EXIST Business Start-up Grant (exist Gründungsstipendium) 🎁 Program
12 months of stipends (EUR 1,000-3,000 a month each) plus EUR 30,000 for costs, for German university spin-off teams.
| Who qualifies | Students (half-way through), graduates and researchers within 5 years of leaving a German university or research institution; teams of up to 3; company not yet founded. |
|---|---|
| Open in | European Union |
| Partner code needed | Yes: through an accelerator, VC or partner |
| Deadline | Rolling, apply any time |
| Terms last checked | 2026-10-11 |
About EXIST Business Start-up Grant (exist Gründungsstipendium)
What you get
A 12-month grant for teams turning research or knowledge-based ideas into a startup. Each founder receives a monthly stipend: EUR 3,000 with a doctorate, EUR 2,500 for graduates, EUR 2,000 with a vocational qualification and EUR 1,000 for students, plus EUR 150 a month per child. Teams also get EUR 30,000 for materials (up to EUR 10,000 for solo founders) and EUR 5,000 for coaching, plus access to the host university's infrastructure, a mentor and the local founder network. For a three-person team of doctorate holders that adds up to about EUR 143,000 (about $164,000, our calculation from the published rates). No equity is taken.
Who qualifies
Students who have completed at least half of their degree, graduates and research staff up to five years after graduating or leaving the university, and researchers at universities and non-university research institutions. Teams have at most three people, at least one with a university degree, and at most one member whose qualification is more than five years old. The idea must be innovative with a clear unique selling point; small variations on existing products are not funded. The company must not be founded before the grant starts but can be founded during it.
Good to know
Applications go through your university or research institution's founder network, which submits them to the project agency Jülich (PtJ). The grant can be combined with prize money but not with other living-cost funding. It is co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus.
Verdict
One of the best pre-founding programmes in Europe if you have a university link in Germany: a year of paid time to build, without giving up equity.
How to apply
- Contact the founder network (Gründungsnetzwerk) at your German university or research institution.
- Use the EGS check on exist.de to test basic eligibility.
- Prepare the idea paper and application with the network and a mentor.
- The university submits the application to Projektträger Jülich.
- If approved, start the 12-month grant and found the company during it.
Who it is for
Steps EXIST Business Start-up Grant (exist Gründungsstipendium) helps with
Pros
- Pays founders a living stipend for 12 months
- EUR 30,000 for costs plus coaching budget
- No equity
Cons
- Needs a German university or research institution to host you
- Teams of three at most
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