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EXIST Business Start-up Grant

Zwei Personen stehen lachend zusammen.
Photo: Kevin Ryl

As the official startup network of the University of Potsdam, we are here to support you in the application and completion of the EXIST Business Start-up Grant. You or your team (up to 3 people) can benefit from a monthly stipend, additional non-cash benefits, valuable coaching, and first-class advice for one year.

We support you with:
✓  Validating the innovative business idea
✓  Composing your team
✓  Selecting a mentor from the University of Potsdam
✓  Assisting with the application, including the 25-page idea paper
✓  Organizing the project’s implementation (e.g. payment of the grants, procurement processes, etc.)
✓  Identifying and selecting follow-up funding opportunities (e.g. Gründung Innovativ, Brandenburger Innovationsfachkräfte)
✓  Facilitating the participation in trade fairs in Germany and Europe

The Startup Service offers you additional benefits:
✓  Office and meeting space at Campus Griebnitzsee or Golm 
✓  Personal support
✓  Exchange with other EXIST teams in the monthly EXIST-Jour Fixe
✓  Networking opportunities with network partners and investors

These requirements are necessary:

Requirement 1

✓ Your company has not been founded yet.
✓ Your project is innovative and knowledge or technology oriented.
✓ Your project offers an innovative knowledge-based service or a product based on scientific findings.

Requirement 2

✓ You are a scientist from a public, non-profit, non-university research institution or higher education institution. 
✓ You have graduated from a higher education institution or worked as a research associate (up to 5 years after graduation or leaving the position). 
✓ You are currently studying and have completed at least half of your studies (in terms of credit points) at the time of application.

Special cases for teams: 

  1. Your team may consist of a maximum of 3 members.
  2. Your team can also be funded if one team member has a state-recognised vocational qualification.
  3. A team member may have graduated more than 5 years ago.
  4. Teams that are made up of a majority of students are only funded in exceptional cases.