Starting a business in your country of origin

Together with our experienced partners we offer advice and assistance to support entrepreneurs in starting their business –  from preparation to implementation. Our support starts in Germany and continues in the country of origin. The support we provide can vary considerably according to the business idea, the entrepreneur and the target country – it is tailored to your success. All ‘Business Ideas for Development’ laureates receive the following:

• Individual support and coaching in Germany and in your country of origin
• Financial assistance to pay for specific measures and services to start your business
• Additional financial assistance to carry out your market research
• Support in finding investors and other useful business contacts
• Networking with other business founders, business networks and business incubators

In order to find out whether a business idea can actually be successful in a specific target market in the long term, you need information and good local contacts. You need to talk to potential customers, competitors, suppliers, possible business partners, banks and perhaps even regulatory authorities. We advise company founders in their market exploration and support them on site, for example by establishing important contacts. The business plan is the roadmap for efficient implementation of the business project. First and foremost, you create it for yourself. It helps to structure ideas and thoughts and make them understandable to others. It also helps to recognise possible risks and weak points before the start and thus avoid failures. Together with financial planning, a business plan is also the basis for convincing potential business partners or a bank of your business idea. We support company founders in creating a solid business plan. 

We cannot provide start-up capital. The entrepreneurs we support must secure financing for their projects themselves. However, we do support founders in finding additional funding options. These vary from country to country. In general, they include loans, guarantees or state-backed funding schemes. To begin with, we support founders in gaining an overview of their financial situation and making a realistic assessment of their capital requirements. We also assist them if they want to take the next step and talk to banks and potential investors – mainly by advising and assisting them in writing a convincing business plan and a solid financing plan, but also by putting them in direct contact with the right people. All the entrepreneurs we support also receive funding for specific costs and services, as well as the additional advice and assistance listed under the previous question.  

We currently support business start-ups in the following partner countries: Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Serbia, Tunisia and Vietnam. At this time, we are unable to extend our support to start-ups outside these countries. If your country of origin is not listed, we encourage you to explore other opportunities, as we are currently focused on our existing partner countries. Thank you for your understanding.

As part of our annual call for applications, start-ups from all sectors and business areas are welcome to apply for funding. The key criterion for us is the extent to which the proposed company contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. This year, our start-up competition is focusing on business ideas that promote gender equality, climate protection, or improving healthcare in their country of origin. Given our development policy mandate, we can only support start-ups that contribute to sustainable development in our partner countries.

We usually support founders over a period of 9-12 months. However, there are also calls for proposals with shorter or longer terms. If this is the case, this will be stated in the respective call for applications. 

We currently do not offer a direct follow-up programme for the post-foundation phase. However, there may occasionally be calls for post-start-up programmes. You can find and apply for these opportunities on our website if they become available. Regardless, all the founders we have supported remain part of our network. As a member of this network, you will continue to receive invitations to training programmes, networking events, and other opportunities for exchange and further development.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can apply through our annual call for applications. Dates will be announced on this website, our social media pages and through our contact networks.

Interested entrepreneurs must apply in writing by filling out an application form with various questions and submitting it electronically along with a CV, a draft business plan, and any other necessary documents. Applicants whose documents meet our criteria will be invited to a pitch and personal interview. The pitch allows the aspiring entrepreneurs to present their business ideas in more detail before a jury and showcase their personality and entrepreneurial spirit. Only the best business ideas will receive our support.