The Rheingau Start-up Prize

We are looking for you with your innovative and extraordinary ideas and business models. Are you a student, alumni or employee of the Hochschule Geisenheim University or the EBS University for Business and Law? Or are you someone from the Rheingau-Taunus district, who has an idea to deal with ecology-, innovation-, or society-oriented issues in an entrepreneurial way? Then you’ve come to the right place!

PS: Teams are also welcomed!

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The categories: Where do you find yourselves?

Category 1: Best business idea from the Universities

Prizes will be awarded to three best entrepreneurial ideas from students or employees of the two universities that have emerged within the last two years. Business ideas can be created as part of a university course, within programmes of the Gründungsfabrik Rheingau or as a result of some other impulse.

Your idea does not necessarily have to be implemented yet, but the will to do so should be strongly visible.

Category 2: Best start-up from Hochschule Geisenheim University / EBS University

Prizes will be awarded to three best entrepreneurial ideas and/or business models that have been implemented within the last two years by students, alumni or employees of the two Universities.

Your company or business idea may already have been founded already, but does not necessarily have to have started its business activities yet.

Category 3: Best start-up from the Rheingau-Taunus district

Prizes will be awarded to three best entrepreneurial ideas from the inhabitants of the Rheingau-Taunus-District that have been implemented within the last two years.

Your company could have been founded, but it does not necessarily have to have started its business activities yet. There must be a clear connection to the region.

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The prizes: Kick-start for your start-up

The start-up prize will maybe not finance your dream fully, but we want to give your idea and its further development a little push.

The prize money totalling € 9,000 will be awarded by the main sponsor Rheingauer Volksbank and the sponsoring partners Wachendorff, Kisico and Perfect Vison and will be divided among the three categories.

As a participant in one of the categories, you have the chance to win € 1,500 (1st place), € 1,000 (2nd place) and € 500 (3rd place). In addition, you can use a co-working space in the Gründungsfabrik free of charge for three months if you need a working space and you will be granted a wild card for a programme of the Gründungsfabrik Rheingau.

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The schedule: Apply by 19 October!

Now it’s getting important: These are the dates you should already mark down:

Application period: from 21. September to 19. Oktober 2022

Announcement of the finalists: approx. 14. November 2022

Pitch final and award ceremony: 28. November 2022 in the New Forum of EBS University

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The jury: These are the people you need to inspire

Your ideas and plans will be scrutinised by a jury of sponsors and representatives of the two Universities in a two-stage selection process.

Stage 1: Selection of the best submissions for the final.

Stage 2: In the final you have to convince not only the jury but also the audience in the “New Forum” at EBS. There will be a voting with 50% audience and 50% jury division.

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General conditions: A few rules for participation

• Individuals or teams can apply.
• Applications can only be made for one category.
• The categories in detail:
  Category 1: Open to business ideas from students and employees of Hochschule Geisenheim University and EBS University.
  Category 2: Open to start-ups by students, alumni or employees of the two Universities
  Category 3: Open to founders who are native to the Rheingau-Taunus district or come from there.
• The following must be submitted: A description of the start-up idea and a pitch deck of 10 charts with all relevant information.
• At least one team member undertakes to attend the award ceremony on 28.11.2022 as a representative of the team.
• The applicants assure that their submitted business ideas or business models originate exclusively from them and that no rights of third parties are violated.
• The participants agree that their personal data, in particular their names and e-mail addresses, will be stored beyond the duration of the competition.
• The award winners agree that their names and a short description of their ideas will be published during the award ceremony, afterwards on the homepage of the Gründungsfabrik Rheingau and in a press release.
• The award winners agree that photos and videos of the event may also be used by the Gründungsfabrik and sponsors after the event.
• False information provided during registration or in connection with the entry will lead to exclusion.

And now: Send in your application … we are looking forward to an exciting competition!