FOUNDER SCHOLARSHIP
More Focus to Grow.
More Focus to Grow.
Applications open for Incubator and Accelerator Participants
We offer ambitious founder personalities the support they need to concentrate on their entrepreneurial development in Heilbronn.
Imagine if you could fully focus on what’s important to you: becoming a founder.
With our scholarship of €1.500/month, that’s exactly what will become a reality. We are here to give ambitious founder personalities the support they need. This not only means financial support for living expenses and housing costs but also regular check-ins, and coaching sessions with our experts and mentors.
As a participant in our ‘Incubator’ or ‘Accelerator’ program, you are qualified to apply for our Founder Scholarship.
Target Group
The scholarship supports high-potential founder personalities of our Incubator or Accelerator program and who live in the Heilbronn-Franconia region.
SETUP
The scholarship supports individuals with €1.500 /month. Jointly defined milestones to prove your skill development in the field of product, sales, leadership that are reviewed regularly to decide on the continuation of the scholarship.
GOAL
Offer founder personalities the focus and freedom they need to develop their entrepreneurial mindset and skillset further to successfully be in the position to start a business.
Start & DURATION
Our scholarship can be started alongside with our Incubator and Accelerator program (i.e. twice a year).
Duration of scholarship payments for up to a max. of 12 months after the start of the scholarship.
Financial support
Support to cover living expenses and housing costs so that you can concentrate fully on your development as a founder personality and support your vision of building a company within the Heilbronn startup ecosystem.
Active community - DAILY exchange with peers AND MENTORS
Engagement in a lively startup community with over 200 startups, experienced business mentors, and industry experts, who share knowledge, give valuable feedback, and support each other in their entrepreneurial challenges.
BE Part of a strong AND RISING INTERNATIONAL ecosystem
The opportunity to establish your company in a dynamic, economically strong region with short distances to business and science. With top-notch universities, hidden champion Mittelstand, and a focus on AI, Cloud, and Cybersecurity, the ecosystem of Heilbronn attracts the best talent and companies from around the world.
Regular milestone review meetings HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
Through regular check-ins to review your development we will hold our founder personalities accountable and will empower them to reach important milestones faster and with more focus.
Requirements for application:
- You are a founder personality enthusiastic about improving your entrepreneurial skills. You have already worked on the topic of starting a business and you are at least 18 years old.
- It is crucial that you convincingly demonstrate why you are passionate about entrepreneurial thinking and how you have already engaged with the concept of starting a business. Show us your motivation for starting your own venture and articulate your desire to further educate yourselves to develop your entrepreneurial mindset and acquire a comprehensive entrepreneurial skillset. Your focus should be fully on your entrepreneurial development and your persuasion as well as your sincerity will make all the difference.
- You are a participant in the Campus Founders ‘Incubator’ or ‘Accelerator’ program.
- You have your center of life and residence in the Heilbronn Franconia region or you are ready to move within the first 2 months of your scholarship. The Heilbronn Franconia region includes places of residence within the City of Heilbronn, Heilbronn district, Hohenlohe district, Main-Tauber district, and Schwäbisch Hall district. Proof of residence in the Heilbronn-Franconia region must be provided no later than 2 months after the start of the scholarship and must be maintained for the duration of the scholarship period.
- In order to ensure a higher quality of development, the presence of the scholarship holders in the Campus Lab (on average at least 3 days/week on-site) must be guaranteed and will be tracked. Keep that in mind if you want to apply for the scholarship.
- In order to support the diversity within the program, scholarship holders should have different specialist skills (usually different educational backgrounds) that complement each other or they take on different tasks within the company.
- If you are currently being supported by another startup scholarship or grant (e.g. EXIST*) at the time of application, you can only apply after the end of the scholarship or grant phase. *In case you haven’t applied for EXIST yet and would like to do so, you find more information about the compatibility in our FAQs below.
Overview of the 3-steps application process:
- Sign up and initiate your journey via our sign-up form. This initial form is designed to be straightforward, requiring no preparatory questions. If you meet the essential criteria, we will warmly invite you to advance to the second stage – Round #2.
- Deep Dive in Round #2: Should you progress to Round #2, we’ll engage further, asking detailed questions about the motivation behind your scholarship application and what you have already accomplished on your journey. This next phase will delve deeper into your startup project, skillset, and mindset (expect to share things like your latest pitch deck and a brief personal motivational video).
- Final Showcase: Advancing through Round #2 will lead you to a pivotal 30-minute interview with the Campus Founders Scholarship Jury. Here, you’ll pitch the passion for your startup idea and engage with the jury’s inquiries. Success in this final hurdle means you’ll be awarded a scholarship, a significant milestone on your path to innovation and growth.
Johannes Schnabel
Program Lead
Yes, you can apply. But you will only be qualified and your application for a scholarship will be considered in case you get into the Incubator or Accelerator program and become a program participant.
The establishment of a company and the associated direct or indirect costs are not supported by the scholarship. These include, for example, the formation and notary costs (partnership agreement, entry in the commercial register, opening balance sheet, etc.). This also includes all other costs incurred by the scholarship holder in connection with the start of business activities on the market, such as company-related expenses (e.g. drawing up contracts and agreements, general terms and conditions, license agreements, etc.).
Material expenses incurred by the scholarship holder cannot be funded. In particular, costs for:
- Material, functional samples, licenses, software, etc. For term-related expenses (web hosting, warranty extensions, licenses, etc.)
- Project and start-up-related services provided by third parties
- Business trips (e.g. to project-related conferences, further training, etc.)
- Investments (e.g. PC, special equipment for the project)
It is not possible to split the scholarship between several people.
Yes, however, the condition for receiving funding for citizens from non-EU countries is a valid residence and work permit for the entire funding period. Therefore, at least a provisional certificate from the immigration authority must be submitted with the application.
We advise you to clarify the compatibility of a potential Founder Scholarship with your current residence and work permit with all related organizations.
Campus Founders accepts no liability or responsibility in the event of changes occurring in your residence and work permit as a result of our scholarship.
The Scholarship starts at the beginning of the month following the successful presentation, approval by the jury and signing of the scholarship contract.
The scholarship is granted for a maximum period of 12 months.
The scholarship ends in any case if the scholarship holder no longer wishes to engage in entrepreneurial thinking and action and makes this known through his or her behavior or statements to Campus Founders. The same applies if it is foreseeable that, in the opinion of Campus Founders, the Campus Founders events or programs will not be beneficial for the scholarship holder.
The monthly scholarship payment is always transferred at the end of the month to the recipient account specified in the scholarship agreement. This recipient account must be a personal account of the scholarship holder.
In the case of participation in the 6-month incubator, a successful application and continued participation in the Campus Founders Accelerator or Campus Founders AI Founders program is required in order to receive the scholarship for up to a maximum of 12 months.
The focus must be on the training and development of the scholarship holders for the entire duration of the scholarship, i.e. they must not have a main job.
Parallel employment, including part-time employment, or freelance or other commercial work to cover the scholarship holder’s living expenses is permitted up to a total of less than 15 hours per week in addition to the scholarship.
The scope of studies, together with other activities outside the Campus Founders Scholarship, may only total less than 15 hours per week.
In principle, the scholarship cannot be interrupted.
The following cases are excluded from this:
1. If a scholarship holder receives an EXIST scholarship or another start-up scholarship from a third-party provider, no scholarship will be granted and paid by Campus Founders during this time. An interruption must be applied for in writing. Following the third-party start-up grant, the grant can be continued for the remaining term. The prerequisite for this is that the scholarship holder continues to reside in the Heilbronn-Franconia region for the duration of the third-party funding and remains an active part of the Campus Founders community.
An interruption of the scholarship is only possible for up to a maximum of 24 months.
If the funding by a third party is not reported or not reported in time and/or the application for interruption is not submitted or not submitted in time, the entitlement to the scholarship already granted lapses with immediate effect. The disbursement of further funding will be discontinued and funding that has been disbursed for a period during which other funding was received can be reclaimed by Campus Founders.
2. While receiving parental allowance, the scholarship can be interrupted for up to twelve months upon application.
The scope of studies, together with other activities outside the Campus Founders Scholarship, may only total less than 15 hours per week.
A simultaneous combination with another funding program to finance the scholarship holder’s living expenses is excluded. If other scholarships or grants, including a startup grant (e.g. EXIST), is already being used, an application is only possible after the end of the funding phase.
This does not include the use of BaföG benefits.
Prize money from startup or business plan competitions may be received during the scholarship.
Funding for the subsequent establishment of a company – after the end of the scholarship – may be applied for from capital providers (e.g. business angels, banks, VCs) during the scholarship period.
The Heilbronn Franconia region includes places of residence within:
– City of Heilbronn
– Heilbronn district
– Hohenlohe district
– Main-Tauber district
– Schwäbisch Hall district
Proof of residence in the Heilbronn-Franconia region must be provided no later than 2 months after the start of our scholarship and must be maintained for the duration of the scholarship.
In particularly serious cases of deception or breach of contract by the scholarship holder, repayment of the amounts paid up to the time of termination may also be demanded.
Yes, the application can be resubmitted. There is no legal entitlement to a scholarship.
Specific inquiries about the scholarship can be made in writing to the program management:
Johannes Schnabel (Program Lead & Director Programs), johannes@campusfounders.de