Your entrepreneurial character isn't the only thing that will define your start-up project. Decisive factors like your background, your initial business idea, and your industry also play crucial roles. Every start-up has its own particular set of circumstances with which it is starting out. For start-ups facing certain situations, we offer guidance in the form of information for young founders, business successors, and founders without EU/EEA or Swiss citizenship.
Many young people already have a clear idea of what they want to do in life. The start-up scene and its digital innovations are becoming more and more attractive for students. Practice makes perfect: There are a number of projects and competitions designed to encourage and promote entrepreneurial talent at an early age and introduce them to the world of founders and start-ups. This gives young people the chance to try out what it feels like to start their own company without any financial risk.
Taking over and continuing an already existing company can also be a form of establishing a business and for many it can be an attractive alternative to starting a new company from scratch. A takeover brings with it a whole new array of challenges. In contrast to a start-up, existing companies are usually firmly established on the market, and the great challenge lies in the balance between continuing the tried and tested and introducing new and daring innovations.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach and no two business successions are the same! Information on the various challenges facing the succession process (External link) can be found on the portal on company succession in Bavaria (External link) of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. Here you will find everything you need to know to ensure a successful company succession, including tips for the succession process, consulting and financing offers, as well as events and partners related to the topic of company succession.
For a brief overview of succession as a startup, see also the Federal Ministry of Economics (External link) .
Company founders with foreign citizenship are very welcome in Bavaria! In German industry, start-ups by people with foreign citizenship already account for more than 40 per cent of all start-ups in Germany. All support services on offer in Gründerland Bayern are essentially also available to international company founders. Some arrangements may vary, however, depending on personal circumstances. It is therefore important that you are familiar with the special requirements and are well prepared.
The start-up portal www.existenzgruender.de (External link) created by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) (External link) provides most of the important information on the subject of starting a business in English, French, Italian, Russian and Turkish.
Citizens from the EU member states and the states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland require no special residence permit if they want to go self-employed and start a business, because they have freedom of movement and the freedom to trade.
If you come from a country that is not a member state of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) and you are not a Swiss citizen, then you will require a special residence permit (External link) that allows you to work in Germany on a self-employed basis. The Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IHK) or Chambers of Crafts (HWK) as well as specialist advisory centres for international citizens wishing to start a business can show you how to submit an application to the Foreigners’ Registration Office to secure a residence permit or extend your existing permit. The advisors can help you, for example, to establish the formalities you have to take care of and the knowledge you need.
When wishing to work on a self-employed basis in Germany, establishing whether a foreign professional qualification is recognised in Germany can also be important. The wide range of professional qualifications means that different places are responsible for regulating them in Germany. You will find detailed information on the Recognition in Germany (External link) website. The Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs (External link) also has an overview of the relevant contacts in Bavaria.
Then Invest in Bavaria (External link) is the right place for you. Invest in Bavaria is the state's business development agency and supports companies from abroad in setting up and expanding their business activities in Bavaria.
Young companies in the scale-up phase that already have a market-ready product and have successfully completed their first round of financing can receive customized support for their establishment from Invest in Bavaria. The services are free of charge and all inquiries are treated confidentially.
The BMWK also provides information for international company founders in its brochure GründerZeiten10.
At www.wir-gruenden-in-deutschland.de you will find dossiers and guidelines produced by the IQ Competence Centre on the Migrant Economy, providing information on subjects such as start-up support, right of residence and legal frameworks.
Our consulting, financing and support services are equally open to all founders. In order to encourage and support women to start their own business or work in a start-up, we also specifically promote (future) female entrepreneurs with training and networking events with the initiatives Women Start-up (External link) and One Mission (External link) .