Project progression of the EXIST start-up grant
During the funding period, the founders are given the necessary freedom to realize their ideas both technically and entrepreneurially. In close cooperation between the team, start-up network, university or research institution, the successful market entry is to be prepared in a targeted manner.
Overview of the milestones:
| month | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 0 | ESF questionnaire EXIST monitoring questionnaire (at the start of funding) |
| 1 | Kick-off meeting (team, supervisors, PtJ) |
| 3 | Seminar founding team |
| 5 | Interim presentation and evaluation Interim status |
| 10 | Business plan Results report Business plan evaluation by network EXIST monitoring questionnaire (at the end of funding; known as project questionnaire) |
| 12 | Project completion |
| 24, 48, 72 | EXIST monitoring questionnaire (after the end of funding) |
Participant questionnaire for European Social Fund (ESF) projects
The following questionnaire is used to collect data on participants in European Social Fund (ESF) projects. The information you provide is used by the program managers to meet the reporting requirements within the framework of the legal requirements and to check whether the implementation of the projects complies with the requirements. Therefore, please answer the questions carefully. Your data will only be processed anonymously and will not be used for personal evaluations. You will need about 5-10 minutes to complete the questionnaire.
Note: On the Website of the European Social Fund you can use the anonymous online contact form to report suspected cases of fraud or corruption. You can find more information on the topic of fraud and corruption prevention here.
In order to receive funding, the participants confirm a declaration of consent to the recording of their personal data and complete the ESF questionnaire. The European Union, which has provided money for the support, would like to know what has happened to the people after the funding has ended. The data is needed to determine whether the money is spent on useful measures and whether the support was successful and helped people. In order to know whether the support was also successful in the longer term, some of the participants are now being asked again about their professional situation. To this end, the participants will receive an invitation to take part in the survey by text message or e-mail. The Bonn survey center - uzbonn - was commissioned to conduct the survey. The participants selected for the survey will receive the name and contact details of a contact person at uzbonn to whom they can address their questions. Further information on the evaluation can be found on the ESF pages to find.
EXIST monitoring
On behalf of the BMWK, Project Management Jülich (PtJ) conducts surveys of all start-up projects and companies founded with EXIST funding.
The BMWK and PtJ are pursuing three basic objectives with the repeated survey of funded start-up teams at different times:
- Firstly, the data will be used to draw conclusions about the achievement of objectives and the effectiveness of the EXIST program.
- Secondly, developments from the beginning to the end of the funding phase and beyond are to be recorded and traced.
- Thirdly, the information collected forms a basis for managing and improving the funding program.
Participation in the data surveys up to five years after the end of the project is mandatory for all funded start-up teams.
Personal data protection:
Data is processed in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (legal basis Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR). Collected data will be used exclusively for the purposes of the PtJ's internal program monitoring or - in anonymized form - provided for external evaluations or accompanying research on behalf of the BMWK. They are not made accessible to the public or other third parties.
Further information (according to Art. 13 GDPR) can be found here: Information obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) towards participants in the EXIST start-up grant
Planning of coaching resources and material expenses
As part of the EXIST start-up grant, EXIST supports founders with 5,000 euros for coaching and up to 30,000 euros for material expenses. Since the 2023 guideline, the expenditure plan has been submitted with the idea paper (see structure in the application documents) and approved upon approval and, if necessary, coordinated in the kick-off meeting.
This is a schedule for the project duration of the EXIST start-up grant with planned advisory measures based on the individual requirements of the start-up team. The list can be expanded with a Gantt chart, which provides a clear visual representation of the time distribution over the funding period. The intention of start-up-related coaching is to ensure an objective, external view of the project, on the basis of which the start-up as a whole and its specific potential can be developed. Consulting services on technical issues or product development as well as training on these topics are part of the content-related implementation of the project and may therefore only be paid for from the material funds. See also the separate Notes on the use of coaching and material resources
The EXIST start-up grant provides teams with up to €30,000 in material resources to implement their idea. The economical and economic use of funding (proportionality) and the specific project reference are mandatory prerequisites for the accountability of the expenses (earmarked purchase). The university/research institution is generally responsible for the procurement (regulations on awarding contracts (VOL), value limits). See also the separate Notes on the use of coaching and material resources
Seminar "Founding team"
To give you as objective a picture as possible of your potential and entrepreneurial soft skills, the EXIST start-up grant includes participation in a one-day "start-up team" seminar. As a result, you will receive an analysis of your team. Each team member receives a personal profile of their strengths and weaknesses, which they can then use to work on specific areas. The seminar is not a selection process, but aims to support you in developing your team qualities, concretizing your business idea and developing your personality.
Participation offers you a number of advantages:
- They receive an assessment of their team quality and recommendations for personnel development.
- You will learn which soft skills are important in everyday business life.
- You will be confronted with practical situations and tasks.
- You get to know your strengths and can build on them if necessary.
- You get to know your weaknesses and can work on them.
- You can better assess which role allocation makes sense in your future company (front or back office)
- You can compare your perception with that of your observers and recognize how realistic your assessment was.
- You will get to know other "EXIST scholarship holders" who may be important for your personal contact network.
Up to five start-up teams can take part in the one-day seminar. Their task is to master methodically different exercises. Examples:
- Presentation of the business idea
- Processing of case studies
- Processing tasks in a team
- Role plays (e.g. customer meeting, investor meeting)
- Exercises under time pressure
Your behavior is observed by trainers as you complete the tasks. For example, your strengths and weaknesses in the team, the distribution of tasks and possible skills gaps as well as your ability to organize, persuade, assert yourself, cooperate, argue, etc. are evaluated.
An online test or questionnaire in the run-up to the seminar provides the trainers with initial pointers. As a result of the seminar, you will receive verbal feedback in a team meeting. Written feedback with a detailed profile of strengths and weaknesses and tips for further development within the team will be sent to each team member a few days later. The protection of your personal data is guaranteed at all times.
Up to five start-up teams can take part in the one-day seminar. Their task is to master methodically different exercises. Examples:
- Presentation of the business idea
- Processing of case studies
- Processing tasks in a team
- Role plays (e.g. customer meeting, investor meeting)
- Exercises under time pressure
Your behavior is observed by trainers as you complete the tasks. For example, your strengths and weaknesses in the team, the distribution of tasks and possible skills gaps as well as your ability to organize, persuade, assert yourself, cooperate, argue, etc. are evaluated.
An online test or questionnaire in the run-up to the seminar provides the trainers with initial pointers. As a result of the seminar, you will receive verbal feedback in a team meeting. Written feedback with a detailed profile of strengths and weaknesses and tips for further development within the team will be sent to each team member a few days later. The protection of your personal data is guaranteed at all times.
Interim presentation
As part of the interim presentation, the first results of the business plan preparation and the development status of the company should be presented to the start-up network. The focus here should be on the presentation of the company structure, business model, market, market entry strategy, customer benefits, unique selling points, competition and financing. The interim presentation serves to analyze specific challenges and to specify the support provided by the start-up network in the areas of administrative and content-related implementation of the project. The project sponsor is informed about the progress of the project by the interim presentation and the evaluation of the interim status. The corresponding templates can be found in the Download area.
Business plan and results report
The preparation of the business plan by the 10th month of the funding period serves as the basis for the further development of the company, its strategic development and, if necessary, the acquisition of follow-up financing. How carefully this is prepared usually determines success or failure.
The business plan is a helpful and useful tool, especially after the company has been founded, to recognize whether the company is developing as planned or whether any assumptions need to be adjusted and strategic decisions reconsidered.
By constantly reviewing, comparing and adapting, the founder does not leave his success to chance. At the same time, this serves as a final project report. In addition, a success control report and an online questionnaire on project development are requested in order to document the progress of the project to the funding body. You can find the relevant templates in the Download area.
Project completion
The EXIST start-up grant ends after twelve months. Now the path is paved for founding your own start-up.
During the funding phase, you will have developed a business plan that will serve as a strategic basis for the further development of your company. The evaluation of your business plan by the project management organization also shows whether the funding objectives have been achieved. The result will be sent to you and your university or research institution.
To formally complete the project, a proof of use must be prepared in cooperation with the university/research institution and the founding team. It shows that the project was carried out as planned in the idea paper and the coaching and material expenditure plan. The project report and business plan serve as proof of this substantive documentation. Proof of expenditure is provided using the list of receipts already used for the coaching and material expenditure plan. You can find a corresponding template here: List of supporting documents for proof of use (as of July 2024)
Your experience is important for future founders. It does not matter whether you have launched a promising start-up or whether your plans have turned out not to be feasible. In any case, there are strong signals in politics, business, universities/research institutions and the start-up community to actively shape the topic of entrepreneurial spin-offs from science. For these reasons, it is important for us to continue to keep an eye on and document the development of the previously funded teams. To this end, all teams are surveyed once a year up to five years after the end of the project by means of a questionnaire on the status of the company's development with the aim of building up a viral EXIST alumni community in the medium term.
Innovative and fast-growing start-ups require follow-up financing following the EXIST start-up grant. This can be an investment from a business angel, a publicly funded investment fund, a venture capital fund or even a family office. Finding a suitable investor takes time. You should therefore address the issue of financing at an early stage during the EXIST phase in order to avoid a financing gap after EXIST.
Talk to the start-up network at your university or research institution about this. Your contact person can tell you about suitable programs. In addition, the start-up networks usually organize pitch events where you can make contact with investors. You can also use the Federal, state and EU funding database and the Funding advice from the federal government for your own research into suitable funding programs.