Award for innovative companies: still time to apply for the KfW Entrepreneurs' Award until 1 August

• Prize for start-ups
• Total prize money of EUR 35,000
• Awards to be presented to 16 regional winners and one national winner
• Special Social Entrepreneurship Award

Start-ups can still apply for the 2018 KfW Entrepreneurs' Award until 1 August. With this renowned competition, KfW Group honours young companies from all over Germany and gives their concepts the public recognition they deserve. The competition is aimed at companies formed or taken over as part of a succession in or after 2013. A total of EUR 35,000 in prize money is awarded.

Awards are bestowed on one company from each German federal state. The 16 state winners will each be awarded EUR 1,000. The awards ceremony will be held on 11 October in Berlin. The state winners go on to compete for the national award, which is endowed with additional prize money of EUR 9,000. The jury will also honour one company with a special Social Entrepreneurship Award worth EUR 5,000. The guests will vote to choose the winner of the people's choice award (additional prize money of EUR 5,000) during the award ceremony.

All prize winners are invited to Berlin from 11 to 13 October 2018 – with expenses paid for hotel accommodation and a programme of activities. What is more, one person from each of the winning companies is given the opportunity to take part in a seminar at impulse-Akademie. A PR agency will help the winners publish their success stories.

The prize winners will be selected by a jury comprised of experienced representatives from KfW Group, politics, business associations, promotional institutions of the federal states and media representatives. They assess the business ideas based on their level of innovation and creativity, and also review whether aspects of social responsibility have been incorporated. The jury also considers how environmentally friendly the business is and whether jobs and traineeships have been created or preserved.

Companies from all sectors of industry can enter online at www.kfw-awards.de by 1 August.