Gründungszuschuss
Receive financial support of up to €22,350 to assist you in starting your entrepreneurial journey
Advantages of the Gründungzuschuss
Amount
Receive up to €22,350 net – tax-free and non-repayable
Co-Founding
Each founder is eligible to apply for the grant separately
Speed
Receive a decision on your application within 3–5 weeks
Ventures who trust us
"Working with Alex and his team was very pleasing for us. The structured process helped us to present our research and development activities as efficiently as possible and to successfully apply for and receive approval for the FZuL. We look forward to working with Alex and his team in the future."
"The collaboration with FUNDED was outstandingly good, incredibly professional and efficient. We have already worked with several grant consultancies and FUNDED stands out in particular with its extremely efficient communication with all parties."
"It took us 6 weeks from kick-off to application, which is definitely due to the good communication, structure and collaboration with the team. The quality of each draft for application materials was very accurate despite the deep tech domain and saved me a lot of time."
"FUNDED played a crucial role in helping us navigate the FZuL application process efficiently and successfully. Their structured approach, combined with attention to detail and deep expertise, made even complex requirements manageable, saving us valuable time. We’re excited to continue working with FUNDED by making use of their SaaS solution FundedOS to streamline our grant application process."
“The combination of expertise, attention to detail, and high responsiveness from the FUNDED team is impressive. We really enjoyed working together, even during stressful phases.“
Satisfied clients
Ranging from stealth start-ups to decacorns
Advised funding
In grants and venture debt
users
On FundedOS
See more references
Gründungszuschuss in detail
The Gründungszuschuss (Gzus) is a financial support program offered by the German Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) to assist unemployed individuals who want to start their own business. Its goal is to reduce unemployment by supporting sustainable business creation and ensuring both basic living expenses and social security coverage during the startup phase.
In the first phase the founder receives their individual unemployment benefit (ALG I) plus €300 per month for social security contributions. After the 6 month, phase 2 starts where the €300 monthly support continues, but unemployment benefits are no longer paid. At this stage, the self-employment should ideally be financially sustainable.
Both phases must be applied for separately. To extend into Phase 2, a simple informal application is required – it should be submitted 4 to 6 weeks before the end of Phase 1. The Gründungszuschuss is tax-free, non-repayable, and not subject to progressive taxation – even if the business venture does not succeed.
Requirements for the Gründungszuschuss
To be eligible for the Gründungzuschus, applications need to fulfill certain requirements, in particular:
Employment situation
You are currently receiving unemployment benefits (ALG I) or you are still employed but will soon terminate your employment.
For joint founding
You are either founding the company alone or hold at least 50% of the shares in the new company, or you have a contractually secured blocking minority.
ALG1 Entitlement
Upon termination of your employment, you must still have at least 150 days of entitlement to ALG I.
Not sure if you meet the criteria for the Gründungszuschuss?
Application process Gründungszuschuss
The Gründungszuschuss application involves numerous complex requirements and formalities, which can result in a significant time invest
Collection of founding details
Document preparation
Application submission
Collection of founding details
You begin the process by answering a few targeted questions about your startup in FundedOS. This allows us to gather all relevant information for your Gründungszuschuss application – without complex forms or time-consuming research on your part.
Document preparation
Based on your responses in FundedOS, we generate your full set of application documents – including a business plan, financial and liquidity plan, and the completed Phase 1 application form. We also coordinate the appointment with an authorised advisory body for the required expert opinion.
Application submission
Once your documents are complete, you can upload them to the Employment Agency and officially submit your application. After the review, you’ll receive your approval notice – securing financial support for your startup with minimal effort.
Your benefits when applying for the Gründungszuschuss with FUNDED
Process with FUNDED
70 simple questions
75% less effort - focus on relevant questions
0 attachments
FUNDED prepares all required documents for you – complete and error-free.
All-in-one platform
Your entire application is handled in one place
Process without FUNDED
More than 250 questions
Over 250 complicated and partly redundant questions
7 attachments
Extensive attachments, such as a business plan and liquidity forecast
Multiple points of contact
Coordination with various stakeholders is required