bürgschaftsbank MV (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Guarantee Bank) (€25,000–€2 million), and GRW investment funding via the LFI M-V. Special for Schwerin: GSA and LFI both have their headquarters directly in Schwerin — short administrative paths. Always check current terms at investorenportal-mv.de.
Schwerin itself does not have a state university. The integrated higher-education ecosystem for Schwerin founders: the Hochschule Wismar (Wismar University of Applied Sciences) (~25 km away) with the Robert-Schmidt-Institut für Existenzgründung (RSI) — StartUpYard, the "Inspired"/"IdeaCamp" idea competitions, and mentoring for up to 5 years after graduation. On the ground in Schwerin: the InnovationPort Wismar with IHK consulting hours and the Technologie- und Gewerbezentrum Schwerin/Wismar (TGZ — Schwerin/Wismar Technology and Business Centre) as an incubator with coworking space. 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 Schwerin — up to 15 months of funding. The Einstiegsgeld (§ 16b SGB II) is for Bürgergeld recipients and is applied for at the Jobcenter Schwerin — 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 Schwerin or the Jobcenter Schwerin (both at Am Margaretenhof 14-16). Online consultation — flexible and without waiting times.
Learn moreUp to 15 months of funding from the Agentur für Arbeit Schwerin. We help with the application and the qualified expert opinion from the IHK zu Schwerin.
Learn moreUp to 24 months of funding from the Jobcenter Schwerin, plus an investment cost subsidy under § 16c SGB II up to €5,000.
Learn moreBank-ready, BAFA-funded up to 80%, ready in 14 days. GSA-/LFI-ready for the MV-Gründerstipendium, the Mikrodarlehen MV, and bank financing.
Learn moreOnline consultation, BAFA-listed, active for the state capital Schwerin — with all MV funding bodies directly on site.