(Photo: © NRW.BANK / Lokomotiv)
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August 11, 2025
Christian Kaldewey from Möhnesee was one of the first recipients of the NRW microloan. A trained heating engineer, he founded a company in 2009 that locates and repairs leaks and damaged pipes.
Before founding his company, Kaldewey Leak Detection , Christian Kaldewey worked in his trained profession as a central heating and ventilation installer and subsequently completed a commercial apprenticeship. His knowledge of the construction industry allowed him to recognize the scarcity of specialized companies for locating leaks and pipe damage in the Möhnesee region. The idea of filling this market gap occupied him for some time before he decided to become self-employed in this field in his mid-30s.
To carefully plan his business start-up, Christian Kaldewey contacted the NRW Starter Center of the Hellweg-Lippe Chamber of Skilled Crafts in Soest . "There, the consultant pointed me to the new funding program," said Kaldewey, who also found an advocate in the start-up expert. "He told me that he not only found my concept plausible, but also considered me the type of person who could pull it off." The funding consultant helped with the preparation of the detailed business plan and supported the application to NRW.BANK for the NRW.Microloan.
Kaldewey recalls that the entire approval process was very straightforward. Shortly after submitting his application, he received €12.000 from the NRW.Mikrodarlehen program . When success became apparent early on and he wanted to invest in additional machinery, he received an extension loan of €13.000 at the beginning of 2010.
Initially, Kaldewey was a sole proprietor, but after about nine months, he hired his first full-time employee : "I couldn't manage the workload alone anymore; I felt like my life revolved solely around construction sites and my office." It was important to the founder to establish a good reputation through reliability and solid work during the startup phase. That, he said, was "the be-all and end-all in the trades." Kaldewey found the option of delaying loan repayments during this crucial development phase to be a great relief . The initial grace period allowed him to focus on his work and prepare for the start of repayments.
Operations management
Craft policy
Operations management
" The NRW Microloan supports not only business start-ups but also job creation ," says Margrit Rieger, who is responsible for this funding program at NRW.BANK . As was the case 15 years ago when the program was launched, no proof of equity capital or standard bank collateral is required for approval of the NRW Microloan. "The example of Mr. Kaldewey and his successful start-up shows that a well-thought-out concept and a convincing entrepreneurial personality can provide a solid foundation for successful self-employment ."
Here you can learn more about the start-up support offered by NRW.BANK.
Since 2008, the Starter Center NRW and the NRW.BANK the NRW microloan.
• More than 1.000 start-up ideas were realized with the loan in the first 15 years.
• The maximum amount for the NRW microloan is €50.000.
• On average, a startup in North Rhine-Westphalia takes out €22.500 in microloans.
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This is how the foundation works
✔️ The business plan: Write your business plan as your "script" for your startup project. In it, you present your business idea convincingly and outline a comprehensible financial plan for your investors to use in their lending decisions.
✔️ Your bank: Talk to a trusted bank about your idea early on. Since much depends on their financing decision, you should seek their advice beforehand.
✔️ The consultation: A first point of contact for your business start-up is the Startercenter NRW in your region. There you can refine your start-up plan with experienced experts.
✔️ Funding advice: When it comes to implementing the financing, the funding experts at NRW.BANK are happy to assist you with their financing and funding expertise, providing tips and guidance to help you prepare optimally for your financing meeting. All these consultations are free of charge and, of course, confidential.
✔️ Funding opportunities: Public funding offers numerous advantages. Your local bank, the NRW start-up centers, and NRW.BANK can advise you on the relevant programs.
✔️ Grants: In addition to financial assistance, there are numerous grant opportunities for founders from municipalities, districts and federal states, as well as at the federal and EU levels.
✔️ Investors: No business plan is without risks. If you can't or don't want to manage this alone, you should bring investors on board. The spectrum ranges from business angels to dedicated startup or entrepreneurial funds.
Start: It all begins with a business idea and a good business plan.
Help: A development bank can provide financial start-up assistance and support you with neutral advice.
Guide: Your local bank will guide you to the development bank, help with the application and submit it there.
Growth: Development banks offer support for every phase of a company's development.
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