Jobcenter Self-Employment Grant: Einstiegsgeld in 2026
Short answer
Einstiegsgeld is a jobcenter grant for people on Grundsicherungsgeld, formerly Bürgergeld, who start a main business of at least 15 hours a week. It runs for up to 24 months on top of your benefit. The base amount is at most half the standard rate, rising to 100 percent with supplements. Nobody has a legal right to it.
On 1 July 2026, Germany’s Bürgergeld became Grundsicherungsgeld. For people who want to work their way out of benefits by starting a business, the basic offer stayed the same: the jobcenter can pay Einstiegsgeld while you build up the business, plus grants for equipment of up to €5,000. The amounts are modest. When you start with nothing, they can still decide whether you start at all.
Up front: nobody is entitled to it. Everything depends on how your caseworker assesses you and your plan.
Who can get Einstiegsgeld for a business
The legal basis is § 16b of Social Code II. The Federal Employment Agency’s page on Einstiegsgeld lists these conditions:
- You receive Grundsicherungsgeld.
- You are not yet self-employed as your main activity.
- You plan to run the business as your main job, at least 15 hours a week.
- You are personally suited to the project.
- The business is expected to end your need for Grundsicherungsgeld.
That last condition is the hard one. The jobcenter does not want to fund a business that will need topping up forever. It asks whether the business can support you and everyone in your household, not just whether it will have some customers.
Apply before you start working. If you have already registered and started trading, you make things harder than they need to be.
Non-EU citizens should check one more thing: your residence permit has to allow self-employment. If it only covers employment, talk to the immigration office before you invest time in the application.
How much you get
The jobcenter sets the amount, but within limits. The Einstiegsgeld regulation ties it to the standard rate (Regelbedarf), which is €563 a month for a single adult in 2026, unchanged from 2025.
Under § 1 of the Einstiegsgeld regulation, the grant is built from these parts:
Source: § 1 Einstiegsgeld-Verordnung, 2026 standard rate
For people with particular difficulty finding work, six months of unemployment is enough for the 20 percent supplement. The base amount can fall over the funding period; it is often higher at the start.
What counts is the standard rate of the person starting the business. Some examples at the maximum values:
| Situation | Calculation | Einstiegsgeld per month |
|---|---|---|
| Single, recently unemployed | 50 % of €563 | up to €281.50 |
| Single, unemployed for over two years | 50 % + 20 % | up to €394.10 |
| Partner in a couple with one child, recently unemployed | 50 % + 2 × 10 % of €506 (partner rate) | up to €354.20 |
| Single parent with two children, unemployed over two years | 50 % + 20 % + 2 × 10 % of €563 | up to €506.70 |
It is paid for up to 24 months, and only for periods in which you actually work. According to the agency it comes without deductions and is not offset against your benefit. It is also tax-free under German income tax law.
Grants and loans for equipment
There is a second, often overlooked form of support. Under § 16c of Social Code II, the jobcenter can give loans and grants for equipment that is necessary and appropriate for the business. Grants are capped at €5,000; loans are not capped in the same way.
Think tools, a laptop with specialist software, a sewing machine, kitchen equipment or a used vehicle, if the business cannot run without it. Stock, rent and living costs are not covered.
Here too the law requires that the business is likely to be viable, and the jobcenter should normally get an opinion from an expert body to judge that. People who are already self-employed can also get advice from suitable third parties under § 16c(2).
Applying: documents and process
The agency describes five steps: book an advice appointment, gather documents, have the advice session, apply online, receive the decision. Documents can be submitted later.
- CV that connects your experience to the business
- Business plan: idea, customers, competitors, prices
- Capital requirements and financing plan
- Three-year revenue and profitability forecast
- Proof of skills, such as certificates
- Depending on the case: an expert opinion, for example from the chamber of commerce or a bank
- For equipment: quotes or price comparisons for each purchase
The jobcenter gives no updates while it reviews the application. Allow time, and do not start before you have the decision or written agreement from your caseworker. The forms and conversations are in German; if you are not confident, bring someone who is.
What happens once you are approved
While on Grundsicherungsgeld, self-employed people report income and expenses regularly, usually on the form called Anlage EKS. The jobcenter first pays provisionally based on your forecast and settles up later using actual figures. If you earned more than expected, it can ask for money back. Keep receipts in order and put part of your income aside.
How you are health-insured while receiving benefits as a self-employed person depends on your history, so clarify it with the jobcenter and your insurer before you start. Once the business supports you and benefits stop, you insure yourself, and minimum contributions for the self-employed apply. The guide to self-employed costs in Germany does the maths: close to €300 a month for public health and care insurance. That jump catches many people who are only just earning their way out of benefits.
Which businesses are realistic
With Einstiegsgeld and up to €5,000 in equipment grants, you can fund businesses that need very little capital. Services from the list of ways to start a business with no money fit well: cleaning, furniture assembly, translation, tutoring, cargo bike courier work.
Bigger projects need extra funding, and bank loans are hard to get while on benefits. The federal microloan fund that used to back small loans for exactly this group stopped new lending after 30 June 2026. State development banks and the KfW startup loan are alternatives on paper; in practice everything depends on the bank. For technical start-ups where software development is the largest cost, there are equity-for-work arrangements of the kind a venture studio such as OnlineBuilders reviews for selected projects.
If you received unemployment benefit (ALG I) and still have entitlement left, the jobcenter is the wrong office. The Gründungszuschuss start-up grant from the employment agency applies instead and is usually much higher.
Your next step: ask your caseworker for a dedicated appointment about self-employment, and bring one page listing the idea, your first likely customers and the equipment you need. That is enough for the first conversation.
Questions people ask
How much is Einstiegsgeld in 2026?
The standard rate for a single adult is €563 a month in 2026. The base amount is at most half of that, €281.50. Supplements for long unemployment or other household members can take it up to €563.
Is Einstiegsgeld deducted from my benefit?
No. The Federal Employment Agency says it is paid without deductions and not offset against Grundsicherungsgeld. Income from your business, however, does count as income after allowances.
Can I get it for a part-time business?
Not as start-up support. The business has to be your main activity, at least 15 hours a week, and it has to look likely to end your need for benefits.
Does Bürgergeld still exist?
It was replaced by Grundsicherungsgeld, with the changes in force from 1 July 2026. Existing decisions remain valid, and you will still see the old name on some forms.
