Wichtiger Hinweis
Start-ups: Overview of Advisory and Funding Opportunities
Stand: 15.10.2026
The Economic Development Agency inspires and empowers dedicated individuals. It supports founders, entrepreneurs, and aspiring young professionals as they tackle their challenges.
Our mission is to safeguard and further develop Erlangen as a business hub. This ensures that entrepreneurship remains both possible and attractive. Connect with us on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest news about Erlangen as a business hub. Here you’ll find an overview of consulting and funding opportunities to help you start your business.
Under certain conditions, the Employment Agency provides financial support for the transition to self-employment. Requirement: You must pursue self-employment as your primary occupation, thereby ending your unemployment status.
Individuals who receive the citizen’s income are eligible. Do you have training or relevant work experience in this field? If so, your chances of approval are good. Your Job Center can provide advice and support.
LfA Förderbank Bayern and KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) support entrepreneurs, start-ups, and freelancers through promotional loans that offer particularly favorable interest rates.
Your primary bank can advise you on the startup loans offered by the LfA and KfW. In addition, the LfA regularly offers free consultation days in Nuremberg. The LfA will inform you about its funding opportunities, which may be helpful in preparing for your meeting with your primary bank.
Target Groups
- Researchers from public, nonprofit research institutions and universities
- College graduates and former research assistants (up to 5 years after graduation)
- Students who have completed at least half of their degree program at the time of application
- Startup teams of up to three people
Scope of Funding
- Coverage of living expenses through grants
- Operating expenses of up to €10,000 for individual startups or €30,000 for teams
- Up to €5,000 for coaching
- The maximum funding period is one year
The High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) invests in startups with a focus on digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, chemicals, and related business sectors.
The Bavarian funding program BayTOU supports business startups in promising technology sectors. Funding is provided for development projects that involve technological and economic risks. The funded development of products, processes, or technical services must be expected to yield a significant competitive advantage due to its technical novelty. Furthermore, the project must be carried out primarily in Bavaria. For more information on BayTOU, please visit the website of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Through the “Start?Zuschuss!” grant program, the Free State of Bavaria supports technology-oriented startups in the field of digitalization during their early stages. Funding is available for startups with a sustainable business model that are no more than two years old.
As part of the federal funding program “StartUpConnect,” innovative research spin-offs in the field of modern communication technologies are supported. The goal of this funding is to accelerate the commercial application of research results. This is intended to prevent dependencies in the field of future-proof communication technologies. The funding is primarily aimed at universities and non-university research institutions. However, collaborative projects with companies are also possible.