Finanzierung von Weiterbildung in der Bewegtbildbranche
Funding Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development in the Audiovisual Industry
Continuing professional development is essential in the audiovisual industry, but it often involves significant costs for employees and freelance professionals.
The resources linked here provide an overview of current funding opportunities, including the Education Voucher (Bildungsgutschein), Placement Budget (Vermittlungsbudget), Upgrading Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegs-BAföG / AFBG), KOMPASS (Support Programme for Solo Self-Employed Professionals), various state-level funding programmes, and additional financing options for professional training in the film and media industry.
These programmes are designed for unemployed people, job seekers, individuals at risk of unemployment, people seeking apprenticeships or employment, employees without a formally recognised vocational qualification, employees subject to social security contributions, qualified professionals, and solo self-employed workers.
The overview is organised into three tables:
- Table 1: Nationwide Funding Instruments for Employee Training
- Table 2: State-Level Programmes and Additional Funding Opportunities
- Table 3: Funding Instruments by Target Group
(Last updated: May 2026)
Important note: Due to limited capacity, we are unable to update the funding overview on a regular basis. If you notice outdated information, broken links, or any inaccuracies, we would appreciate a brief message at info@filmhaus-frankfurt.de.
Please note
The continuing education programme offered by Filmhaus Frankfurt is not AZAV-certified.
"mein NOW" – National Continuing Education Portal
The national online portal mein NOW provides comprehensive information on professional development, retraining opportunities, and the funding programmes available to support them.
STEP Professional Development Funding by Hessen Film & Media
The STEP funding programme of Hessen Film & Medien supports students, film and media alumni, and career changers based in Hesse as they enter the film industry. In justified cases, participants may also be based outside the state of Hesse.
Tax Deduction of Training Costs
The costs of continuing professional development—that is, expenses incurred by employees or self-employed professionals to maintain or expand the knowledge and skills required for their current occupation—are generally fully tax-deductible as employment-related expenses or business expenses.
Expenses for initial vocational training, meaning training that provides the qualifications required for a first profession, may be claimed as special expenses of up to €4,000 per calendar year.
More information is available here.
Installment Payments for Filmhaus Frankfurt Seminars
If you would like to attend one of our professional development courses but are not eligible for any of the funding programmes listed above, we are happy to offer interest-free monthly installment payments in cases of financial hardship.
We are committed to finding a solution that makes your professional development possible.
