How a small business in Germany can look for funding
Funding in Germany comes from several layers: federal programmes, the development banks of the Länder and EU programmes. KfW offers loans, and the chambers of industry and commerce advise. This guide names the layers, explains the main forms of support and suggests an order for your search.
At a glance
- Open calls in Gondar
- –
- Layers
- Federal, Länder, EU
- Sources for Germany
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- Facts read on
- 3 November 2026
The short answer
Start with the Förderdatenbank, the federal database of funding programmes. It covers programmes of the federal government, the Länder and the EU. Then check KfW for loans, your Land's development bank, and ZIM or EXIST if your work is research or a university spin-off. Your chamber of industry and commerce (IHK) can tell you which layer fits.
| Body | What it offers | Who it is for | In Gondar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Förderdatenbank | An overview of federal, Länder and EU programmes | Anyone looking for a programme | Yes, every programme in its export |
| KfW | Loans for start-ups and established businesses | Founders and companies | Where the Förderdatenbank lists the product |
| ZIM | Support for research and development | Small and medium-sized enterprises | Where the Förderdatenbank lists it |
| EXIST | Support for start-ups from universities and research institutions | Teams leaving research | Where the Förderdatenbank lists it |
| Bekanntmachungsservice and TED | Public contracts to bid for, not funding | Companies that sell to public buyers | Yes, as tenders |
Federal programmes
The Förderdatenbank is the federal database of funding programmes. Search it for your purpose, then read the programme page.
KfW is the promotional bank of the Federal Republic of Germany. It offers loans for start-ups and for established businesses. Interest, amount and who may apply are set on the KfW page of each product.
Innovation and spin-offs
ZIM, the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand), supports research and development by small and medium-sized enterprises. Read the current ZIM call for partners, costs and who may apply.
EXIST supports start-ups from higher-education institutions and research institutions, including research-based spin-offs. Read the current EXIST call for who may apply.
Development banks of the Länder
The Länder have their own development banks. NRW.BANK serves North Rhine-Westphalia and LfA Förderbank Bayern serves Bavaria; other Länder have their own banks.
Land programmes and federal programmes are separate. Being eligible for one says nothing about the other. Check which location the programme counts, for example the registered office or the place where the project takes place.
Chambers of industry and commerce
The chambers of industry and commerce (IHK) give advice. A chamber is a sensible first contact to ask which programme fits your case. It does not decide on funding; the funder of each programme does.
Grants, loans and guarantees
Many programmes mix these forms or require a share from you. Compare what each costs you before you apply.
Grant (Zuschuss)
Money you do not repay if you meet the conditions. It may cover only part of the eligible costs.
Loan (Darlehen)
Money you repay, usually with interest. KfW and the Länder banks offer many of them.
Guarantee (Bürgschaft)
No money for you: it backs a bank loan, so the bank carries less risk. You still repay the bank, and the guarantee may carry a fee.
Public tenders
A public tender is a contract you bid for, not funding. The public buyer sets the work and pays the bidder it chooses.
In Germany, public procurement notices are published through the Bekanntmachungsservice. Notices that EU rules require to be published at EU level appear on TED, the online version of the Supplement to the Official Journal of the EU. Read the notice for the deadline and the conditions.
A practical order of steps
Conditions change, and the official page of each funder decides. Confirm deadlines, amounts and who may apply there.
- Write down in one sentence what you need the money for, with a rough amount and timeline.
- Ask your IHK which layer fits your case.
- Search the Förderdatenbank, then check your Land's development bank and KfW.
- If the work is research and development, read the current ZIM call; if your team comes from a university or research institution, read the current EXIST call.
- Decide whether you need a grant, a loan or a guarantee, and read the current call or guideline in full before you start writing.
What Gondar lists
Gondar lists every programme in the Förderdatenbank export (federal, Länder and EU programmes, CC BY 4.0), which includes KfW products, ZIM and EXIST where the database carries them, and public tenders from the Bekanntmachungsservice and TED.
Gondar never applies for anyone. You submit through the funder's official process.
Frequently asked questions
Does the IHK award funding?
In this guide the IHK is an advice contact. The funder of each programme decides on funding, and its official page sets the conditions.
Is a grant better than a loan?
Neither is better in general. A grant is not repaid if you meet the conditions, a loan is repaid, and a guarantee backs a bank loan. Choose by what you need and what you can afford to repay.
Is this list of bodies complete?
No. It names the main bodies. Other Länder have their own development banks and other programmes exist. Always confirm on the official page of the funder.
Keep reading
- AustriaHow a small business in Austria can look for fundingFunding in Austria comes from several layers: federal agencies, provincial bodies, the Chamber of Commerce and EU programmes. Each has its own purpose and rules. This guide names the layers, explains the main forms of support and suggests an order for your search.
- EuropeResearch funding in Europe: Horizon Europe, the ERC and the MSCAFunding for a researcher in Europe can come from Horizon Europe or from a national funder. Horizon Europe includes the European Research Council and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. This guide names those programmes, gives national examples and explains how to read a work programme topic.
- GuideFit and eligibility are two different questionsFit asks whether a call is worth your time. Eligibility asks whether the funder can accept you at all. A strong score never answers the second question.
Add your profile and review a call
Start with your focus, geography and the opportunity types you seek. Inspect the fit breakdown, read the source conditions and save the calls you want to pursue.