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Grant

Start-up Scholarship.NRW

Scholarship from the state of NRW for innovative start-ups: €1,200 per month for up to 12 months, application through an accredited start-up network within 12 months of business registration.

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Grant criteria

Application Deadline: Ongoing
Application level: Advanced
Region: North Rhine-Westphalia
Funding amount: €1,200 per month per founder
Project duration: 12

Funding objective

Promotion of innovative start-up projects in North Rhine-Westphalia to support the development of new products, processes, or services with significant customer benefits and unique selling points, and to provide founders with the freedom to implement their business ideas.

Eligible expenses

  • Living expenses
  • Investments in the start-up

Eligible to apply

  • Founders

Funding requirements

  • Business registration or commercial register entry not older than 12 months
  • Company headquarters in North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Founding or management of a non-listed micro-enterprise without profit distributions
  • Own management or power of attorney with relevant voting share
  • Full-time execution of the start-up project (max. 14.99 hours of secondary activities)
  • Show more

Documents required for application

  1. Concept paper
  2. Reasoned vote of the jury (funding recommendation)
  3. Identification document with online identification function
  4. Proof of residence in NRW
  5. Founding documents (for already established companies)

Evaluation criteria

  • Degree of innovation of the business idea
  • Customer benefit and unique selling proposition
  • Sustainable economic prospects for success
  • Qualification of the founding team or the founder

Description

The Gründungsstipendium.NRW is aimed at founders based in North Rhine-Westphalia who have established or wish to establish an innovative micro-enterprise within the last twelve months. As a grant from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of NRW, it provides a monthly allowance of 1,200 euros per founder for a duration of up to twelve months. The goal is the realization of novel products, processes, or services with clear customer benefits and unique selling points, giving founders the necessary freedom to implement their business idea. A written recommendation from one of the accredited founding networks and proof of a business location in NRW are prerequisites, as is the full-time pursuit of the project (secondary activities up to 14.99 hours per week are permitted).

Eligible expenses include living costs as well as investments in the start-up. Evaluation criteria include the degree of innovation, customer benefit, sustainable prospects of success, and the qualifications of the founding team. Applicants submit a concept paper, the justified vote of the jury, an identity document with activated online ID function, proof of residence, and, if applicable, founding documents via the Wirtschafts-Service-Portal.NRW. Prior to application, a pitch is presented before a jury of an accredited founding network – within twelve months after business registration or entry in the commercial register. Thanks to ongoing funding opportunities, the scholarship provides practical support from the initial idea sketch to successful market launch.

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