German start-up grants and unemployment cover for founders
Anyone who starts a business out of unemployment can receive from the employment agency their unemployment benefit plus 300 euros for six months, then 300 euros for nine more months — provided at least 150 days of entitlement remain at the start and a competent body certifies the business is viable. The second module shows how the job centre sets the integration allowance for at most 24 months and subsidises equipment up to 5,000 euros. The third explains voluntary unemployment insurance on application, with its three-month deadline, and why both forms of support are tax-free without the progression proviso.
Intermediate3 modules66 minModule 1 free to read
2026 rules — verified on September 23, 2026
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This content is part of the path: Starting a business out of unemployment· Step 1 of 6· Next step: German unemployment benefit — for how long and how much?
By the end of this course, you can…
These outcomes are the modules' own: the promise cannot say anything the course does not teach.
- name and check the four conditions of the start-up grant under section 93 of Book III of the Social Code
- relate the remaining entitlement of at least 150 days to the day the business starts
- prepare the viability certificate and the proof of aptitude, and choose the right competent body
- calculate the two funding phases under section 94 with their duration and amount
- recognise how the grant uses up the remaining unemployment benefit entitlement and what is left if the business fails
- distinguish the conditions of the integration allowance under section 16b of Book II of the Social Code from the start-up grant
- explain why the job centre also checks viability and who assesses it
- calculate the building blocks of the amount under the integration allowance regulation as percentages of the standard needs rate
- know that the integration allowance does not reduce basic income support
- apply in a targeted way for subsidies, loans and advice under section 16c
- check who can insure themselves against unemployment on application as a self-employed person under section 28a SGB III
- apply the three-month application deadline and the start of cover correctly
- calculate the 2026 monthly contribution in the initial period and afterwards
- estimate what unemployment benefit to expect after a failed business
- explain why the start-up grant and the integration allowance are tax-free and not subject to the progression proviso
The programme, module by module
Each module has its own page. Durations are derived from the actual text, never announced by hand.
- Module 122 minFree — no accountThe employment agency's start-up grantWhat you will be able to do
- name and check the four conditions of the start-up grant under section 93 of Book III of the Social Code
- relate the remaining entitlement of at least 150 days to the day the business starts
- prepare the viability certificate and the proof of aptitude, and choose the right competent body
- calculate the two funding phases under section 94 with their duration and amount
- recognise how the grant uses up the remaining unemployment benefit entitlement and what is left if the business fails
- Module 222 minIncluded in the full courseIntegration allowance and job centre support for the self-employedWhat you will be able to do
- distinguish the conditions of the integration allowance under section 16b of Book II of the Social Code from the start-up grant
- explain why the job centre also checks viability and who assesses it
- calculate the building blocks of the amount under the integration allowance regulation as percentages of the standard needs rate
- know that the integration allowance does not reduce basic income support
- apply in a targeted way for subsidies, loans and advice under section 16c
- Module 322 minIncluded in the full courseUnemployment insurance on application and the tax on the supportWhat you will be able to do
- check who can insure themselves against unemployment on application as a self-employed person under section 28a SGB III
- apply the three-month application deadline and the start of cover correctly
- calculate the 2026 monthly contribution in the initial period and afterwards
- estimate what unemployment benefit to expect after a failed business
- explain why the start-up grant and the integration allowance are tax-free and not subject to the progression proviso
What you take away
A handout you keep, not just a page you read. The sections are derived from the course itself: what is announced here is exactly what gets generated.
Participant handout (PDF)
PDF
- Learning objectives (3)
- Key figures (10)
- Mistakes to avoid (3)
- Official sources (3)
Exercise workbook (Word)
Word
- Learning objectives (3)
- Key figures (10)
- Mistakes to avoid (3)
- Official sources (3)
Answers live in a separate appendix: the participant handout and the workbook stay distributable before the exercise.
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Educational content, current with the sources cited. It does not replace advice tailored to your situation. These courses are neither certifying nor CPF-eligible: they prepare for no certification registered with the French RNCP or specific register.