NRW seeks founders of the year

For the tenth time, the state is awarding the NRW Founder Prize. A total of 60,000 euros in prize money is up for grabs.

Founders can now apply for the Gründerpreis NRW. This is the tenth time that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and NRW.Bank have awarded the prize for innovative start-ups. The first place winner will receive 30,000 euros, second place 20,000 euros and third place 10,000 euros.

Economics Minister Andreas Pinkwart (FDP) advertises the strong network from which the prize winners benefit. All companies in NRW that were founded between 2016 and 2019 are eligible to apply. The prize is not only intended for start-ups, but also for craft businesses or restaurants, as long as they have an innovative concept. "Promising start-up concepts with forward-looking ideas are a mainstay for our state. One of our core tasks as a development bank for North Rhine-Westphalia is to provide sustainable support for such start-ups," says Eckhard Forst, Chairman of the Managing Board of NRW.Bank.

The jury is chaired by Christine Volkmann, holder of the Chair of Business Creation and Economic Development at the University of Wuppertal. "The quality of the applications has been really high for years," says Volkmann. "Unfortunately, women's start-ups have been significantly underrepresented to date. I would like to call on all young female entrepreneurs in North Rhine-Westphalia to present their innovative ideas to us." The award ceremony will take place on November 29, 2021 in Düsseldorf.