EXIST, Germany pays founders to leave the lab
Germany will pay a researcher up to €3,000 a month to turn their work into a company.
exist - from science to business is the start-up program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy for founders coming out of universities and research institutes. It is co-financed by the European Social Fund.
The start-up grant runs for twelve months. Founders with a doctorate get €3,000 a month, graduates €2,500, founders with a vocational qualification €2,000 and students €1,000. On top come up to €30,000 in material costs for a team, €5,000 for coaching and €150 a month per child.
Three rules decide who gets in. Teams have at most three people. The company must not be founded before funding starts. And founders don't apply themselves: the university or research institute files the application. There is no deadline.
Projects that need longer in the lab go to EXIST Forschungstransfer: up to €250,000 in material costs in a first phase that usually runs 18 months, then up to €180,000 once the company exists. First-phase applications are reviewed three times a year, on 31 March, 31 August and 30 November.
The program's own site counts more than 3,000 grants since 2007. The next Forschungstransfer cut-off is four weeks away.