InnoStartBonus - FAQ

Guideline on the granting of subsidies for innovative start-ups of 03.02.2022 (InnoStartBonus funding guideline)

The Free State of Saxony supports potential founders with innovative business ideas as part of a competitive procedure following a call for funding. A business idea is considered innovative if it serves the realization of something new with market potential or contains an innovation that results in a significant improvement of products, services, procedures, processes or business models with increased customer benefit. This can be, for example, a product or service innovation, a process or procedure innovation or a business innovation. The newly founded company must have its registered office in the Free State of Saxony.

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Business models based on coaching and consulting are not supported with the InnoStartBonus.
The legal forms "association" and "cooperative" and their subtypes are excluded from support for start-ups or the transfer from secondary to main occupation  

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• Founder personality/founder team
• Customer benefit, innovative content or novelty of the idea
• Targeted market, competitive situation
• Feasibility
• Revenue model

The InnoStartBonus start-up grant is a monthly subsidy of €1050 per founder plus a child bonus of €150 per dependent child per month.

• Monthly payment per founder for the period before the start-up (max. six months)
• Payment of the installments in one sum for the period after the start-up only upon proof of the start-up (up to max. the twelfth month of the funding period).
• If there is no proof that the company has been founded by the end of the twelfth month after the first payment, the funding period ends without payment of the final installment.
• The InnoStartBonus is not tax-free. The InnoStartBonus is taxable income and must be declared in the income tax return. The tax office determines the amount of income tax.

• Recipients are
  • natural persons
  • who are at least 18 years old
  • who have their main residence in the Free State of Saxony.
  • In the case of a team foundation, funding can also be applied for with a secondary residence in the Free State of Saxony, as long as at least one founding member has their main residence in the Free State of Saxony.
• In founding teams, up to two people can be funded (taking into account the professional background)
• Students can apply. Persons studying at the Duale Hochschule Sachsen must submit a certificate from the DHSN and practice partner (both signatures and stamp) to the Sächsische Aufbaubank - Förderbank when applying  confirming that the remunerated activity does not exceed 20 hours during the approval period.
• Persons who are not EU nationals must submit proof of a valid residence permit and valid work permit to the Sächsische Aufbaubank - Förderbank upon application, which must be valid at least 6 months after the end of the funding period. for at least 6 months after the end of the funding period.
• It is possible to combine InnoStartBonus and Elterngeld Plus 

• Founding teams are excluded from funding if both founders are students, university graduates and graduates of vocational academies, scientific staff from universities, vocational academies or research institutions or former scientific staff, and:

  • Whose R&D expenditure for the establishment of an innovative company based on an existing business plan amounts to at least 15% of the total R&D expenditure and .expenses and

  • whose university degree was obtained ≤ 10 years ago

• Excluded are recipients of the "Technology Start-up Grant"¹
• Persons are excluded, who receive a benefit in accordance with § 137 of the Third Book of the German Social Code - Employment Promotion - in conjunction with a grant awarded in accordance with §§ 93, 94 of the Third Book of the German Social Code;Gründungszuschuss or according to § 7 of the Second Book of the Social Code - Basic Security for Jobseekers -, in conjunction with an Einstiegsgeld granted according to § 16b of the Second Book of the Social Code 
• Persons who receive BAföG are excluded (BAföG payments can also be suspended in the event of a positive vote)
• Persons who receive a pension to secure their livelihood are excluded

¹ Funding recipients and funding requirements in accordance with C. II and III of the ESF guideline "Business start-ups from science" of May 26, 2015 (SächsABl. p. 806), last included in the administrative regulation of December 1, 2017 (SächsABl. SDr. p. 402)

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An online form is provided for the application, which you can edit. Applications will only be accepted via this form. The application deadline for each call will be communicated on our website. When a call ends, the next funding call starts directly the following day.

The InnoStartBonus is person-related funding. The guidelines stipulate that the founder's personality is an important part of the expert panel's assessment. Previously, a mandatory online call was held for this purpose, in which the founders presented themselves to the panel. The event dates were set well in advance and could not be postponed.

With the introduction of the presentation video, this step is no longer necessary - the jury will look at the written application and your video at the same time and evaluate them accordingly.

You can use our handout as a guide for creating the video. 

The funding period is divided into two six-month accompanying phases. The applicants who have been selected and awarded funding enter the first phase immediately after receiving the funding decision. They will be announced as part of the accompanying public­public­work­on the InnoStar­tBonus­and presented on the futureSAX website.

<p <p>The first funding phase begins with an individual kick-off meeting ("kick-off talk") at futureSAX. Here, the founders are explained the possibilities and offers of the Innova­ti­ons­platform and given individually suitable recommendations for contacts from the futureSAX network. All futureSAX event formats and offers are already available to future founders at this stage. They are integrated into the existing network ac­ti­vi­tities.

Before the prospective founders enter the second funding phase, there is a "follow-up meeting" with futureSAX. The aim is to agree on the next milestones for the second funding period. futureSAX confirms to the SAB that it will participate in the accompanying measures. After six months at the latest and therefore at the end of the first phase, the start-up (business registration) should take place.

<p <p>The second accompanying­phase ends after six months with a "wrap-up meeting".

The InnoStar­tBonus is a combination of competition and funding.

<p <p>FutureSAX GmbH was commissioned by the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection with the application and selection process and the implementation of the model project.
Approval is granted by the Sächsische Aufbaubank - Förderbank - within four weeks.
Another special feature is that, in addition to the monthly grant of €1050, an additional monthly child bonus of €150 per dependent child is paid for the duration of the grant. A new feature is the fully digitally implemented application process, from the submission of the idea­pa­pier via the futureSAX website to the formal application to the Sächsi­schen Aufbaubank - Förderbank.

Then you can findthe flyer for the InnoStartBonus here!

If you have any questions about the InnoStartBonus, please contact our project manager for the ideas phase and InnoStartBonus Anika Lorenz (anika.lorenz@futuresax.de) and arrange an appointment.