Services for foreign companies
Looking to enter German market with your business cooperation idea? Discover business opportunities in Germany here!
You can learn about the benefits of the programme for your company and find information on how to participate here – in other words everything you need to be successful on the German market.
How participating in the partnership programme benefits you
Are you looking for German business partners or do you want to export your products to Germany? Are you interested in technical know-how “Made in Germany” and in expanding your business internationally? Partnering in Business with Germany is currently offering wide-ranging opportunities to companies from 18 countries to get to know potential German business partners and to expand their business operations internationally.
Your company will benefit from participating in this programme in many ways:
Build business contacts with German companies:
The programme offers many opportunities to talk, to explore opportunities for cooperation and to develop joint projects.
Create networks:
Create networks with successful managers from Europe, Afrika and Latin America - and with alumni from your own region. More than 17,000 managers have taken part in the programme over the last 25 years.
Expand your management expertise:
Be it the efficient use of resources, change management or international quality certificates: our interactive training courses teach you how to implement change within your company in order to guarantee its successful internationalisation.
Get to know the German market better:
Knowledge of foreign markets and intercultural skills are decisive for your success. Partnering in Business with Germany offers you both. On top of that, the direct contact to German business partners also enhances the international reputation of your products.
Benefits for your SME:
The programme specifically supports small and medium-sized enterprises in our partner countries that are put in touch with German companies - a win for both sides.
Are you interested in our programme? This is how you can participate!
If you…
- are a company manager,
- have a concrete idea for cooperation with German businesses,
- have several years of management experience and
- have a good command of the English (or Russian) language,
… we would like to cordially invite you to be part of our programme!
Your company should be an SME and have potential for internationalisation and the potential to cooperate with German businesses.
Application and support in the partner country
You can apply via the local partner institution in your country. This partner institution and the GIZ will hold an interview with you about the cooperation project that you wish to develop and implement with German partners.
The partner institutions:
- advertise the programme and recruit potential participants.
- organise and conduct the selection interviews in cooperation with the GIZ, both online and onsite.
- support and prepare the selected participants for their stay in Germany.
- support alumni networking activities in the partner country after the programme has been successfully completed.
For contact details of your partner institution visit the webpage for your country.
This is how you can start doing business with German companies
Partnering in Business with Germany is practice-oriented and requires commitment.
The programme consists of three stages and begins with intensive preparation in your country. During a 2-day introductory workshop and parallel online courses you and other managers will learn everything you need to know about the German business culture. Business Development Centres (BDC) experts will help you to develop your cooperation idea.
The main part of the programme is your three week stay in Germany during which you will encounter German companies directly. Not only will you have an opportunity to speak with German entrepreneurs, but you will also get to know the quality and technology “Made in Germany” on site and in practice and gain valuable insights into the business culture. You will be creating top-flight contacts and find business partners you can trust.
After your trip to Germany, you will continue to proactively implement your cooperation project with German companies.
By receiving our graduation certificate, you will become part of the international alumni network Partnering in Business with Germany!
An evaluation and reflection process will take place five months after your stay in Germany, during which you will focus on the results of your cooperation and on expanding your networks, establish contacts with alumni from previous years and meet representatives of the German business network in your country.
Find out more about the individual elements of the programme:
Stage 1: Preparation
Be well prepared to reach your goals
Partnering in Business with Germany combines online and onsite courses (blended learning) and makes use of current methods like learning groups, tandems and coaching techniques to develop skills and promote the exchange between participants.
The online courses take place via a digital PG-campus platform that offers both learning modules and direct communication options. The advanced training is organised in groups of around 20 managers – either across all sectors or with a focus on green technologies, health care, food/smart farming etc.
A two-day introductory workshop in your country allows you to get to know each other, share experiences and tie first contacts to German businesses. Thanks to the support and input provided by the Business Development Centres (BDC), participants can develop their individual plans and independently implement their cooperation projects.
Preparation procedure:
Duration: a minimum of 6 weeks, one two-day introductory workshop on site and 3 online events.
Content:
- – Further development of your cooperation project.
- – Preparation for B2B meetings in Germany.
- – Sharing of practical knowledge and skills for international business initiation.
- – The skills conveyed are tailored to the needs of the individual groups and usually include management skills (e.g. quality management, marketing and logistics, innovation and change management) and cooperation skills (such as intercultural management, giving successful presentations and contract preparation).
- – During their three weeks in Germany, participants visit a number of companies. Training courses continue and also include reflection sessions.
After this preparation, you will be very well prepared for your B2B meetings, for developing your business contacts and implementing your personal and your business goals.
Stage 2: Matchmaking
Careful matching and a partnership-based approach are at the heart of the programme.
The matchmaking process begins during the preparations and is continued intensively during your stay in Germany.
- In your home country: experienced trainers will provide online support to identify suitable cooperation partners and to prepare you for B2B meetings. Your personal commitment and thorough preparation are key for your success.
- In Germany: you will forge contacts with representatives from the German business. During your customised B2B meetings, you will develop concrete approaches for potential business cooperation.
This way, you can optimise your stay in Germany and lay a foundation for sustainable partnerships with German companies.
Stage 3: Conclusion of contracts
From contact to cooperation
After intensive preparation and successful matchmaking, the focus is on concluding contracts. Around 10% of the managers taking part in the programme sign their first contracts with German companies during their stay in Germany – a great potential for success!
Testimonials from companies based in the partner countries
The programme’s most important contribution to reaching our goals was that it allowed us to present ourselves as a reputable company to potential partners in Germany, a company that has received support from the German government for taking part in the programme.
Our partnership with German company DIVE Turbinen has had a very positive impact on our business. It has given us access to new and innovative technologies and new ways of thinking. The programme has allowed us to place innovative equipment on the markets in Central Asia, which helps reduce overall construction costs.
I know Germany a little because I studied there. But if you want to do business in Germany, you really need to know how to hold talks, how to negotiate and how to approach business partners. The programme has helped us understand these dynamics.
Focus sectors and topics that bear responsibility for the future
Partnering in Business with Germany cuts across all sectors. At the moment, in particular participants from the following sectors are joining the programme:
Agriculture
Construction industry
Energy efficiency in industry
Renewable energy
Healthcare industry
Industry 4.0
Circular economy/environmental technologies
Food industry
