Funding of Business Consulting Services for SMEs
SMEs receive a non-repayable grant of up to 80% of the consulting costs (max. €2,800) for external individual consultations on economic, financial, personnel, and organizational issues. Applications can be submitted online until 31/12/2026.
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 aim of the program is to strengthen the prospects of success, performance, and competitiveness as well as the employment and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by reducing the costs of qualified external consulting.
Eligible expenses
- External consulting costs
Non-eligible expenses
- Seminars, workshops, or group events
- Mediation activities
- Procurement of goods or services from consultants
- Legal and insurance advice, tax consulting activities
- Consultations on funding
- Show more
Eligible to apply
- Founders
- Companies
Funding requirements
- Registered office and business operations or branch office in Germany
- SMEs according to the EU definition
- Only individual conceptual consultations (no seminars/workshops/groups)
- Consulting by certified, independent consultants
- Maximum of 5 consultation days per application
- Show more
Documents required for application
- Power of attorney (if authorized)
Description
The program "Support for Business Consulting for SMEs" assists small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as members of the liberal professions with headquarters or branches in Germany in economic, financial, personnel, and organizational matters. The goal is to strengthen performance, competitiveness, and employability through qualified external individual consulting. Funded are conceptual consulting days, during which, following an analysis of the company’s situation, weaknesses are identified and practical recommendations for action are developed. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), together with the European Social Fund Plus, awards a non-repayable grant that lowers the threshold for professional consulting and thus significantly contributes to promoting innovation and securing jobs.
SMEs according to the EU definition can apply for up to five consulting days per application (maximum two per year) until December 31, 2026, and receive a funding share of up to 80% of the consulting costs, but no more than €2,800. The prerequisite is the commissioning of independent consultants with a recognized quality assurance instrument. Applications must be submitted online via the BAFA platform before the start of the consulting; a prohibition on cumulation with other public grants must be observed. Consulting days must not take place in seminars or group events; legal and tax consulting are excluded. The only required document in the application process is, if applicable, a power of attorney in case of authorized application submission. Through this grant, SMEs have the opportunity to professionally address optimization and backlog needs and sustainably expand their future viability.
Ready to secure your funding?
Register now and let our AI guide you through the application process – from eligibility check to finished application.