Many startup projects receive good advice, for example, from consultants funded by RKW or KfW. You pay a portion of the cost yourself and receive significant support. But did you know that this investment can also help you secure financing?
If you are looking for financing of up to EUR 100,000 for a business that is no more than 3 years old and meets the eligibility criteria for certain subsidized loans, Grenke Bank’s offer may be of interest to you.
The background: Grenke Bank has carved out a niche for itself in the area of financing up to EUR 100,000. Grenke is known as a highly organized leasing financier with virtually automated project processing and very short response times.
Grenke now offers its expertise in providing financing quickly and easily for smaller amounts to a target group that often struggles with such amounts. The administrative burden for a traditional bank to process a small loan is disproportionately high. As a result, even promising projects are often turned down because the margins on these promotional loans are too low.
Of course, Grenke has to do the math, too. In doing so, they came up with the idea of using the consultations provided by RKW or KfW—or, if necessary, those offered by a Gründerzentrum—as a basis. An accredited consultant has an online portal where the loan application can be filled out in its entirety. The project evaluation is essentially “outsourced,” at least in part, and the administrative work involved in completing a loan application is also handled by the consultant.
Grenke acts as your primary bank, which can access the subsidy loans with minimal effort.
Grenke does not require any collateral—which would entail additional administrative work—and thus assumes 20% of the risk (Bürgschaftsbank BW or a similar institution covers the remaining 80%).
This approach isn’t suitable for everyone, but it’s worth considering. Expert consulting during the startup phase is subsidized through innovation vouchers and other programs and is definitely worthwhile. Hiring a consultant solely for the purpose of securing financing will rarely pay off. We’d be happy to advise you on whether this model is a good fit for you.
Of course, Grenke does not pay any commissions to its consultants.
Best regards
Ulrike Hudelmaier
