You are eligible for this benefit if you

• receive the Citizen’s Income or are eligible for it
• wish to become self-employed (start a business),
• wish to expand a previously minor self-employed activity into your primary occupation, or
• are already self-employed as your primary occupation.

The goal is for you to be able to support yourself permanently within a reasonable period of time and no longer need the Bürgergeld.

Financial Support for the Purchase of Equipment

If you want to purchase equipment you need for your work, you can receive a loan or a grant from your Job Center. Examples of such equipment include:

• computers,
• software,
• a telephone,
• office furniture,
• marketing activities, such as creating a website,
• Vehicles, Machinery, Equipment, Tools
• Security deposit for commercial space
• Initial inventory and any additional stock of materials, goods, or spare parts necessary for operations.

No ongoing operating costs are covered, such as

• wages and personnel costs,
• rent,
• phone bills, or
• maintenance costs.

Financial support for the purchase of tangible assets is typically provided in the form of a loan. In some cases, grants of up to 5,000 EUR are available, and loans may exceed this amount. A combination of both is possible. Depending on the intended use, loans and grants are paid out in monthly installments or as a lump sum. You must repay the loan later, but not the grant.

You must apply for funding from the Job Center before making the purchase. It is not possible to receive a loan or grant for assets that have already been purchased.

Free Counseling and Training for the Self-Employed

If you are already self-employed full-time, you may also be eligible for support through

• consultations that help you maintain or realign your self-employment. However, tax and legal consultations are not eligible for funding.
• Training programs that provide you with business skills, for example, in the areas of marketing, accounting, business development, or project management.

Both are free of charge for you. Your Job Center will commission, for example, your local Chamber of Industry and Commerce or Chamber of Crafts, private educational institutions, or innovation, technology, or startup centers to provide these services.

Your integration specialist will review and decide which of the aforementioned services you are eligible to receive. This also applies to the amount of a loan or grant. This means you have no legal entitlement to them.