Coaching before the foundation

Program description

The Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Affairs (Senatsverwaltung für Integration, Arbeit und Soziales) supports founders in the run-up to self-employment with grants for pre-start-up coaching. The funding is intended to support both the establishment of a full entrepreneurial existence and self-employment alongside dependent employment. The risks involved in setting up a business are to be minimised by providing support in developing a market entry strategy. The aim is the sustainable integration of previously unemployed persons into the primary labour market in the context of self-employment.

The coaching services include above all the development and implementation of start-up concepts before the start-up. Topics are dealt with such as

• Product development
• Identification of the clientele
• development of marketing and pricing strategies
• accompanying competence development of the "entrepreneurial personality

The coaching in the extent of maximally 30 hours corresponds to an equivalent value of approximately 1,800 EURO net.

Institution

zgs consult GmbH

zgs consult GmbH is one of the major service companies in the labour market and vocational training policy of the state of Berlin and the federal government. As trustees and loaned companies of the state, the companies involved have been coordinating programmes and projects of employment, training and qualification promotion financed by federal, state or municipal funds or by funds of the European Social Fund (ESF) for more than 20 years. In addition, they have many years of experience in implementing the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Deadline

Application possible on a continuous basis

Funding period

The coaching must take place within 6 months of the notification of the grant.

Funding criteria

Funding is provided for people who are resident in Berlin and intend to start a full entrepreneurial or self-employed business - if necessary alongside dependent employment.

In particular, the programme is aimed at people who are registered unemployed. However, this is not a mandatory requirement.

Additional conditions

For the intended establishment, no registration of the same trade must have been made with the competent authority, and in the case of liberal professions, no registration for tax assessment must have been made.

Expenses for (commercial)

Third-party services/orders, Coaching/mentoring services

Funding focuses on

Start-up/Foundation & consolidation, Entrepreneurial know-how, Business model development

Funding conditions (commercial)

foundation not yet established, no equity required

Stage of the company/self-employment

prior to founding, founding due to unemployment, company succession

Application type

multi-stage application procedure, informal

Application procedure/documents

Those interested in founding a company first make an appointment for an orientation meeting at zgs consult GmbH, in which they outline their start-up plans. Subsequently, they undergo a four-day assessment. After a corresponding coaching recommendation, coaching can be commissioned. The formal application and bureaucratic process of the program takes place in close support of the zgs team.

Procedure:

1. Orientation meeting (informal appointment)
2. Assessment (after invitation)
3. Formal application (EurekaPlus)

Jury/Decision-making body

Applicants first go through an assessment, which takes place in the group and already conveys entrepreneurial methodological knowledge. This concludes with an assessment of the level of knowledge and skills of the applicant and a positive/negative recommendation for coaching.

Assistance/Downloads

Coaching services can only be provided by selected coaches who are listed with zgs consult GmbH (max. 2 coaches). The profiles of the coaches can be viewed here.

Funded by

Senate Department for Integration, Labour and Social Affairs

Funding area

State of Berlin

Funding source of the institution

EU, federal government, state/district