The start-up ideas competition "Call for Ideas" is entering its twelfth round and is once again calling on innovative minds from Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) to take part. The competition is organised by garage33, the start-up centre of Paderborn University, and VerbundVolksbank OWL eG with the support of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and the Campus Foundery of TH OWL as further partners of regional start-up support. The aim is to further strengthen the start-up spirit in the region and promote innovative business ideas at an early stage. The application deadline for submitting ideas is 17 May, all details and the application form are available on the event website.
Requirements and procedure at a glance
All interested parties with a connection to the OWL region can participate, regardless of age, studies or profession. The prerequisite is a maximum two-page idea paper in which the business idea is presented in a structured manner. In addition to the core of the idea and the underlying problem, this also includes the business model, the target group and the feasibility on the market. There is also a bonus in the evaluation for ideas that address a social problem, for example in the areas of the environment, social issues or education.
The best teams in the competition will be selected after the application phase and invited to the grand final on 15 July at the VolksbankForum of VerbundVolksbank OWL eG on Neuer Platz in Paderborn. They will be prepared for their presentation in advance with individual coaching and pitch training. The finalists present their ideas to an expert jury. The winning teams will then be chosen and can look forward to prize money of up to 1,500 euros. The winners will also receive a free start-up account at VerbundVolksbank OWL eG, access to the garage33 network and a wildcard for the garage33 incubator programme, which prepares the teams for their start-ups and entrepreneurship over the course of three months.
"Our aim is to reach people with innovative ideas at an early stage and support them on their path to self-employment. The 'Call for Ideas' offers a low-threshold entry point and the opportunity to develop viable business models from initial drafts," says Professor Dr Rüdiger Kabst, Scientific Director of garage33. "Every entrepreneurial success story has a first chapter. The 'Call for Ideas' tells the story of this first chapter. With this competition, we are giving young founders in our home region the impetus to share their visions and realise their creative potential. In this way, we are also ensuring the future viability and vitality of our business hub," adds Ansgar Käter, Chairman of the Board of VerbundVolksbank OWL eG.
From idea to realisation
A look at the previous year shows that participation can be worthwhile: the start-up "PureSpore" impressed the jury with a biotechnologically produced, vegan protein based on mushrooms. The team then went through the garage33 Incubator Programme and is now also part of the Accelerator Programme with the aim of establishing the product on the market and making the team ready for investors.
This text was translated automatically.
