topic Ministry

Start-ups by women

The Federal Government has set itself the target of significantly increasing the share of women starting up companies. The BMBF's project work is intended in particular to support and promote women on their way to self-employment.

National Agency for Women Start-ups

Women are successful in setting up companies. They are less likely to fail on the road to self-employment than their male counterparts. However, women usually have less financial means, are often appraised more critically by banks, and are frequently under greater pressure as a result of their role within the family. This is why the number of women setting up companies is considerably lower than that of men.

Whereas currently approximately 12% of all gainfully employed men become self-employed, the rate for women is only half as high. Only one in four companies is founded by a woman. The share of women in technology-based company start-ups, particularly spin-offs from research institutions and institutions of higher education, is even lower at between 10 and 15%.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) have therefore jointly founded a National Agency for Women Start-ups.

The Agency's task is to advise and support women setting up companies. To this end it pools and supplies information on activities and measures in this field.

The Agency's activities include processing national and international research results, registering and presenting training opportunities, setting up a database of female experts and a contacts and ideas market, as well as networking stakeholders involved in start-up activities.

In addition, the National Agency for Women Start-Ups also promotes exchanges of information between industry, science, research and politics and performs groundwork for the Federal Government on questions of promoting start-ups by women. Furthermore, it will also support project approved under the announcement entitled "Power for Women Entrepreneurs".

Further information: http://www.gruenderinnenagentur.de/bag/MainNavigation/Startseite/English_version.php

"Power for Women Entrepreneurs" Announcement

The "Power for Women Entrepreneurs" announcement was introduced against the background of continuing gaps in research and inadequate support with regard to the motivation and ability of women to set up in business. It focuses on the following key areas:

• Analysis of the structures and potential for women to set up in business

and

• Exemplary and innovative measures for mobilizing the entrepreneurial potential of women in order to support women setting up in business

Further information: http//www.bmbf.de/en/4464.php

The following projects are being funded within the framework of the announcement:

• Research into new potential for start-ups by women in knowledge-based services in the academic field