Context. For asteroseismic modelling, analysis of the high-accuracy light curves delivered by the Kepler satellite mission needs support by ground-based, multi-colour and spectroscopic observations. Aims: We determine the fundamental parameters of SPB and beta Cep candidate stars observed by the Kepler satellite mission and estimate the expected types of non-radial pulsators. Methods: We compared newly obtained high-resolution spectra with synthetic spectra computed on a grid of stellar parameters assuming LTE, and checked for NLTE effects for the hottest stars. For comparison, we determined Teff independently from fitting the spectral energy distribution of the stars obtained from the available photometry. Results: We determine Teff, log g, microturbulent velocity, v sin i, metallicity, and elemental abundance for 14 of the 16 candidate stars. Two stars are spectroscopic binaries. No significant influence of NLTE effects on the results could be found. For hot stars, we find systematic deviations in the determined effective temperatures from those given in the Kepler Input Catalogue. The deviations are confirmed by the results obtained from ground-based photometry. Five stars show reduced metallicity, two stars are He-strong, one is He-weak, and one is Si-strong. Two of the stars could be beta Cep/SPB hybrid pulsators, four SPB pulsators, and five more stars are located close to the borders of the SPB instability region. Based on observations with the 2-m Alfred Jensch telescope at the Thüringer Landessternwarte (TLS) Tautenburg.