Young companies and startups from all sectors founded in 2015 or later are eligible to apply for the KfW Award Gründen. Entrepreneurs who have acquired a company as part of a succession process are also welcome to participate. The companies must be based in Germany.
The 2020 competition of the Development Bank is intended to act as a "motivator" during the coronavirus crisis and recognize the achievements of young companies: What were the specific challenges, and what did the companies do to best overcome the crisis? Who or what helped them in particular? The jury will consider the impact of coronavirus on sales and company results.
KfW Award Gründen honors 15 state and one national winner
A jury selects the winners, taking into account the degree of innovation of the business idea, the creativity, and the social responsibility of the applicants. Successful handling of the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis is also considered. Furthermore, the award is based on how environmentally conscious the idea was implemented and whether jobs and training positions were created or maintained.
In each federal state, one company will be honored as the state winner and awarded €1,000 each. A national winner will then be chosen from the 16 state winners and awarded an additional €9,000. The jury also has the option of awarding a special prize of €5,000.
Applications can be made via an online form.
