Contact

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Division for Social Media/Online-Communication

Responsibility within the meaning of Section 55 (2) of the Interstate Agreement on Broadcasting (Rundfunkstaatsvertrag) resides with:
Daniela Ewers, Head of Division for Social Media/Online-Communication
Scharnhorststr. 34-37
10115 Berlin

Phone: +49 (0) 30-18 615-0
Fax: +49 (0) 30-18 615-5208

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I. National Agency for Women Start-ups

• Project goals

II. National Agency for Women Start-ups Activities and Services

• Information

  • News
  • Event
  • Topic of the month
  • Literature / Fact & Figures
  • Women start-up guide
  • Support programmes

• Advisory Services

  • Experts
  • Advisory bodies
  • Hotline

• Networking

  • Networks
  • Regional offices
• Business Transfer of Women
• Projects

III. About the National Agency for Women Start-ups Activities and Service

• Project approach
• Current project status
• Project publications
• Project funding
• Project team

I. National Agency for Women Start-ups Activities and Services

Project goals

In order to mobilise the potential of women in industry and the market Germany supports the entrepreneurial self-employment of women.

The National Agency for Women Start-ups Activities and Services gathers information and develops services for women Start-ups all over Germany. The chief aim is to create an atmosphere amenable to women starting businesses and, in the medium term, increase the proportion of women who do so, thus further developing the economic potential of women. The bga aims to act as a platform for women entrepreneurs in all sectors and at all stages of the start-up process.

The initiation of the bga, which is jointly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology, represents a first step towards increasing the proportion of women involved in business start-ups.

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II. National Agency for Women Start-ups activities and services

Information

The start page of the bga web portal publishes daily updated News items related to women Start-ups.

In the Events section the bga currently provides information and tips about events taking place throughout Germany. These can take the form of seminars, workshops, trade fairs or informal get-togethers aimed specifically at actual or potential women Start-ups as well as at experts operating in the field.

Under Topic of the Month, topics relevant to women Start-ups such as ‘Micro-loans for Women Start-ups’, ‘Women and Business Succession’ or ‘Business Start-ups for the Unemployed’ are examined in more depth.

Under Literature as well as Facts&Figures brochures and books, fact sheets and bga publications on the topic of ‘women start-ups and entrepreneurial self-employment of women’ are available, visitors to the website can download important research results. The fact sheets are also available in print and can be ordered from the bga.

Studies published by researchers into women start-ups and established research projects are listed at the bga. Links provide an overview of research institutions concerned with the topics of business start-ups, women and science. A short description of each link facilitates searches. The bga analyses, consolidates and broadens national and international research results in the area of women entrepreneurship.

The Women Start-up Guide offers a free, clearly structured on-line course for women setting up a new business that imparts knowledge and skills related to preparing, implementing and securing a business start-up.

There are a number of different ways in which women business starters can be supported. Support in the form of advisory and qualification offers as well as financial support, i.e. loans, play an important role in the start-up phase. In certain regions or Federal States of Germany it is even possible for women entrepreneurs to receive financial support directly. An overview of support programmes operated by the Federal Government, the States of Germany and the European Union can be found in a database provided by the Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology.

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Advisory services

The database of experts provides information about the range of services and contact details of experts who can support and advise women on available business foundation, consolidation and succession. At present, details of 999 experts throughout Germany are available.

The 445 listed advisory bodies specialise in the provision of advisory services to women who are interested in or already involved in starting a business. They offer expert advice and support throughout the various areas and phases of a company. Anyone interested can consult the nationwide database to find relevant services amongst the advisory bodies listed.

Experts and advisory bodies offering specific support programmes for women business starters can apply using an on-line form via the bga’s website. The application must clearly identify what added benefits they offer women entrepreneurs. This ensures that the database only contains details of service providers whose advisory services are targeted specifically at this group.

The bga Hotline offers expert advice on the topics of ‘women start-ups’ and ‘women in business succession’ in all phases of business start-ups or succession, guiding women entrepreneurs, informing them about the advisory services available and supplying details of regional contact persons.

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Networks

The 323 networks offer working groups and informal get-togethers that provide a platform for an exchange of ideas and information between women setting up a new business, entrepreneurs and multipliers. Contacts are made, experience exchanged, tips passed on and important issues discussed in depth with competent specialists. Opportunities for business partnerships and cooperation are passed on. Networks can register using an on-line form to publish details of the specific support programmes they offer to women entrepreneurs.

Regional Offices

In all 16 federal states of Germany are regional offices as representatives to coordinate the state-activities on female start-ups, to act as contact nodes for the regional actors, to represent bga on regional level and to organize regional networks.

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Business Transfer of Women

In the Business Transfer section, the bga provides basic information, updates on the latest research and details of current events related to the topic of women business succession. The bga is a central platform for all matters related to women business succession. The bga would like to encourage more women to become interested in business succession, more company owners and family businesses to recognise the potential of female employees and daughters and more advisers to use their role as multipliers to support the idea of women as business successors.

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Projects

Under Projects, interesting and innovative projects are listed that are carried out from or in cooperation with the bga. One of these is entitled “Supporting Women Start-ups – Good Practice in Europe” and focuses on the transfer of expertise and good practice in Europe for the support of women business start-ups.

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III. About the National Agency for Women Start-ups Activities and Services

Project approach

The following measures serve to achieve these goals:

• Raising awareness of the need for more women start-ups in Germany via appropriate communication and public relations measures
• Development of training and advisory services tailored to the needs of women business starters, taking into account research findings on gender-specific start-up aspects
• Cataloguing of activities and regional expertise in the 16 Federal States of Germany and the identification of good practice examples
• Networking of all key players involved in women business start-ups, with support at local level by “regional bga-representatives”, promotion of an exchange of information and provision of ideas and contacts
• Establishment of an ongoing transfer in both directions between research into women start-ups and training/advisory services for female entrepreneurs
• Running a web portal as a platform for communication and information for (potential) women start-ups and key players in the start-up environment
• Processing of insights gained by the bga for the benefit of policymakers and interested members of the public

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Current project status

The bga operates as a platform for the political, business, academic and public sectors for information and services related to the ‘women entrepreneurship’ in all areas and phases of company foundation, consolidation and succession. The bga offers expert information and guidance. Women-specific information, advice and training services are brought together under the umbrella of the bga and key players in the start-up process exchange and share their existing knowledge. The activities of the bga focused on the promotion of technology-oriented, innovative start-ups by women as well as in the creative industries and raising awareness of the potential role of women in business succession. The information available on the web portal www.gruenderinnenagentur.de includes daily news bulletins, information on events, working aids, fact sheets and research into women’s entrepreneurship.

The nation-wide information platform is constantly expanding and offers an overview of the wide range of activities related to the promotion of women entrepreneurs in Germany, e.g.

• Information, advice and training provisions for women start-ups and entrepreneurs in the form of start-up conferences, entrepreneurs’ market places, workshops, seminars, coaching and mentoring programmes, specialist conferences and congresses
• Events/event series linked to nationwide trade fairs
• Regional networking opportunities and regular informal get-togethers aimed at helping women entrepreneurs to help themselves
• National networks of intermediary organisations who support the interests of women business starters and entrepreneurs in the fields of politics, public administration and industry.

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Project publications

Regular reports and publications inform the public, policymakers, industry, academics and researchers as well as all the players involved in business start-ups about the activities of the bga.

Project funding

The joint project is funded by three Federal Ministries

• Federal Ministry for Education and Research,
• Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
• Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology and the European Social Fund.

The project team consists one Head-Office, located in Stuttgart at the Ministry of Economic Affairs/ifex, and regional offices in all 16 Federal States of Germany.

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Design and operation

Scholz & Friends Family

Scholz & Friends Berlin GmbH
Litfaß-Platz 1
10178 Berlin
info@s-f.com

deepblue networks AG
Schützenstraße 21
22761 Hamburg
info@db-n.com

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