Consulting services for start-up businesses

Idea challenge “innovation check”

The Office of Knowledge and Technology Transfer and Continuing Education at FAU (Kontaktstelle für Wissens- und Technologietransfer, wtt) and the Central Office of Knowledge and Technology Transfer at Georg-Simon-Ohm-Hochschule Nürnberg regularly run a joint idea challenge called ‘innovation check’ within the context of the ‘Scientrepreneur’ project.

Northern Bavarian Business Plan Competition

The Northern Bavarian Business Plan Competition focuses on innovative ideas with a substantial potential for growth. It is open to all start-ups and entrepreneurs based in Northern Bavaria. Anyone not currently living or working in Northern Bavaria can only participate if they can give plausible reasons justifying their plans to move to Northern Bavaria in future. The project is open to people who are aiming either to launch a start-up or to extend an existing business idea. The competition is split into three phases, but participants can join at any of these phases. In each phase you are provided with written assessments which you can use to fine-tune your business plan. The competition is held every year.

German Entrepreneur Award

The German Entrepreneur Award is conferred annually in five categories: Student, StartUp, Rising Star and Lifetime Achievement. The award is presented to entrepreneurial role models in various phases of business – from simulation contests for school pupils to an award for lifetime achievement. A special award is also presented to entrepreneurs whose success is based on an unorthodox approach. The German Entrepreneur Award is a joint initiative between stern, Sparkassen, ZDF and Porsche.

Entrepreneur of the Year

The award presented annually by Ernst&Young is awarded in the categories industry, trade, services, ICT technologies/media and start-up. The prize is awarded to entrepreneurs who demonstrate initiative, foresight and a flair for innovation. In the categories of industry, trade, services and ICT technologies/media, the competition is open to entrepreneurs whose companies are at least four years old, have at least 40 employees and have their headquarters in Germany. For the start-up category, companies must have completed at least one business transaction and have been set up no more than four years ago, but are not required to have at least 40 employees.

ICT Start-Up Challenge

The Gründerwettbewerb IKT (ICT start-up challenge) run by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) promotes innovative ICT start-ups. It follows on from the successful ‘Gründerwettbewerb – mit Multimedia erfolgreich starten’, the BMWi challenge aimed at encouraging start-ups in the multimedia sector.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Start-Up Award

The Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Middle Franconia awards the annual Chamber of Commerce and Industry Start-Up Award for Middle Franconia once a year. The competition is open to owners/partners of companies belonging to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry with their headquarters in Middle Franconia. The award is intended to encourage those who want to set up a business and reward young entrepreneurs for their courage and dedication.

Science4Life

Science4Life is an annual industry-specific start-up competition run throughout Germany in the emerging areas of life science and chemistry. The competition is aimed at students, doctoral candidates and research associates at universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutions as well as other innovators in the area of life science and chemistry. Companies which would like to participate in the competition must have started business after 1 September 2008.