"Brandenburg needs a strong craft industry"

The Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs has improved the requirements for accessing the Master Craftsman Start-up Bonus. The amended guidelines are now in effect.

This article is part of the special feature GründerNavi – for founders and young companies

Previously, the application could only be submitted within three years of completing the master craftsman's examination. This deadline now applies to master craftsmen and women taking over an existing business. For female master craftsmen, the deadline is generally waived—even if they are establishing a new business.

"A strong skilled trades sector is important for Brandenburg – as a driver of innovation, as an employer, and as a provider of vocational training. This subsidy is intended to help secure the future of businesses in the skilled trades," explained Minister of Economic Affairs Jörg Steinbach. " Unfortunately, fewer women than men still seize the opportunity for self-employment. This also applies to the skilled trades. With this amendment to the guidelines, we want to explicitly encourage female master craftswomen to take the step into self-employment," Steinbach continued.

You might also be interested in:

Operations management

Workshop liable for incorrect entries in the service booklet

Operations management

How to protect yourself from competition in the neighborhood

Operations management

Automotive service mechanic training: Hardly any future prospects

Two-stage funding

The bonus, introduced in autumn 2015, is available in two stages. Master craftsmen and women who establish a business in the state of Brandenburg, acquire a stake, or take over a skilled trades business can receive a one-time basic grant of up to €8.700. Those who subsequently create a new job or apprenticeship can receive an additional €3.300 in the second stage.

The majority of applications come from the automotive trade

By March 2019, 267 applications with a total volume of €2,3 million had been approved – most of them from the automotive sector, followed by master craftsmen in the heating, ventilation, and plumbing trades, and master carpenters and roofers. The majority of female master craftsmen who received a master craftsman start-up bonus came from the hairdressing trade.

Difficult search for successor

In Brandenburg's skilled trades sector, with its nearly 40.000 businesses, the number of pending business successions has been rising for several years. However, for a growing number of high-performing companies, no successor can be found – a trend observed nationwide . Brandenburg aims to counteract this with its Master Craftsman Start-Up Bonus. "Especially for a large, rural state like Brandenburg, where demographic changes are having a significant impact, business succession is of paramount importance. This is even more true for master craftsman businesses, where the majority of apprenticeships take place. These businesses not only retain skilled workers, but they also counteract the increasing shortage of skilled labor across the state, thereby maintaining economic strength. Furthermore, new jobs and apprenticeships are created by qualified and motivated master craftsmen and women," emphasized Minister Steinbach.