ERP Equity Participation Program
The ERP Equity Participation Program supports small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany in expanding their equity base through capital investments. Applications can be submitted at any time.
Discover your potential with AI support
- Find out if this grant matches your project
- Develop your application together with AI
- Get matched with many more suitable grants
Grant criteria
Funding objective
The ERP Equity Participation Program (European Recovery Programme) aims to expand the equity base of small and medium-sized enterprises by providing capital through equity investment companies, which receive refinancing loans from the ERP Equity Participation Program for this purpose.
Eligible expenses
- Innovation projects
- Conversion measures in structural change
- Establishment, expansion, and rationalization of enterprises
- Business start-ups
- Participation in business succession
Non-eligible expenses
- Financing of restructuring cases
- Financing of intra-group transactions
- Participation agreements prior to application submission
Eligible to apply
- Founders
- Companies
Funding requirements
- SMEs privately owned with business location in Germany
- Group turnover up to €50 million (in justified cases up to €75 million)
- Guarantee from a guarantee bank required for refinancing
- No financing of restructuring cases and internal transactions
Documents required for application
- Application form (form number 600 000 0141)
- Data list of subsidy-relevant facts – participants (600 000 4966)
- Data list of subsidy-relevant facts – contributors (600 000 4967)
- General conditions for ERP funds (600 000 0194)
- Other conditions (600 000 0161)
Description
The ERP Equity Participation Program is a nationwide equity participation instrument of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy that supports start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across all sectors. The aim is to expand the equity base through participation capital, which is provided via private equity investment companies and financed through ERP refinancing loans. Any form of participation is permitted, provided that participation in losses in the event of insolvency or settlement is not excluded. The program duration is up to 120 months, the participation amount must not exceed the existing equity and is generally up to 1.5 million euros (in exceptional cases up to 2.5 million euros).
Funding is provided for innovation projects, restructuring measures in structural change, establishment, expansion, and rationalization of businesses, start-ups, and business successions. The funding rate is 100%. Eligible are privately managed SMEs with their main headquarters in Germany and group turnover up to 50 million euros (in justified cases up to 75 million euros). A guarantee from a guarantee bank is required for refinancing. Financing of restructuring cases, self-dealing transactions, and participation agreements concluded before application submission are excluded. For the application, among others, Form 600 000 0141, the data list Subsidy-Relevant Facts – Participating Entities (600 000 4966) and Investors (600 000 4967), as well as the General (600 000 0194) and Other Conditions (600 000 0161) must be submitted. Private equity investment companies apply for the refinancing loan at the KfW Banking Group; applications can be submitted at any time. A combination with other KfW products and public funding enables tailored financing solutions.
Ready to secure your funding?
Register now and let our AI guide you through the application process – from eligibility check to finished application.