Funding for hair salons often sounds like free money, but it is usually a mix of genuine grants and low-interest loans. Knowing the difference leads to more realistic planning and stops a salon from missing out on money it could actually apply for. Especially around founding, taking over a salon, digitalising, or larger investments, a structured look at the available programmes pays off.
This article sorts through the most relevant funding pots for hair salons: from KfW loans to the master craftsperson founding bonus and consulting subsidies. It complements the article Financing Salon Equipment, which compares leasing, credit and buying directly.
Funding for hair salons: grant or loan?
A genuine grant is paid out once, and the salon does not have to repay it later. A subsidised loan, by contrast, remains a loan — just on better terms than the open market, for example with a low interest rate or interest-free initial years. For investments such as renovation, equipment or stock, most public programmes run as subsidised loans. Genuine grants tend to apply instead to consulting, qualification, or certain regional start-up support schemes.
Combining both funding pots covers both the capital requirement and individual cost blocks, without relying solely on debt.
ERP-Gründerkredit-StartGeld: the classic for founding and taking over a salon
KfW’s ERP-Gründerkredit-StartGeld targets founders as well as salons within the first five years after a takeover or fresh start. It finances up to €200,000 for equipment, machinery, vehicles, rent, staff or stock. It requires no equity and offers up to two interest-free initial years. The salon’s own bank submits the application and also handles the creditworthiness check.
Funding digitalisation: POS systems, booking tools and websites
For digital investments such as a new POS system, a booking tool or a professional website, KfW offers its own ERP-Förderkredit Digitalisierung. Such programmes change fairly often, however: the well-known “go-digital” grant scheme, for instance, has not accepted new applications since the end of 2024. Before planning anything, it is worth briefly checking which digitalisation programme is actually still running.
Funding for hair salons: the master craftsperson founding bonus by state
Because hairdressing counts among the trades that require a master craftsperson qualification, salons in several German states can qualify for a master craftsperson founding bonus (Meistergründungsprämie). Amounts vary widely: some states pay a low four-figure sum, others considerably more. Some do not currently offer the programme at all. What matters in every case is submitting the application before the actual founding step. A founding consultation with the relevant chamber of crafts beforehand matters just as much. Anyone still unsure whether a master certificate is even required can check the legal background first. The article Master Craftsman Requirement in Hairdressing covers it in detail.
Consulting subsidies: grants for external business advice
Besides investments, the federal government also funds consulting itself. Business consulting programmes cover part of the cost of external, qualified advice, for example on pricing, succession or a digitalisation strategy. These grants are among the few funding types a salon genuinely does not have to repay.
Funding sustainable investments
Energy-efficient investments such as LED lighting, modern heating technology or water-saving basins can often be funded too, though the programmes and requirements change frequently. Salons that want to align their concept with sustainability anyway will find further guidance in the article Sustainability in the Salon.
Requirements almost all programmes share
Almost every programme requires the application before the measure begins; a salon that orders or builds first and applies for funding afterwards usually comes away empty-handed. On top of that, most programmes expect sufficient creditworthiness, a viable concept, and, for many loans, involving the salon’s own bank as the application route. Salons should therefore plan early rather than submitting funding applications shortly before the actual investment.
How a salon finds the right programmes
The funding landscape changes quickly and also differs from state to state. A reliable first point of contact is the federal funding database, which makes programmes from the federal government, the states and the EU searchable by industry and region. It also helps to talk to the relevant chamber of crafts and the salon’s own bank, since both know about regional programmes and which ones are actually still available right now.
Conclusion: using funding for hair salons strategically
Funding for hair salons unfolds its full value only in combination: an affordable loan for the investment, a possible master craftsperson founding bonus for the start, and a consulting grant for strategic preparation. Salons that research early and submit applications before the measure begins make the most of this combination.
This article provides general information and does not replace individual legal, tax or financial advice.