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Participate

The GRÜNDERPREIS NRW is one of Germany's most lucrative competitions for young companies and freelance professionals in the fields of trade, industry and services. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and NRW.BANK look forward to receiving your application (in German).

Conditions of participation:

Your company

  • was founded between 2016 and 2019,
  • has fewer than 250 employees,
  • generates annual sales of no more than EUR 50 million or has a balance sheet total of no more than EUR 43 million a year and
  • has its headquarters in North-Rhine Westphalia

You are

  • a freelance professional,
  • the founder of a small or medium-sized, independent company in the fields of industry, trade or services or
  • a company successor

You can also apply if you founded the company while unemployed or if it is a sideline enterprise.

A panel of experts will look at your application. In addition to the economic success and the number of jobs created, the business idea is also evaluated. In this respect, questions about technological innovation, new processes, products or services as well as creative potential play a role. Likewise, criteria such as the compatibility of family life and career, environmentally conscious action or social commitment are also taken into consideration.