Inclusion through Self-Employment: Evidence-Based support for migrant businesses launched in Munich

Support for migrant entrepreneurs to start, grow, and sustain their businesses is often inadequate or misaligned with their specific needs. To address this gap, an MPG-led initiative aimed at enhancing local support services for migrant businesses was launched in Munich on 5 February 2025 as part of the INNOVATE Migration Research to Policy project.

In both Munich and Turin, a structured policy dialogue will be established through a roundtable process, bringing together key stakeholders such as business support agencies, incubators, chambers of commerce, (migrant) business associations, and researchers. This dialogue will be coordinated by the respective municipalities to ensure a collaborative and impact-driven approach.

Building on an MPG-supported needs assessment and internationally informed policy recommendations, the initiative will develop concrete action plans to bridge gaps in the support ecosystem. These plans will be followed by pilot initiatives testing innovative approaches, complemented by transnational peer-to-peer exchange. The first roundtable discussions explored critical topics such as community outreach to raise awareness about available services, strengthening engagement with financial institutions, and improving one-stop service models for migrant entrepreneurs.

This Process Innovation Action is one of seven such initiatives under the INNOVATE CO-LAB, demonstrating how research evidence can directly inform policy in the fields of migration and integration. It builds on MPG’s extensive experience in supporting migrant entrepreneurship, including the Migrant Entrepreneurship Growth Agenda and the Newcomer Entrepreneurship Support.