Top 10 Government Grants for Startups in Germany in 2026

Germany is a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, offering a wide range of government grants to support startups.

These grants are designed to foster innovation, sustainability, and economic growth, providing startups with the resources they need to thrive.

Below is a detailed guide to the top 10 government grants available in 2026, including eligibility criteria, funding amounts, and application deadlines.

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1. EXIST Business Start-up Grant

Funding Amount: Up to €3,000 per month for living expenses, €30,000 for material costs, and €5,000 for coaching.
Eligibility: Students, graduates, and researchers with innovative business ideas.
Benefits: Supports the development of prototypes, MVPs, and business plans.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: EXIST Business Start-up Grant

2. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF)

Funding Amount: Up to €1 million in seed funding.
Eligibility: Startups in digital tech, industrial technology, life sciences, or chemistry, less than 3 years old.
Benefits: Provides equity financing and mentorship for high-tech startups.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: High-Tech Gründerfonds

3. GründungsBONUS Berlin

Funding Amount: Up to €50,000, covering 50% of startup costs.
Eligibility: Startups in Berlin operating in tech, digital, creative, or sustainable industries.
Benefits: Supports early-stage startups in their first two years of operation.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: GründungsBONUS Berlin

4. ERP Start-Up Loan

Funding Amount: Up to €100,000 for small startups and €25 million for larger startups.
Eligibility: Startups less than 5 years old.
Benefits: Low-interest loans for commercial and professional startups.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: ERP Start-Up Loan

5. Pro FIT (Frühphasenfinanzierung)

Funding Amount: Up to €500,000, with 50% as a non-repayable grant and 50% as a loan.
Eligibility: Tech-oriented startups in Berlin with innovative R&D projects.
Benefits: Supports early-stage R&D and commercialization.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: Pro FIT

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6. MEP (Markteinführung innovativer Produkte)

Funding Amount: Up to €150,000 for startups less than 5 years old.
Eligibility: SMEs launching innovative products or services in Saxony.
Benefits: Covers up to 75% of eligible expenditures for market entry.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: MEP Grant

7. BayTOU (Bavarian Technology-Oriented Startups)

Funding Amount: Up to €150,000, covering 35-45% of project costs.
Eligibility: Tech-oriented startups in Bavaria with less than 10 employees.
Benefits: Supports innovative technological projects.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: BayTOU

8. INVEST – Venture Capital Grant

Funding Amount: 20% reimbursement of private investments (up to €3 million annually).
Eligibility: Startups receiving investments from certified business angels.
Benefits: Encourages private investment in innovative startups.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Official Website: INVEST Grant

9. Prototype Fund

Funding Amount: Up to €95,000 for 6 months or €158,000 for 10 months.
Eligibility: Independent developers and small teams creating open-source software.
Benefits: Funds innovative software projects in the public interest.
Application Deadline: January 2, 2026 (for Class 01).
Official Website: Prototype Fund

10. EIC Accelerator

Funding Amount: Grants up to €2.5 million and equity investments up to €10 million.
Eligibility: Startups and SMEs with innovative products or services.
Benefits: Supports high-risk innovations with market disruption potential.
Application Deadline: Full application deadlines on March 12, 2026, and October 1, 2026.
Official Website: EIC Accelerator

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Conclusion

Germany’s government grants for startups in 2026 provide a robust framework for innovation and growth.

From equity-free funding to low-interest loans, these programs cater to a wide range of industries and project sizes.

Startups are encouraged to explore these opportunities to accelerate their growth and contribute to Germany’s thriving innovation ecosystem.

FAQ on Grants for Startups in Germany

Are government grants in Germany suitable for startup validation phase?

Yes, Germany's government grants often support startups during their early phases, including validation. Programs like the EXIST Business Start-up Grant provide funding specifically aimed at students and researchers to create prototypes and MVPs. This focus on innovation makes them a robust option for startups seeking seed-phase support.

How can entrepreneurs apply for High-Tech Gründerfonds in 2026?

The application process for High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is quite streamlined. Entrepreneurs need to prove eligibility, showcasing that their startups operate within the specified domains such as life sciences or digital tech. Submission requirements may also include showcasing a business plan and technical or market innovation potential. You can learn tools for streamlining MVP creation here using AI-assisted tools to help pitch ideas effectively in your application.

What makes Berlin's GründungsBONUS unique for startups?

GründungsBONUS stands out due to its focus on tech-driven, creative, or sustainable industries in Berlin. The program provides financial support that covers 50% of startup costs, up to €50,000. This incentive boosts new businesses and aligns perfectly with Berlin’s reputation as a hub for startups striving toward innovation and sustainability.

Are there loans for startups expanding their operations in Germany?

Yes, the ERP Start-Up Loan program offers significant loans, up to €25 million for larger startups. Germany encourages commercial startups to grow and expand by giving access to low-interest loans that nurture both SME and larger enterprise expansion strategies, ensuring financial flexibility for entrepreneurs.

Does Bavaria offer grants to tech startups?

Yes, the BayTOU program specifically supports tech startups in Bavaria, covering 35-45% of project costs up to €150,000. This program is designed to encourage technological innovation across industries while fueling growth among startups with less than 10 employees.

Are there region-specific grants for launching products in Germany?

Indeed, programs like Saxony's MEP Grant target region-specific startups, supporting innovative product launches while reimbursing up to 75% of eligible expenditures for market entry. This specificity allows regional startups to thrive locally before scaling their operations beyond.

How do entrepreneurs attract private investment using the INVEST Grant?

With the INVEST Grant, Germany boosts private investments in startups through a 20% reimbursement scheme for investments from certified business angels, up to €3 million annually. This minimizes early-stage risks for individuals investing in high-growth startups, incentivizing local innovation.

Which grant in Germany focuses on open-source software development?

The Prototype Fund uniquely prioritizes open-source software projects, offering up to €158,000 for independent developers and small teams. This funding aligns with public interest solutions and provides essential resources for tech-focused startup founders investing time in novel software development.

Can high-risk innovations secure funding worth millions in Germany?

Yes, the EIC Accelerator program supports high-risk, market-disrupting innovations by providing non-dilutive grants up to €2.5 million and equity investments reaching €10 million. This incentivizes groundbreaking startups to pursue revolutionary ideas that shift global markets.

Are there rolling deadlines for startup grants in Germany?

Most startup grants in Germany, including the EXIST and Pro FIT programs, operate with rolling deadlines. This flexibility ensures entrepreneurs can apply at any time, enabling startups to align grant applications with their operational milestones.

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About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain

Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.

CAD Sector:

Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.

IP Protection:

Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.

Blockchain:

Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

Violetta likes to write about Startup News in Europe, Best startups of the year, Latest Startup News, Building your first startup, Startup News for Female Founders in Europe, News for Female Entrepreneurs and Engineering News

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
1,000 unique business ideas for women created

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.

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