Social and sustainable entrepreneurship: for a sustainable economy

Are you looking to develop a social or sustainable business idea in NRW? Do you have a business model but need help with business planning and finding funding? Do you want to connect with like-minded people and get off to a flying start in NRW? If you’re keen to get an overview of this form of setting up and managing a business, you’re in the right place! 

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What is social or sustainable entrepreneurship?

Social and sustainable North Rhine-Westphalia

Who funds social and sustainable start-ups?

Which other financing and funding instruments are open to social and environmental start-ups?

 

What is social or sustainable entrepreneurship?

Social and sustainable entrepreneurship refers to economic activities that aim to solve social or environmental challenges through entrepreneurial approaches. In the case of companies aimed at contributing to the common good, the focus is on creating a high level of social added value. At the same time, the business models must be economically viable.

 

Social and sustainable North Rhine-Westphalia

According to Deutscher Startup Monitor, start-ups are increasingly seeing themselves as social enterprises and contributing to sustainable development. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has set itself the goal of embracing this trend: the aim is to make NRW an attractive location for social and environmental start-ups and companies

 

Who funds social and sustainable start-ups?

If your goal is to set up a business aimed at contributing to the common good, you can obtain assistance from the Startercenter NRW located in many towns in North Rhine-Westphalia. At the Startercenter NRW you can get free, bespoke advice in your locality, along with assistance regarding specific economic or legal issues. We have experienced start-up consultants ready to assist you with the formalities and financing of your project. Make an appointment for a one-to-one consultation and find a contact near you. Most importantly: the state government’s start-up support programmes, such as the Gründungsstipendium NRW, are also open to founders of companies aimed at contributing to the common good. We can assist you with this as well

The state government is funding the Circular Valley project with the aim of turning the Rhine-Ruhr region into a hub for the circular economy. Among other things, Circular Valley runs an accelerator programme at the Wuppertal site for start-ups involved in the circular economy.

You’ll find plenty of other actors in NRW, including the following: 

These organisations are ready to assist you with information, events and funding for your project. 

For an overview of funding sources and current events on social and sustainable entrepreneurship near you, check the interactive map at gründen.nrw.

 

Which other financing and funding instruments are open to social and environmental start-ups?

The specialists at NRW.BANK can help with any questions you may have around financing and will prepare you for the finance meeting at the principal bank. For example, you will receive advice on: 

  • The clarity of your business plan 

  • Information on networks, accelerators and competitors 

  • Grants 

  • Other information regarding financing 

Find your ideal contact on the NRW.BANK website

NRW.BANK also offers funding programmes to help finance your start-up: these include the NRW.Mikrodarlehen [micro-loans] programme, which is offered in collaboration with the Startercenters, and the NRW.MicroCrowd [crowdfunding] programme. The latter has been developed especially for social and environmental start-ups and is offered in collaboration with the crowdfunding platform Startnext. 

There are also other programmes that social enterprises can apply to. You can find out more using NRW.BANK’s funding advice service

Start-ups that are specifically dedicated to the environmental economy can get assistance from and in North Rhine-Westphalia through the Gründungswettbewerb KUER competition for start-ups. Experts and coaches from sectors such as climate, environment, energy efficiency and resource conservation provide help with founding a business, from the concept to market launch.

If you want to find out more about social and sustainable entrepreneurship topics such as impact measurement, business models and legal structures, take a look at the Gründerplattform platform.