Guidelines for the Founders' Scholarship

The Founders' Grant guideline supports innovative start-ups in Lower Saxony in the pre-seed and seed phases through a targeted subsidy. The focus is on early support for founders to strengthen promising business ideas financially and conceptually. The program is sponsored by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Construction and Digitalization, and implemented and supervised by the Investment and Development Bank of Lower Saxony (NBank). The grant promotes projects that demonstrate a progressive approach in the areas of corporate financing or consulting and thereby sustainably enhance regional innovative capacity.

Interested founders with a registered office or place of business in Lower Saxony may apply, provided their project is already in the pre-seed or seed phase. Funding is provided continuously and offers flexible subsidy amounts tailored to individual financial needs. Supporting institutions or mentors with proven expertise assist in developing a convincing support concept. Requirement is a detailed project description outlining the innovative content of the idea as well as the economic benefit for the region. The aim of the measure is to make a sustainable contribution to corporate financing and to relieve founders during the critical start-up phase. Through the combination of financial support and professional consulting, a solid foundation is created for the long-term success of young companies in Lower Saxony.