Fachkundige Stellungnahme der IHK für Gründungszuschuss einholen

If you are unemployed and want to start a business, you can apply for a start-up grant from the employment agency. For this, you need the opinion of an expert body on your business concept.

Expert opinions are used by employment agencies, job centers and other funding institutions as a decision-making aid for the granting of a subsidy in connection with the start-up of a business. On the basis of the documents to be submitted by the applicant, the opinion is formally issued. A prerequisite for the start-up grant is that an expert body has examined your business idea and considers it to be viable.

You should first clarify any questions relating to the grant with the relevant employment agency. This is also where you apply for the start-up grant.

You can choose the contact person for the statement. This can be, for example, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

During the viability test, your start-up concept is checked for plausibility and comprehensibility. The decisive factor is whether you can live from the implementation of the business idea after a start-up phase.

In addition to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, other bodies can also assess the viability of your project:

• Chambers of Crafts,
• professional chambers (e.g. architects, medical chambers, guilds),
• trade associations,
• credit institutions,
• Others (tax advisors, auditors, start-up initiatives, etc.).

In the event of justified doubts, the employment agency may again request the submission of an opinion from an expert body.

In order to receive an opinion, at least the following documents are required:

• Brief description of the business start-up project
• Curriculum vitae
• Capital requirements and financing plan
• Sales and profitability forecast (3 years)
• Evidence of business activities to date, for example a written report on your entrepreneurial activities and outlook for business development in the coming months, overview of income and expenses, incoming orders or efforts to obtain orders
• Optional: copies of contracts, permits, qualifications.

Generally recommends the preparation of a comprehensive business plan (templates and samples e.g. at the expert offices) as well as the preparation of a liquidity plan, at least for the targeted funding period.

For whom is the statement issued:

• Recipients of unemployment benefit I who end their unemployment by taking up self-employment can apply for a start-up grant to secure their livelihood and social security for the period after setting up their own business (discretionary rule/no legal entitlement).
• For recipients of basic security benefits from the job center who have applied for start-up allow ance and/or have applied for integration benefits(material cost subsidy/loan).

In addition, your business conceptmust be presented in a comprehensible manner and be sustainable, i.e. you must be able to make a living from it.

A fee is charged for the preparation of the statement. The amount is based on the fee schedule of the relevant Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

The statement is a step towards receiving the start-up grant. Please first contact your employment agency and find out whether you are eligible for a start-up grant.

If you apply for the start-up grant at the employment agency and would like to obtain the opinion of a Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for this purpose, please proceed as follows:

• You contact your IHK and arrange a meeting.
• Prepare the necessary documents (brief description of the business start-up project, curriculum vitae, capital requirement and financing plan, turnover and profitability forecast, additionally recommended: liquidity plan).
• It is often necessary to send the documents to the IHK before the interview.

After the interview, you will receive the assessment of the expert body from the IHK, which you will then send to the employment agency. Ask the IHK about any deviating procedures.

Please inquire about the processing time with the expert office.

No formal legal remedies are available.

• Expert opinion of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for start-ups issuance
• Issue of expert opinion
• Unemployed persons interested in setting up a business need this in order to be able to apply for a start-up subsidy from the relevant employment agency.
• Expert body: Chamber of Industry and Commerce or other institutions (chambers of trade, start-up initiatives, banks, etc.)
• Responsible for the application for the start-up subsidy: Employment office or job center

To apply, please contact the employment agency or job center responsible for you.

If you have any questions, you can also contact the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) responsible for the headquarters of your company.

You can find the Chamber of Industry and Commerce responsible for you here:

• Forms: Application for a statement on the start-up grant from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, form "Request for a statement from an expert body on the viability of the business start-up".
• Personal appearance necessary: according to the requirements of the expert body
• Online procedure possible: no
• Written form requirement: no