You apply for the KfW loan through your Hausbank (your main bank), and the bank decides based on your business plan. VENTUREPLAN gives you the bankable financial section, including debt service, automatically.
Starts with the “Loan Application (Bank & KfW)” template
The ERP-Gründerkredit – StartGeld (KfW founder loan, KfW program 067) finances start-ups, freelancers and young companies with up to €200,000 per project, of which up to €80,000 can be working capital. You don't apply directly to KfW (Germany's state development bank), but through a Hausbank (your main bank) or another financing partner. KfW takes on 80% of the bank's credit risk, which makes approval easier. The bank still checks for itself whether you can repay the loan, and for that it needs a business plan with solid financial planning.
Capital requirements, financing, profitability, cash flow and debt service for three years. The bank wants to see that interest and repayments can be paid from ongoing business.
Make an appointment with your Hausbank, ideally with several banks. Send the plan in advance and prepare for questions about assumptions, equity and collateral.
If your plan convinces, the bank submits the application to KfW. If collateral is lacking, a Bürgschaftsbank (state guarantee bank) can also step in.
Once KfW approves, you sign the loan agreement with your bank. Only now do you start the project and sign contracts.
You draw down the loan as expenses come up. Many banks want to see figures regularly in the first few years; a well-maintained financial plan makes that easy.
Chapter by chapter: what the reviewer wants to see in each part.
01
Project, capital requirements, requested loan and how it will be repaid, on one page a loan officer can understand in two minutes.
02
Professional and business qualifications. Banks finance people they trust to run the company.
03
What you sell, at what price, with what margin, and how recurring the revenue is.
04
Proven demand in your market, real competitors and your advantage. Letters of intent or first orders strengthen the application considerably.
05
How you'll actually reach the planned revenue: channels, cost per customer, timeline.
06
Investments, start-up costs, working capital and a cash reserve, complete and backed by quotes where possible.
07
How the requirement is covered: equity, KfW loan, possibly other loans or grants. Your own funds show the bank that you share the risk.
08
Revenue, costs, depreciation, interest and profit for three years. Every assumption derived in a way others can follow.
09
Month by month in the first year, quarterly or yearly after that. Shows that the account doesn't go into the red, even during the ramp-up phase.
10
The core of the bank's review: Is the cash flow after private withdrawals enough to pay interest and repayments, even after the repayment-free years?
11
What risks do you see, how will you deal with them, and what collateral can you offer?
This is how the people deciding on your application think.
If you sign contracts or order goods before approval, you lose eligibility. Schedule your bank meetings early enough.
A plan with a profit but no interest and repayment schedule doesn't answer the bank's most important question.
Customers pay later than expected, purchases cost more. Without a buffer, the capital requirements look incomplete.
If you budget hardly any money to live on to make the numbers look good, you lose credibility. Banks calculate realistically.
Banks assess industries and risks differently. A rejection from the first bank doesn't mean your project can't be financed.
The chapter structure and financial section are tailored to the credit review, from the executive summary to opportunities, risks and collateral.
You enter the KfW loan with its term, interest rate and repayment-free years. Repayment schedule, debt service table, capital requirements and financing plan are generated automatically.
A specialized AI advisor reviews your plan like a credit analyst: debt service capacity, equity ratio, plausibility of the assumptions.
Export a cleanly formatted plan as PDF or Word that you can send to your bank ahead of the meeting.
Founders often combine these routes or weigh them against each other.
The state Bürgschaftsbanken (guarantee banks) back loans when collateral is lacking, usually up to 80% of the loan. Your business plan is the basis for the decision.
Read the guideHow to get a start-up or investment loan from your Hausbank with a bankable business plan: documents, the bank meeting and debt service.
Read the guideGrant from the Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) for people on ALG I (unemployment benefit) who go self-employed full-time. You need a viable business plan.
Read the guideNo. You apply for the ERP-Gründerkredit – StartGeld through a Hausbank or another financing partner. The bank reviews your business plan and submits the application to KfW.
Up to €200,000 per project, of which up to €80,000 for working capital. For larger projects there are other KfW and state programs your Hausbank can advise you on.
StartGeld doesn't require a fixed own contribution; it can cover up to 100% of your debt financing needs. But your own funds improve your chances of approval, because the bank sees that you share the risk.
If the loan defaults, KfW bears 80% of the loss and the Hausbank only 20%. This lowers the bank's risk and makes approval more likely even with little collateral. You still have to repay the loan in full.
The interest rate depends on your creditworthiness and collateral and is fixed for the entire term. KfW publishes the current maximum rates in its overview of terms and conditions.
Then a Bürgschaftsbank (state guarantee bank) can step in. It takes on part of the default risk and so replaces missing collateral. Some Bürgschaftsbanken even review your project before you go to the bank.
In principle, yes. The Gründungszuschuss (start-up grant) covers your living costs during the ramp-up phase, the loan finances investments and working capital. Both belong in your financing plan.
You can create, edit and preview your business plan for free, no credit card required. To download it as PDF or Word, you upgrade the plan to Pro once, including AI credits. No subscription.
Last reviewed: 16 October 2026. VENTUREPLAN is an independent service and is not affiliated with any of the funding bodies mentioned. All information without guarantee; the current guidelines and the decision of the responsible body are what count.
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