With the EXIST-Women funding program, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is once again providing targeted support this year to women interested in starting their own businesses, particularly during the pre-launch phase. The program focuses on developing an entrepreneurial mindset and the structured development of a business idea. The funding aims to prepare female founders for potential business launches at an early stage and lay the foundation for follow-up funding such as the EXIST Start-up Grant or the EXIST Research Transfer program.
The program is aimed at female students who have completed at least half of their coursework in a bachelor's program, female university graduates, female researchers, doctoral candidates, and women with vocational training. A prerequisite is that no business has yet been founded and that no start-up funding from the federal or state government has been previously received.
Material resources, incubation and optional scholarship
Participants in the EXIST-Women program receive a one-time equipment budget of €2,000 per founder. In addition, participation in the SCE Incubation program, which runs from March to July, is included. Within this program, the founders benefit from the SCE Founders Booster, which provides an additional equipment budget of up to €2,000 per startup.
Furthermore, participants gain access to the infrastructure of SCE and Munich University of Applied Sciences, including workspaces in the incubator. The program is complemented by nationwide exchange formats for female founders, workshops, networking events, and mentoring and coaching opportunities.
Optionally, there is the possibility of receiving a scholarship of up to three months, covering the period from May to July. The monthly stipend ranges from €1,000 to €3,000, depending on qualifications. An additional child allowance of €150 per child per month is also provided. During the scholarship period, concurrent employment is either prohibited or limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week.
Application process
Act fast: The application period for EXIST-Women 2026 runs until February 15, 2026.
The selection process is two-stage. First, interested individuals apply online and go through the multi-stage selection process for the SCE Incubation. Founders accepted into the incubation then submit a questionnaire, including proof of studies or degrees. An interview or pitch may also be part of the process.
More information can be found here: https://www.sce.de/angebote/start-up-programme/start-up-foerderung-ressourcen/exist-women.html
