Wanted: innovative and sustainable companies – KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award enters the next round

• Possible to apply online from 1 April to 1 July
• Success stories sought despite the coronavirus pandemic
• Companies/successions established in or after 2016 are eligible to participate
• Awards will be presented to one company from each of the German federal states and one national winner
• The jury will also award a special prize
• The prizes are worth a total of EUR 35,000

The application phase for this year’s KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award, which has total prize money of EUR 35,000, starts on 1 April 2021. Young companies and start-ups from all sectors established in or after 2016 are eligible to apply. Just as last year, the 2021 competition is also affected by the coronavirus pandemic and is intended to give special recognition to the enormous achievements of young companies during this challenging time: how did they manage to overcome the crisis? Did new ideas emerge in the process? The jury will take into account the impact of the pandemic on sales and the company’s results. Entrepreneurs who have assumed control of a company as successors are also eligible to apply. The companies must be based in Germany.

The winners will be selected by a jury made up of experienced representatives from KfW, promotional banks, politics and the private sector. The jury will assess the business ideas based on their level of innovation and creativity and to determine whether they are socially responsible. Also included in the evaluation is how successfully the company tackled the challenges of the coronavirus crisis. It is also important how environmentally friendly the business is and whether jobs and trainee positions have been created or retained.

A prize is awarded to one company from each of the German states. The company must have been formed or taken over as part of a succession in or after 2016. The winners from each state will be awarded EUR 1,000. They then go on to compete for the national award, which is endowed with additional prize money of EUR 9,000. The jury can also award a special prize of EUR 5,000, and all state winners have the opportunity to receive additional prize money of EUR 5,000 if they win the People’s Choice Award.

The prize-winners will be announced on 28 October 2021. The television station n-tv will also report about the national award winner and other selected winners in a special broadcast. The companies will also receive support from an experienced PR agency on how to market their success story.

KfW has been giving recognition to exceptional start-ups and companies from all over Germany since 1998 with the KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award.

The online application form and other information can be found at
www.kfw-awards.de

Media contact:
KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award
c/o Peperoni Werbe- und PR-Agentur GmbH, Friedrichstrasse 23 A, 10969 Berlin, Germany
Jan Beznoska, Tel.: +49 (0)30 257717-77
e-mail: