FAQ
Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions.
- ESF Plus funding in general
- Various kinds of training for people at different career stages
- Start-ups/Companies
ESF Plus funding in general
1) Who does the ESF Plus fund? What does it fund?
ESF Plus can help if you are looking for training, are unemployed, or want to take part in continuing education. It also supports individuals returning to work after taking time off, for example to raise children or care for a family member. If you have a migrant background, want to change careers, or are interested in starting a business, ESF Plus can provide support as well. Additionally, the fund offers assistance to owners and employees of small or medium-sized enterprises. This is available all over Germany in your town or neighborhood.
2) How does ESF Plus funding work?
ESF Plus is not an employment agency. Funding for individuals is only provided via the various ESF Plus funding programmes, which are generally implemented by projects and responsible institutions. If you would like to apply for ESF Plus funding as part of a specific funding programme, you must contact a local ESF Plus project directly. See also 3) "How do I find ESF Plus funding?".
3) How do I find ESF Plus funding?
On the homepage www.esf.de/en, go to "How to profit from ESF" and then select "I am looking for support for ..." from the drop-down menu, e.g. employees . If you hit "START SEARCH", you will see a list of all ESF Plus funding programmes that could be of interest to you. To take a closer look at the offers, simply click on the title of the programme and you will see a brief description of the respective programme. The programme might be something for you? Then you will find a german map of locations or list of projects ("Projektliste", "Projektübersicht") in the profile of the programme. There you can check where there are corresponding ESF Plus projects in Germany. If you would like to take part, simply contact the ESF Plus project.
4) Where can I find out about the ESF Plus funding programmes and projects in my region?
For one, there are ESF Plus funding programmes at the federal level, which are listed on the website www.esfplus.de/programmes. In the brief description of the programmes you will find a map of locations or a list of projects in the programme profile. There you can check where there are corresponding ESF Plus projects in Germany.
There are also ESF Plus funding programmes of the federal states (also called "Länder"). These take into account the labour market characteristics of the particular region. On the website www.esfplus.de/programmes you will find a map of Germany under the tab for the programmes of the Länder. Click on one to go to its ESF website. Here you will find information on the ESF Plus funding programmes of the respective Land. You can also find the ESF contact centres of each individual Land here.
5) Where can I find information on a specific ESF Plus funding programme?
On the homepage www.esf.de/en, go to "How to profit from ESF" and then select "I am looking for support for ..." from the drop-down menu and press the "START SEARCH" button. Then you will see an overview of all ESF Plus funding programmes. You can also filter the programmes according to search criteria. You can also find an overview of all ESF Plus funding programmes on the website www.esfplus.de/programmes.
Various kinds of training for people at different career stages
6) Does ESF Plus fund further training and in-service training?
On the homepage www.esf.de/en, go to "How to profit from ESF?" and then select "I am looking for funding for ..." employees from the drop-down menu. If you hit "START SEARCH", you will see a list of all ESF Plus funding programmes that could be of interest to you. See also 3) How can I find ESF Plus funding?
7) Can language courses be funded by the ESF Plus?
The ESF Plus does not organise language courses. We recommend that you ask at the job center whether you can take part in a language course. Information on vocational language courses can be obtained from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
8) Are there ESF Plus funding opportunities to complete a training programme or receive career guidance?
Training programmes are not funded directly. But many young people have problems getting into a vocational training programme at all. The ESF Plus funds a variety of career guidance programmes. On the homepage www.esf.de, go to "How to profit from ESF?" and then select "I am looking for funding for ..." young people, young adults from the drop-down menu. If you hit "START SEARCH", you will see a list of all ESF Plus funding programmes that could be of interest to you. See also 3) How can I find ESF Plus funding?
Start-ups/Companies
9) How does the ESF Plus support start-ups, the self-employed and companies?
On the homepage www.esf.de/en, go to "How to profit from ESF" and then select "I am looking for support for ..." from the drop-down menu, e.g. start-up entrepreneurs, or companies, or self-employed. If you hit "START SEARCH", you see receive a list of all ESF Plus programmes in which you could participate. See also 3) How do I find ESF funding?
In addition, the federal funding database (www.foerderdatenbank.de) provides an overview of the various funding programmes offered by the federal government, the Länder and the European Union.
10) Can different kinds of in-company training for employees be funded via ESF Plus?
On the homepage www.esf.de/en, go to "How to profit from ESF?" and then select "I am looking for support for ..." companies from the drop-down menu. If you "START SEARCH", you will receive a list of all ESF Plus funding programmes in which companies, especially SMEs, can participate. See also 3) How can I find ESF Plus funding?
