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November 2024 Newsletter | Career Service & Gründer*innenzentrum

Consulting and Contact Points

Social Economy Berlin (SEB)

Social Economy Berlin (SEB) is the platform for the social economy in Berlin. They organize events, facilitate networking, support the establishment and development of social enterprises, and provide information on the social economy in Berlin. SEB also advocates for improving the framework conditions for social enterprises and fosters exchange between politics, administration, economic promotion, and social economy enterprises. It is a project of the Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany (SEND) and the Technology Network Berlin, supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises.

Platform for Social Innovations and Community-Oriented Enterprises

As a central contact point for information, consulting, and networking on social innovations, the platform offers support for social innovators, funding and financing partners, as well as universities, research institutions, and projects transferring knowledge from science to practice.

Gründerinnenzentrale ( Female Entrepreneurs' Center)
The Gründerinnenzentrale supports women on their path to self-employment. Their aim is to provide orientation, information, and networking for women who want to start their own business. They cater to all women who are considering self-employment and are seeking an initial contact point that provides a comprehensive overview of business startups. All information and services are tailored to women's needs.

Social Impact
Social Impact, as an agency and driver for social innovation, develops innovative products and services in collaboration with strong partners, both nationally and internationally, focusing on social and inclusive entrepreneurship, education, social economy, and rural areas. In Berlin, they offer free consulting and coaching for social startups (in the pre-startup phase or within two years of founding). With their "Enterability" program, they support people with disabilities in establishing their own business.

Business Plan Competition Berlin-Brandenburg
The Business Plan Competition Berlin-Brandenburg awards over €50,000 in prize money. Alongside the annual competition, participants can access comprehensive entrepreneurial knowledge, industry contacts, expert feedback, and free services, including seminars, workshops, networking events, and consulting.

Startup Portal of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
The BMWK's Startup Portal offers numerous services, including an expert forum, guides, downloadable publications, the BMWK Info Hotline (030-340 60 65 60), the BMWK eTraining program for entrepreneurship, and the BMWK authority guide. This guide helps you determine the necessary registrations, which authorities you need to contact, and what to do there. In addition to expert and founder forums, you will also find a funding database here.

Business Workshop Germany
The Business Workshop Germany is an online information, qualification, and consulting system designed to prepare for a business startup. Experts from the Chamber of Commerce (IHK) and the Chamber of Crafts provide support.

IHK Berlin
IHK Berlin offers a comprehensive range of information on entrepreneurship, webinars, and coaching. At the Berlin Starter Center, you can receive telephone, written, or in-person advice. The prerequisite is that you plan to engage in a commercial activity (without a craft) in Berlin and have not yet founded a business.

Employment Agency
The durchstarten magazine by the Employment Agency offers numerous pieces of information, addresses, checklists, and practical tips.

Federal Employment Agency
The Federal Employment Agency in Berlin-Mitte, with its competence team for consulting and startups, offers support and measures for startups and their further development. The services also extend to post-startup phases and include processes such as brand development and personnel recruitment.

Guides

Starting a Business in Berlin - The Small 1x1 of Starting a Business
As an introduction to entrepreneurship, the IHK Berlin has compiled the guide Starting a Business in Berlin - The Small 1x1 of Starting a Business, which addresses many relevant aspects that you should be aware of before starting a business.

"Simply Start a Business in Germany"
The guide "Simply Start a Business in Germany" is aimed at professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs from abroad, as well as refugees, helping them navigate the process of starting a business in Germany. It provides an overview of the conditions, specific requirements, and available support. Step by step, the guide offers information on the four phases of the startup process, with numerous links to practical tools and further guidance.

Impact Guide
The success of social projects is measured by the impact they achieve, both for the target groups and society as a whole. The Impact Guide helps you design your project with the greatest possible impact from the outset, define goals and target groups precisely, develop a logical framework for your project, and analyze the impact achieved. The guide also supports fundraising efforts, as proving how your project works and its successes gives you an advantage with funders.

Studies

• The German Social Entrepreneurship Monitor (DSEM) provides annual insights into the German social entrepreneurship ecosystem, aiming to inform decision-makers in politics, business, and civil society to support social enterprises.
• Learn about the key trends in the German startup ecosystem in the German Startup Monitor 2022 (DSM). The 10th DSM offers detailed insights into the dynamics of German startups during challenging times.
• The Female Founders Monitor (FFM) is the central study on the importance of female founders for the startup ecosystem. It highlights the conditions for female startup founders, names current challenges, and contributes to greater diversity.
• The Green Startup Monitor emphasizes the role of startups as drivers of innovation in the green economy. The study's insights guide projects and measures to improve the framework conditions for green startups in Germany.
• The Migrant Founders Monitor examines the connection between migration and startup founding in Germany. It draws on data from the German Startup Monitor, the most comprehensive survey of startups in Germany, which captures migration background following the definition of the Federal Statistical Office.