Key takeaways
Digitalizing doctor and dental practices costs money – but KfW loans and funding programs can significantly cushion the investment required.
The ERP-Gründerkredit StartGeld from KfW was raised to up to 200,000 euros at the end of 2025 and is often the easiest entry point into financing for young practices.
With the 2026 digitalization strategy, AI-supported documentation is becoming the standard – those who invest now relieve their team and secure their future readiness.
You're facing a decision in your dental practice: the intraoral scanner is getting old, your team loses time every day on handwritten documentation, and this would actually be the moment for the digital leap. What's holding you back isn't the will – it's the question of money. This is exactly where funding loans and grants come in.
Why is the 2026 digitalization strategy picking up pace now?
With the further development of the digitalization strategy presented by the Federal Ministry of Health in February 2026, AI-supported documentation is meant to become the standard in more than 70 percent of healthcare and care facilities by 2028.
This shifts the framework for every practice. What was long considered a nice-to-have becomes a clear expectation: structured, digitally captured treatment data instead of isolated notes and paper filing. To provide the legal backing, a draft bill for a law on digital care and the health data space has been announced, which will translate the strategy into concrete requirements.
For you as a dentist, this isn't abstract health policy. Treatment documentation under GOZ and BEMA, patient consent, anamnesis – all of this ties up valuable time today that your team needs at the treatment chair. The stated purpose of the strategy is exactly this relief: AI is meant to take over administrative work so that more time remains for treatment.
That's why it's worth not postponing the investment any further. Those who make the switch now not only meet upcoming expectations but also gain noticeable breathing room in everyday practice life today. A solution like Nelly's AI documentation addresses exactly this point.
Which KfW loans exist for practice founding and takeover?
The most important loans for practice founding and takeover come from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and range from the StartGeld for young practices to the ERP-Förderkredit KMU for larger projects.
The best approach is to tackle digitalization from the start – that is, when you're founding or taking over a practice anyway. Investments in software, IT, and digital equipment are explicitly eligible for funding under the KfW programs. These three loans are the key points of contact:
The StartGeld is the simplest entry point for most new practice foundations: since December 2025, up to 200,000 euros are possible, of which up to 80,000 euros can go toward ongoing operating funds. If this scope isn't enough or if you bring equity of your own, the ERP-Kapital für Gründung with up to 500,000 euros is the next level. For larger or already established practices, the ERP-Förderkredit KMU is the option to consider.
One important note upfront: you always submit the application through your house bank – and always before commissioning the investment. Anyone who orders equipment or software in advance loses the right to funding. So plan realistically for several months from the first idea to disbursement.
Which funding programs and grants can practices use?
Unlike loans, grant funding doesn't need to be repaid – making it the most attractive but also the hardest-to-access form of funding.
The problem is rarely the lack of money, but rather the lack of overview: the jungle of federal, state, and EU programs is barely possible to see through anymore. This is exactly why funding consultancies exist, which find the right funding for doctor and dental practices. So that you can keep focusing on your patients, such an agency takes on three tasks:
Research: It keeps track of decisions by ministries and project sponsors and compiles an overview of the programs that fit your practice.
Funding strategy: It selects and designs projects so that they qualify for funding – based on your staffing plans and your digitalization project.
Application submission: It handles the paperwork and the review of documents so nothing goes wrong with the application.
In addition, KfW loans and grants can in many cases be combined with state programs. Anyone who only looks at a single program regularly leaves funding potential on the table. Whether you bring in a consultancy is up to you – but the chances of higher funding increase noticeably as a result.
How can you reduce the investment needed for digitalization?
Not every digitalization effort requires high upfront investment – cloud-based solutions can be introduced without expensive hardware and without major capital outlay.
That's the other side of the equation: before thinking about large loans, it's worth looking at measures that work quickly and cost little. This is where Nelly comes in as a partner – not as additional software you have to manage, but as a solution that takes tedious work off your hands.
The biggest lever is documentation, which is coming into focus anyway through the 2026 strategy. With Nelly's AI Documentation, you speak instead of typing: the conversation is automatically converted into structured treatment documentation – including billing suggestions for your practice. The time your team previously spent updating patient files is now available again for treatment.
Learn more about Nelly's AI Documentation here: https://www.getnelly.de/produkte/ki-dokumentation
"Since we digitalized our documentation, we save noticeable time at the front desk every day. These hours are no longer lost to us – they're available again for our patients."
– Helen Stürmer, former practice manager
A second lever lies in patient communication. Treatment plans that go unanswered cost you revenue and liquidity. Nelly's AI Plan Agent takes over the sending of treatment plans, the follow-up, and the reminders – automated and without additional effort for your team. This turns open plans into scheduled treatments faster.
Learn more about Nelly's AI Plan Agent here: https://www.getnelly.de/produkte/ki-plan-agent
The advantage of cloud-based solutions: you don't pay high acquisition costs but instead use the solution during ongoing operations. This makes the digital entry achievable even without a funding loan – leaving the funding available for the larger investments.
Conclusion: Now is the right time to digitalize your practice
In 2026, digitalization is no longer a question of if, but of when. The digitalization strategy is making AI-supported documentation the standard, while KfW loans and funding programs cushion the necessary investments. Those who think both together – funding for the big acquisitions, lean cloud solutions for a fast start – give their practice breathing room today while also securing their future readiness. Don't wait too long.
Get informed now, no obligation: Get free, no-obligation advice on how to digitalize your practice step by step. Schedule a conversation here.
FAQs about loans and funding for practices
Which KfW loan is suitable for digitalizing a dental practice?
For small and young practices up to five years after founding, the ERP-Gründerkredit StartGeld with up to 200,000 euros is suitable. Established or larger practices use the ERP-Förderkredit KMU with up to 25 million euros. Both can be used for software, equipment, and digital infrastructure.
Does funding have to be repaid?
You repay loans with interest, but not grants. Pure grant funding is therefore particularly attractive, but often tied to strict conditions. A funding consultancy checks which grants and low-interest loans are relevant for your practice and how the two can be sensibly combined.
Is digitalization worth it despite the costs?
The 2026 digitalization strategy envisions AI-supported documentation as the standard by 2028. Practices that switch early relieve their team noticeably and gain time for treatment. Cloud-based solutions like Nelly also reduce the investment needed, since no expensive hardware is required.
