Bürgschaftsbank Hessen GmbH

Bürgschaftsbank Hessen GmbH (BB-H) is an active self-help institution of the Hessian economy based in Wiesbaden. Since 1954, it has provided guarantees and sureties to small and medium-sized enterprises as well as freelancers in Hesse to compensate for missing collateral with their primary banks. Its shareholders are the Hessian chambers and associations from trade, industry, and crafts, as well as institutions from the credit and insurance sectors. BB-H operates economically but is not primarily profit-oriented: instead of distributions, all proceeds are reinvested into the promotional business. At the state and federal levels, it cooperates within the Association of German Guarantee Banks and receives counter-guarantees from the state of Hesse and the Federal Republic of Germany.

"No economically viable project should fail due to lack of financing." Under this credo, Bürgschaftsbank Hessen supports the medium-sized economy in its federal state by facilitating companies' access to credit – from start-up through investments to succession – through guarantees and sureties.

The funding programs of BB-H are aimed at founders, business successors, and established companies in Hesse who lack collateral for bank loans despite convincing business concepts. It cooperates closely with banks and savings banks to secure projects such as investments, business takeovers, or start-ups within the first five years of operation. Its program portfolio includes classic and specialized guarantees (e.g., express guarantee, agricultural guarantee), guarantees for equity participations, the Frankfurt Founder Fund, the HessenFonds, as well as the ERP promotional loan for start-ups and succession.