KickStart@FHWS: Starting a business with your own idea

Support in the pre-founding phase of a start-up: The KickStart@FHWS project is aimed at young founders in the first phase of a start-up. Successful teams in the competition receive up to 7,500 euros to refinance necessary materials, special parts or consulting services.

The competition is designed to be low-threshold, thematically open and is aimed at all study backgrounds at the FHWS - for example, app developers, logistics specialists and AI experts. The goal could be the development of a prototype that proves the basic marketability of a start-up project ('proof-of-principle'). KickStart@FHWS is part of the WERK:RAUM project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Successful teams can expect:

-    Cash prizes worth 7,500 euros for necessary materials, special parts or consulting services.
-    The opportunity to use rooms and equipment at the FHWS
-    Support from the start-up advisory service at the Applied Research Campus of the FHWS, which may also provide subsequent assistance with an EXIST or FLÜGGE scholarship.

Conditions

-    Applicants are enrolled at the FHWS
-    The project is still in the pre-founding phase
-    Each team can only be represented with one project

What to do now

Applications with a concept proposal must be submitted by 17.12.2021. The concept should be a maximum of ten pages long and intensively highlight the start-up idea. It should make clear which phase the project is currently in, which business concept is being pursued and which current challenges are to be overcome within the framework of the project funding. The concept should also include a list of materials to be purchased as part of the funding. For purchases over 1,000 euros (due to the current pandemic situation: 5,000 euros), an indicative price quotation must be obtained or a conclusive justification for a specific purchase must be provided. Unfortunately, personnel or travel costs cannot be covered.

And what happens next?

Concepts can be submitted by email to felix.liedel@fhws.de by Friday, 17 December at the latest. A jury of internal and external experts will then review the applications. Initial feedback followed by a short pitch is scheduled for the beginning of February. Felix Liedel at the Applied Research Campus (FANG) is available to answer any questions.

About KickStart@FHWS

KickStart@FHWS is part of the WERK:RAUM project at the Institute of Digital Engineering led by Professors Dr.-Ing. Jan Schmitt, Dr.-Ing. Volker Bräutigam and Dr. Tobias Kaupp of the FHWS. The KickStart@FHWS competition is organised in cooperation with the Entrepreneurship@FHWS team (EXIST potentials, BMWI) at the Applied Research Campus.

Contact and applications:

Felix Liedel

Research Assistant for Science Communication

Campus Applied Research

Phone: 0931 3511-8495

E-mail: felix.liedel[at]fhws.de