Start-up grant
Have you already checked whether your idea is suitable for the start-up grant? With the EGS check you can find out in 2 minutes whether your idea is suitable for the start-up grant.
From science to business
Innovation is what drives us - and we are making the path to founding a company ever easier. With the new start-up grant check, you can check in just a few minutes whether you meet the content and formal requirements for applying for the exist start-up grant. This turns a scientific idea into a viable start-up project faster - from science to business.
Support programs
exist Start-up grant
For students, graduates and academics interested in starting a business.
exist Women
Developments and activities to promote and support female founders from universities and research institutions.
exist Research transfer
For research-based start-up projects with complex, high-risk development work.
exist Startup Factories
As part of the German government's start-up strategy, the existing Startup Factories lighthouse competition was launched to significantly increase the number and quality of knowledge-based spin-offs.
Further links
exist Model projects
The exist model projects are part of the exist program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). Discover the various exist model projects here.
GCCC - Global Certification and Consulting Center
The GCCC acts as a central contact point for German diplomatic missions abroad, interior and immigration authorities on the one hand and universities, research institutions and international start-ups on the other.
exist supports university graduates, scientists and students in preparing their technology-oriented and knowledge-based start-ups.
Goals of exist
One of exist's objectives is to improve the start-up climate at universities and non-university research institutions. In addition, the number and success of technology-oriented and knowledge-based start-ups is to be increased.
To this end, the BMWE supports university graduates, scientists and students in preparing their technology-oriented and knowledge-based start-ups. In addition, exist has been promoting a lively and sustainable start-up culture at public and private universities in competitions since 1998. exist supports university graduates, scientists and students in preparing their technology-oriented and knowledge-based start-ups.
exist in the course of time
exist has been successfully supporting start-up networks, universities and non-university research institutions since 1998.
The aim is to increase the number of innovative spin-offs with the help of start-up support services in teaching, research and administration. Under the umbrella of "exist-Gründungskultur", the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has therefore carried out the exist I - IV funding competitions in recent years. The exist-Potentiale competition round is currently underway, supporting a total of 142 public and private universities.
Since 2000, exist has also been supporting university graduates, scientists and students in the development of their start-up projects with financial grants and know-how.
Current downloads
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Monitoring report no. 5 on the existing start-up grant
PDF / 3 MB -
Monitoring Report No. 2 on the exist Women funding program
As of: October 2025 / PDF / 5MB -
Declaration of consent to digital notification of decisions
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Monitoring report no. 2 on the existing research transfer (funding phase I)
Status: July 2025/PDF/1MB -
exist Yearbook 2024
PDF / 6,7 MB
All downloads for the existing programs
exist update
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