Start with the financing partner and the project clock
ERP-Gründerkredit StartGeld, KfW program 067, is a loan route for business creation, acquisition and young-business development in Germany. The practical starting point is a financing partner, not a direct request for free money from KfW.
The current KfW product page says to apply through that partner before beginning the project. After KfW approval, the applicant can conclude the credit agreement with the partner and start the project. Treat this timing rule as a question to resolve before committing to a supplier, signing a purchase arrangement or beginning work. The provider should confirm what counts as project commencement in your case.
Know what the current product actually says
KfW currently describes financing up to €200,000, including up to €80,000 for working capital. It offers five- or ten-year term structures and an initial period without principal repayments; interest remains payable during that period. Collateral is agreed with the bank. These are published program parameters, not a quote or a promise that every applicant receives the maximum.
KfW's 80% risk assumption relates to the financing partner's credit risk. It does not mean the business only repays 20% of its loan, nor that approval is automatic. Confirm the current rate, fees, security requirements and repayment schedule with the partner rather than reusing figures from an older article.
Use a timing and evidence checklist
This original checklist separates readiness for a conversation from authorization to proceed. It is an organizing aid, not an official KfW assessment.
| Gate | What to organize | Question for the partner |
|---|---|---|
| Business identity | Founder or buyer, entity, location and business history | Does this applicant and project fit program 067? |
| Project scope | Itemized investments and working-capital needs | Which costs fall inside the current product? |
| Commitment timing | Quotes, proposed contracts and planned start dates | Which action would count as starting? |
| Financial evidence | Investment, liquidity and profitability plans | Which assumptions and supporting records are needed? |
| Formal declarations | Current forms and previously received aid records | Which declarations apply to this structure? |
| Decision and agreement | Written approval, agreement and disbursement conditions | What is confirmed, and what remains conditional? |
KfW links optional investment, liquidity, profitability and business-plan templates on the product page. Optional templates are not a statement that every applicant must submit those exact files. Use the partner's current document list for the application, and the templates where they make your own planning clearer.
Illustrative example: buying a small workshop
Nord Werk is a fictional buyer researching the purchase of a small operating workshop. The team's first pack contains the seller's description, an equipment list, an indicative purchase price and a draft opening cash schedule. None of those documents is a loan approval or a signed acquisition.
The organizer creates a commitment log: purchase agreement unsigned, machinery quote valid until a stated date, premises arrangement still under discussion, and bank consultation requested. The first question is not “Can we close next week?” It is “What must happen before any project commitment, and which documents does this bank need to assess the proposed purchase?”
The team also separates seller forecasts from its own assumptions. The source of a revenue figure is visible; a missing maintenance estimate stays unresolved. The framework prevents a financing conversation from becoming a reason to hide gaps, but it cannot determine whether the acquisition is attractive or affordable.
Prepare a useful partner conversation
- Find a financing partner and identify the genuine person handling startup or business-acquisition finance.
- Send a concise project description through the agreed channel, not a large unfiltered folder.
- Ask the partner to confirm product scope, project-start timing and its required evidence.
- Keep application submission, KfW approval, credit agreement and funds received as separate milestones.
- Resolve outstanding conditions before treating the project as financed.
Do not assume program combinations are available: the current product page states that combining StartGeld with other KfW or ERP programs is not possible. Your partner should review any proposed funding combination and the applicable declarations.
Keep the bank conversation connected to the evidence
With Finta CRM, keep real financing-partner contacts, source notes and the next question on the record. Use Documents to organize approved versions of the project brief and evidence. Aurora can help prepare a question list from available context; a person checks it before sending or making a commitment.
The acquisition-financing diligence recipe helps organize seller, buyer and lender requests. The document-request recipe keeps each requested item attached to an owner and response. Neither replaces the financing partner's application process.
Methodology and jurisdiction limits
This English-language guide uses KfW's German product page, checked on 2 October 2026. German source documents and the financing agreement govern; our wording is a reading aid. We omit a quoted interest rate because it requires current provider confirmation. This is general preparation education, not advice about German law, subsidies, tax, acquisition terms or borrowing suitability.