Mannheim-Heidelberg-Walldorf

The primary tasks of the economic and structural development department of the city of Mannheim are to support the success of local companies and strengthen the creative and innovative factors of Mannheim as a location. Economic development nurtures and guides companies, businesspeople, retail, start-ups, creatives, freelancers and economic institutions. Constructing start-up opportunities tailored to target groups is one of the key tasks of local authority economic development. Economic development also offers the annual Mannheim Start-up Prize, which is awarded in three categories. The 10,000 Euro prize money for each category is donated by a premium partner and makes this award one of the most significant local start-up prizes in the whole of Germany.

The exi voucher Mannheim provides qualified, tailored consulting, free of charge, to start-up entrepreneurs in the pre-start-up phase. The regional providers of the exi voucher Mannheim are:
-    City of Mannheim
-    gig7 Competence Centre Female Business
-    Pro Social Business
-    Business and Building
-    dtw (German-Turkish Economic Centre)
Funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing from the European Social Fund.

The MAFINEX Start-up Association provides comprehensive support in all relevant areas for start-up projects from universities.
We provide a network for participating universities and connect them with mentors from the economic network. We are the first point of contact for university resources, and provide consulting and support during the process of applying for federal subsidies and financial support from the state of Baden-Württemberg.

The mg:gmbh (mannheimer gründungszentren gmbh) is the largest institution supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups in Baden-Württemberg. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the City of Mannheim and manages eight start-up centres. Musikpark Mannheim, MAFINEX Technology Centre, C-HUB, dtw German-Turkish Economic Centre, Altes Volksbad – Creative Business, gig7 Gründerinnenzentrum, Cubex41 and Textilerei. Currently, more than 250 businesses with over 1000 employees are being served in 28,000 square metres of office space. Another start-up centre for medical technology (Business Development Center) is under construction.
The services provided for start-ups and new businesses include target group-oriented consulting, rental of office space, infrastructure, co-working spaces, cooperation support and a host of networking opportunities. The aim and objective of mg:gmbh is to provide optimal conditions for new entrepreneurs, attract promising start-ups to Mannheim and support sustainable business – especially in the areas of Industry 4.0, medical technology and the creative economy.

In addition to the musical economy cluster, the portfolio also boasts the cultural and creative economy cluster, film funding, support for music and popular culture and the Unesco City of Music title.

We Heidelberg Startup Partners e.V. are convinced of the potential of Heidelberg in both scientific and economic terms. By offering the appropriate professional support, we help inventors and entrepreneurs from the scientific community to develop and implement their ideas. To this end, we tap into the strengths of those who have joined the association. As an attractive point of contact, we maintain relations with the various stakeholders.
Our goal is to secure the long-term success of start-ups. To this end, we support the formation of interdisciplinary teams in which all types of expertise are represented and help with the acquisition of the resources required.

The field office for the cultural and creative economy of Heidelberg is the central point representing the interests of the cultural and creative economy within the municipal administration, taking care of the requirements of businesses and employees. It is also the point of contact for all active and potential creatives, who can contact the office at any time with their questions and queries.

The innoWerft GmbH is the IT start-up incubator for SAP-related entrepreneurs in the Rhine-Neckar region.
Start-ups get the best possible access to the relevant markets, potential customers and industry experts. We support your innovative ideas and help you to found your start-up. Our coaching sessions and workshops ensure that you are ready to face the market with everything you need in the IT environment.
SAP is our strategic technology partner, ensuring that we can provide ideal conditions for your start-up in the IT environment. Our vision is to provide the best possible support for tomorrow's IT start-ups, paying particular attention to innovative and pioneering ideas.

The strength of the established networks between cities and businesses is a special feature of our region. Many projects are real joint ventures. There is a culture of trust between the participants. The presence of large and medium-sized (IT) companies is also a plus. SAP, the largest software company in Europe, and other global players make strong partners.