Source: BUS Sachsen-Anhalt (Linie6Plus)

Apply for grants for consultancy to promote entrepreneurial know-how

Description

If you would like to take advantage of consulting for your company, you can receive funding for this under certain conditions.

Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and members of the liberal professions can receive grants for expert business advice.

The subsidy for expert advice is intended to help strengthen the performance and competitiveness of your company and to make it easier to adapt to changing economic conditions. In the case of young companies, the aim is to ensure that the start-up remains viable. Companies in difficulty receive a grant to help them restore their performance and competitiveness.

In principle, general advice on all economic, financial, personnel and organisational problems of business management is promoted.
In addition, specific advice may also be supported, such as:

in companies run by female entrepreneurs,
in enterprises run by migrant women or men,
in companies run by female entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs with a recognised disability,
to improve the integration of employees with a migration background into the company,
to design work for employees with disabilities,
to recruit and secure skilled workers,
for equal opportunities and for a better reconciliation of work and family life,
the age-appropriate design of work,
sustainability and environmental protection.

The amount of the grant depends on the age and location of the company wishing to take advantage of the advice:

Start-up companies (maximum 2 years on the market): up to EUR 4,000,
Existing companies (more than 2 years on the market): up to EUR 3,000.

The subsidy rates are:

new federal states: 80 percent,
Lüneburg region: 60 percent,
old federal states, Berlin, Leipzig region: 50 percent,
Companies in difficulty regardless of age and location: 90 percent subsidy on a maximum consultancy fee of EUR 3,000.

Not eligible for funding are, for example, consultancies

which are financed in whole or in part from other public funds,
whose purpose is the sale of specific goods or services by the consultant,
which are predominantly concerned with legal and insurance issues, tax advisory activities or expert opinions.

Funding is generally excluded if:

You are active or want to become active as a business consultant yourself,
you make use of the consulting services for a company in which religious communities, legal entities under public law or the proprietary enterprises of such communities hold a majority stake,
insolvency proceedings have been applied for or opened against the assets of your company, or if the conditions for this are met,
your company is a non-profit organization.

Prerequisites

You are the owner of a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) in the commercial economy (according to EU definition) or
a freelancer,
Your company has its registered office and business operations or a branch office in Germany,
in the last financial year prior to the start of the consultancy, you employed fewer than 250 people and either had an annual turnover of no more than EUR 50 million or an annual balance sheet total of no more than EUR 43 million,
the consultancy is carried out by an independent consultant or a consultancy company, more than 50 per cent of whose turnover is generated by paid management consultancy. The consultants must provide evidence of their competence within the framework of the funding programme.
They must have paid the consultancy invoice for at least the amount of their own share. The own contribution is calculated from the aforementioned maximum consultancy costs minus the expected grant.

Required documents

Consulting Report
Consultant invoice
Proof of payment (bank statement)
Confirmation letter from a regional contact person (only for start-ups and companies in difficulty)

Fees (costs)

none

Deadlines

Submission of application: no later than 3 months after the information meeting (in the case of start-ups and firms in difficulty).
Submission of proof of use: no later than 6 months after receipt of the information request .

Processing time

If all documents are complete, the approval and payment can be made within a few days .

Applications / Forms

Forms: no
Online procedure: yes
Written form required: yes
Personal appearance required: no

Procedure

You can apply online for a grant towards the cost of a planned business consultancy:

If you are applying for a start-up or struggling business, you will need to have an informational interview with a regional contact. You will then receive a confirmation letter to submit with your application. Existing businesses are not required to have such an interview.
Submit your application for funding for a management consultancy via the website www.bafa.de/unb .
If your application is approved, you will receive a decision ("Inaussichtstellung") by post.
You can now sign a contract with the consulting firm and start consulting.
No later than 6 months after you have received the "Inaussichtstellung", you must have submitted the proof of use of the completed consultancy. To do this, follow the instructions on the online form. You also submit the proof of use online at www.bafa.unb. To do this, complete the online proof of use form, print it out, sign it and upload the signed form together with the consultancy report, the consultant's invoice, the bank statement showing payment of the consultancy costs and the letter of confirmation from the regional contact person (only young companies and companies in difficulty).
The competent body will transfer the grant to the account you have indicated after you have submitted the complete documents.

Informationen und Online-Formulare auf der Internetseite des BAFA

Further information

Before submitting an application, start-ups and firms in difficulty must have an information meeting with a regional contact person. Consultancy may not begin before the application is submitted. A consultancy contract may also not be concluded before the application is submitted.