Promotion of start-ups in the city center as a business location

• Assisted area

  

• I want to set up in the retail, catering or service sector

  Subsidies are available for the occupation and new commercial use of an existing store on the first floor in the central city center service area. This also includes business successions. Relocation is not eligible for funding.
  
  In addition, a flat-rate grant can be applied for for consultancy services with the accompanying development of a marketing strategy or store concept. This must correspond to the overall concept. Based on the concept, a further lump-sum grant can be awarded for marketing, interior design and shopfitting costs.

  Overview of the grants in brief

  • Rental subsidy limited to 12 months from the opening of the business or the start of the lease amounting to max. 50% of the net cold rent with an upper limit of max. 1,250 € net / month
  • For business succession: max. 25% of the net cold rent with an upper limit of max. € 750 net / month
  • One-off grant for consulting services for the creation of a marketing/design concept with a lump sum of € 1,000
  • One-off "shopfitting grant" of a one-off lump sum of €5,000 for marketing measures, interior design and shopfitting costs (including renovation). Only in conjunction with a concept.
  • The one-off grants can only be applied for in conjunction with the rental subsidy
  • The rental subsidy must be applied for no later than two months after the start of the tenancy or the opening of the business.

  There is no legal entitlement to the granting of a subsidy under these guidelines. The WMG and the City of Wolfsburg, as the authorizing bodies, decide at their own discretion and within the scope of the available budget and funding. The prerequisite is an open-ended tenancy agreement or a minimum term of three years.

  Who is eligible to apply?

  • Projects that have an expected positive effect on the revitalization and attractiveness of the city center and counteract downgrading effects, contribute qualitatively to the diversity of the city center and thus strengthen and complement the existing offer through a unique selling point (branch mix) and convince through a coherent concept (see business plan, incl. and sales concept) as well as personal overall impression.
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs according to the European Commission's definition of SMEs)
  • Entertainment venues, hairdressing businesses without the title of master craftsman, other body-related services and large companies areexcluded from the grant.

  Please contact Wolfsburg Wirtschaft und Marketing GmbH for advice in advance.

• I am founding a start-up as a small or medium-sized company or have a corporate entrepreneurship / corporate venturing from the university and research sector

  Funding is available for the occupation and new economic use of an existing office or commercial space in the central service area of the city center. The relocation of an existing business within the subsidized area is not eligible. Funding is primarily available for the occupation of existing office or commercial space from the second floor upwards.

  The subsidy in brief:

  • Rental subsidy limited to 12 months from the start of the lease amounting to max. 50% of the net cold rent with an upper limit of max. €1,250 net / month
  • The rent subsidy must be applied for no later than two months after the start of the tenancy or the opening of the business.

  There is no legal entitlement to the granting of a subsidy under these guidelines. WMG and the City of Wolfsburg, as the authorizing bodies, will decide at their own discretion and within the scope of the available budget and funding. The prerequisite is an open-ended tenancy agreement or a minimum term of three years.

  Who is eligible to apply?

  Start-ups and corporate entrepreneurships / corporate ventures from the university and research sector,

  • that impress with a coherent concept (see business plan, incl. sales concept) and personal overall impression.
  • that also contribute to the goals and fields of action defined in the City of Wolfsburg's future concept for science and are therefore part of the implementation strategy or actively participate in it. In terms of content, these include in particular technological product and process development, materials research, software, IT and AI development, healthcare and basic university research (university, college, research institution).
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs according to the European Commission's definition of SMEs) as well as corporate entrepreneurships / corporate ventures, in particular at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences including the Learning and Innovation Factory, the 42 Wolfsburg, the Open Hybrid LabFactory, the Fraunhofer Project Center Wolfsburg, the Lower Saxony Research Center for Automotive Engineering at the MLC, the Technical University of Braunschweig, the Wolfsburg Institute for Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer and the Medical Campus at the University of Göttingen's Wolfsburg Hospital. Corporate Entrepreneurships / Corporate Ventures from other higher education and research institutions as well as industrial research are only eligible to apply in justified exceptional cases based on the City of Wolfsburg's Future Concept for Science.

  Please seek advice in advance from Wolfsburg Wirtschaft und Marketing GmbH.

• What application documents do I need (in general)?

  Applications must be submitted digitally in PDF format to WMG at wirtschaftsfoerderung@wmg-wolfsburg.de using only the application form provided under Downloads. Alternatively, applications can be sent by post to WMG, Porschestraße 26, 38440 Wolfsburg.

  We need the following from you to submit an application:

  1. A signed application form (see downloads)
  2. A complete and coherent business plan that addresses all relevant issues for the opening of the business.
     Important! Please refer to the "IHK Business Plan Guide" at
     https://www.ihk.de/ihklw/produkte/beratung-und-service/gruendung-foerderung/businessplan/businessplan-870282. This guide contains all the important points and content required for approval and also offers a ready-made, fillable financing plan for download (on the right-hand side of the website).
  3. A capital requirement, financing, profitability and liquidity plan. The profitability plan must be prepared for three years at annual level and the liquidity plan for two years at monthly level. The linked IHK website provides assistance under point 2.
  4. Concluded rental agreement that meets the criteria of the directive.
  5. A signed de minimis declaration stating that the applicant does not exceed the maximum amount currently permitted under the EU de minimis Regulation. (see downloads)
  6. If applicable, change of use for building application obligation
  7. Sublease agreement (if applicable)

  Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. Applications are only deemed to have been formally and properly submitted when all documents supporting the application have been received for review.

  In the event of missing documents or insufficient quality, applicants have the opportunity to submit the documents in full or in sufficient quality within 30 days of being requested to do so. If this does not happen, the application will be rejected and must be resubmitted or the grant reapplied for.

  Applicants who are shortlisted must present their business idea in person for a final assessment of the fulfillment of the general funding conditions / requirements.

• Application form for rent subsidy for office space
• Application form for rent subsidy for stores
• De minimis declaration
• Guideline for start-up support