[mrpixel]

The Gründerzuschuss is only for people who live of the governments unemployment insurance (ALG I). You get it for 6 months (if you've been employed for one year) up to 12 months (if you've been employed for two years). And there still must be three months of insurance left to apply for it.

If you don't get that insurance anymore, you get about €364 per month plus rent and health insurance (ALG II). Then, you can still try to start your own business but you only get some extra pocket money if you can be expected to make a living within 6 months (ha-ha). If you don't take the pocket money, you have 12 months until you have too look for employment again. Also, you cannot keep the money you earn for investments. About 90% of those attemps fail. Honestly, I cannot believe that the German government wants us to be independent, merely out of the statistics for a while.

Oh, by the way: if they put you on anything that takes more than 14 hours a week (like some €1/h job or some useless course) you're not officially unemployed. That's how they managed to come up with those incredible statistics.