The Berlin Startup Scholarship

Regional incubator programme for promotion of technology-related startups in the context of knowledge and technology transfer.

What is/was the challenge?

The support of startups is among the most successful instruments of forward-looking economic promotion strategies. As part of the Operational Programme of the Land of Berlin for the European Social Fund (ESF) in the funding period 2014–2020/23, innovative startups are being supported in the framework of ‘founders workshops’ and similar formats. The funding relates to new skills requirements in connection with innovation processes of the economy and technological change (in particular related to the use of modern information and communication technologies or the advancing digitisation), as well as ecological objectives (e.g., climate protection, energy efficiency and use of renewable energies).

What is the project?

The aim of the programme is to promote innovative, technology-related startups through coaching, training and scholarships, especially in the context of ICT, digitisation and internationalisation. For this purpose the founding teams (usually two to four people) are provided the necessary technical infrastructure (e.g., as PC workplaces or laboratories) for a duration of six to twelve months.

Prerequisite for the founders are at least initially developed business plans and prototypes or prototype-like procedures. The participants are selected through competitive procedures of the project providers (incubators) and supported over a period of six months to one year. The aim of the projects is to improve the skills of the founders and to develop the marketability of the relevant products and services in the context of teams of university graduates.

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