exist Women

No, the program also supports women interested in starting a business who do not yet have a specific business idea or who have a non-technical idea. During the funding period, an innovative approach can also be developed to enhance the viability of the business idea. Ultimately, the business ideas should be geared toward future commercial activity.

Yes, provided that they have completed at least 50% of their degree program by the start of the funding period or already hold a bachelor’s degree.

No, that is not necessary.

Eligible applicants include women with ties to the university, such as current or former employees, members of an existing startup team supported by the startup network, and interested women who wish to join a university startup team.

This support program is primarily aimed at women who are still in the early stages of their startup journey and wish to familiarize themselves with the topics of starting a business and self-employment at an early stage. Discuss with your supporting startup network whether the training programs offered would be beneficial to you as a female founder and whether the university or research institution still has capacity to include you in its “Exist Women” application. You must not have founded a corporation yet.

Yes, the entrepreneurship training offered by exist Women can also be completed while working. Working women are also eligible to receive the lump-sum allowance for living expenses. However, the optional 3-month stipend to cover living expenses requires that the participant either have no income or work no more than 20 hours per week.

Yes, that is possible. Ideally, the grant should be used to work intensively on the startup idea and, for example, to prepare an application for follow-up funding. However, the grant can also be used independently of that.

Contact the startup network at a university or research institution in your region and ask if they are planning to submit an Exist-Women application and if there are still spots available.

No

There are no restrictions in this regard for exist Women. Women whose college degree or employment ended some time ago are also eligible to participate in the program.

International female entrepreneurs are eligible for support if they are residents of Germany and hold a valid visa that permits them to stay at a university or research institution. Participants should also be available on-site for “exist Women” in order to take part in the training programs. To benefit from the program, participants should either have sufficient German language skills, or the on-site startup training programs must be available in English or a similar language.

No, funding is not available in such cases. Participants must be physically present in the local area for the exist Women program. Participation primarily through digital means is not intended. However, startup networks may also open their in-person and digital programs to female founders who do not receive exist Women funding.

No, if a female founder has already received or is currently receiving another exist startup grant or state funding for innovative startups to cover her living expenses, she is no longer eligible for funding through exist Women. However, if a female founder has only submitted an application for an exist startup grant or exist research transfer grant—or a corresponding state grant—that was rejected, this does not preclude her from receiving funding through exist Women. Even if a female founder has received only in-kind support and coaching resources for a startup project—for example, as part of an accelerator program (e.g., Kickstart@FH)—she is still eligible to participate in exist Women.

Yes, that is possible. An application for an exist Startup Grant / exist Research Transfer or for a state funding program for founders can also be submitted during or after the current exist Women funding period. The startup training provided through exist Women can also continue after another grant has been approved. However, while receiving funding through the exist Startup Grant / exist Research Transfer or state funding programs for innovative startups, female founders are not eligible to receive an exist Women grant to cover living expenses. Likewise, exist Women in-kind support is available only until the start of funding under the exist Startup Grant and may not be received concurrently.

Previous talent development grants are not a barrier, provided they are not thematically related to starting a business. If the founder is currently receiving talent development grants that are not related to starting a business, she may participate in the exist Women qualification program and receive in-kind support. She is eligible for the 3-month scholarship only if the current merit-based grant is not a program intended to cover living expenses. The Deutschlandstipendium is compatible with receiving the 3-month scholarship, as its modest amount means it is not classified as a program intended to cover living expenses.

It is not permitted to simultaneously combine the 3-month exist Women Fellowship with another funding program or income replacement benefit intended to cover living expenses, such as BAföG, unemployment benefits, the Federal Employment Agency’s citizen’s income, or parental leave benefits. However, taking out a fully repayable student loan is not a problem.

Yes, that's possible if you haven't yet incorporated a corporation. However, the Exist Women living expenses grant cannot be claimed at the same time as the startup grant.

Yes, you can find the exist Women scholarship agreement—which participants sign with their host institution—at here under "Downloads." Institutions can customize the contract to suit their needs.

Prospective female founders must attend the „Female Founder Seminar.“ Whenever possible, they should also participate in other centrally organized events for female founders; however, this is not mandatory. In addition, prospective female founders are expected to regularly attend relevant local events organized by the startup network and to keep appointments for individual consultations with the startup network as well as meetings with their mentor.

No. "exist Women" is a program designed to raise awareness about and provide training for starting a business. There is no obligation to start a business.

Before you join the exist Women project at the Research Institution as a scholarship recipient (i.e., upon signing the scholarship agreement), you must not have founded a corporation. You may establish a corporation after joining the exist Women project as a fellow. However, please note that you will no longer be eligible to apply for various follow-up funding opportunities—such as the exist Startup Fellowship or exist Research Transfer—once a corporation has been established. Corporations established solely for the purpose of asset management or a GbR (civil law partnership) do not constitute an obstacle to funding. You may still receive the 3-month exist Women Fellowship to cover living expenses regardless of whether a corporation has already been established or not.

No, but it is recommended that, during the funding period, you develop key elements of the business model, validate the startup idea, and establish a roadmap for the next steps. At the end of the funding period, the founder will create a one-pager that concisely summarizes the startup idea.

Gross. By signing the scholarship agreement, the recipient does not enter into an employment relationship; therefore, income tax, social security contributions, etc., must be paid independently from the scholarship funds. It is advisable to consult a tax advisor as early as possible.

Yes, an exist Women participant may refer to the grant on her website and use the grant logos. In doing so, she should explicitly mention exist Women and specify the university or the name of the exist Women university project. Please also note the regulations regarding publications in the grant award letter (additional provisions and notes).

The specific advisory and training services may still be in the process of being developed. However, they must be available to female entrepreneurs by the start of the program at the latest.

No, but programs specifically designed for female entrepreneurs should be further developed and expanded.

Measures specifically designed for female founders should be tailored to the needs of aspiring female founders (possibly through a preliminary survey), address topics that are particularly relevant to female founders (e.g., starting a business and family life, business models for social impact startups, tolerance for failure, dealing with experiences of discrimination, etc.) and also include very early phases of startup support (raising awareness of entrepreneurship, developing startup ideas, fostering creativity and inventiveness).

Measures that address „general“ startup topics but are offered in a format specifically tailored to female founders are also possible (e.g., „How to Pitch to Investors for Female Founders,“ „Pitch Training for Female Founders,“ etc.). These initiatives can be offered in a safe space exclusively for women or conducted as an open format for both men and women. In addition to professional development opportunities, other possibilities include soft skills training, networking events, or testimonials from role models.

In contrast, the individual support provided to female founders by the network as part of its funding program does not constitute a measure specifically tailored to female founders, but is rather a given. In general, startup networks should ensure that their programs specifically target women, incorporate female founders as role models into their offerings, and increase the visibility of female founders in their public relations efforts.

The applying organization decides for itself which and how many measures to include in its application. The advisory and training measures must be tailored to the local needs of the female entrepreneurs. Examples of best practices for supporting female entrepreneurs can be found here. The range of measures specifically designed for female entrepreneurs plays an important role in the evaluation of applications.

Yes, but it should be clear what role the applicant institution plays in the program. In general, collaboration between different institutions and with external partners is encouraged.

Provided there are sufficient spots available, universities and research institutions should also open their advisory and training programs specifically designed for female entrepreneurs to women who are not scholarship recipients. Depending on whether the institution wishes to offer the program in a closed safe space or not, the participation of men interested in entrepreneurship is also conceivable (e.g., an event on balancing family life and entrepreneurship).

Yes, provided there is sufficient time available for supervision.

To establish long-term measures and structures for female entrepreneurs at your university even with limited financial and human resources, you can, for example, take advantage of the following options: content-based collaborations with other universities (Region+), joint online and in-person events, offering your own events to partners as well (online and in-person), content-based collaborations with external partners (e.g., the Chamber of Commerce and Industry), exchanging best practices for supporting female entrepreneurs (see the “exist Women” page for examples of best practices), recording events, and formats co-organized by the participants.

The university staff member will serve as the project lead for the entire project, i.e., for all women at the university or research institution included in the cohort. The startup network provides each prospective female founder with a suitable mentor who has startup experience and, together with the prospective founder (and with the mentor’s input if necessary), establishes her individual roadmap with milestones for the duration of the project: Identification or validation of the startup idea, participation in internal and external support and training programs, networking, coaching, business model development, search for co-founders, follow-up financing, next steps after the grant period.

The mentor, who has experience in starting a business, provides entrepreneurial guidance to the founder throughout the program. She shares her own entrepreneurial experiences, is available to the founder for regular meetings, and helps her develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

No, each university or research institution may submit one application for 5–10 female founders per funding round.

No, in each application round, each organization may submit only one application for 5–10 (or, in exceptional cases, 20) female entrepreneurs.

No, provided that an application is submitted for 5–10 participants, the prospective female founders may also be named at a later date. To ensure that the prospective female founders receive the longest possible individual funding period, early selection is advantageous. As a rule, therefore, the women and their mentors should be named within 2 months, but no later than 4 months after the start of the funding period. Only in justified individual cases is a late nomination possible after 6 months. For female founders from the North, please apply for graduate scholarships.

An application may only be submitted by a single organization. However, it is possible for multiple organizations in a region to jointly organize support for female entrepreneurs, with the applying organization including female entrepreneurs from partner organizations in its application. The support grant is awarded only to the applying organization.

As a general rule, applications are intended for groups of 5 to 10 female founders. Funding for applications involving up to 20 female founders is only possible in individually justified cases where the selection process has already been completed at the time of application and the participants are named in the application (attach Appendix 5).

Yes, both receive in-kind support. Whether a team already exists is not a factor in the funding decision at this stage.

The exist Women counseling and training program, which includes both centralized and decentralized initiatives, is designed to last 12 months, and aspiring female entrepreneurs are encouraged to complete the entire program. In the first round of applications for exist Women, many of the applicant organizations must first establish suitable structures and processes, so individual support may last less than 12 months in these cases. It is possible to bundle the decentralized offerings into a shorter, intensive phase. Outside of the intensive phase, the female entrepreneurs will continue to receive individual support through the startup network.

The 3-month exist Women Fellowship can be taken at any time during the 12-month project period, provided that the eligibility requirements for the fellowship are met. As a general rule, the fellowship should be taken for three consecutive months. Outside of the period during which the fellowship is actually received, the eligibility requirements do not need to be met.

No, if the first founder has already incurred expenses for the project, this is not possible.

The amount of the individual scholarship for a female student is 1,000 euros per month, regardless of whether she already holds a previous vocational or academic degree. This also applies to female students on a leave of absence. However, participants who already hold a degree and are currently pursuing a doctoral degree or a part-time degree program are classified as graduates by exist Women (scholarship amount: 2,500 €/month).

Please first use all funds available within the project. Once these funds have been exhausted, you may (if the shortfall is approximately 500 € or more) submit a request for additional funding, along with a justification, to the respective contact persons for your own exist Women project at PTJ. There is no guaranteed entitlement to additional funding; each request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If the only additional costs involve higher child allowances, an informal request is sufficient. For higher scholarship entitlements, please submit an application via Easy-Online using your Profi-Pin after we have given our preliminary approval.

No, but the status before and after the start of funding is recorded and used to monitor the progress of the overall program.

The funds may be used for fees, the production of communication materials/printing costs, rental of event spaces, student assistants, contracting services, or similar expenses. Only the total lump-sum amount for the support grant is specified in the contract. The university confirms to the project sponsor that the lump sum will be used for the development and implementation of the application process, as well as for the establishment and delivery of specific training programs designed to empower women in the pre-startup phase.

The startup network (in consultation with the mentor, if applicable) works with the aspiring female entrepreneur to establish her individual roadmap, including milestones for the duration of the project, and plans the allocation of in-kind resources accordingly. First, it should be ensured that sufficient funds are available to cover participation fees and other project-specific expenses for consulting services, coaching, and travel (e.g., travel expenses to attend the mandatory Founders’ Seminar).

Once this is ensured, the operational funds may also be used to cover other expenses related to start-up preparations (e.g., the purchase of supplies, contracting services, and equipment).

Materials are provided through the research institution. Upon prior agreement, the founder may also be permitted to advance the costs.

Alternatively, after the fellowship agreement has been signed, the academic institution may pay the full amount of the in-kind funding to the participant as a lump sum. During the course of the project, the participant then submits receipts to the university for expenses covered by the in-kind funding. The university verifies whether the expenses are related to startup training and preparation and retains the receipts.

Consulting or research costs related to intellectual property rights may be funded from the project budget. If the patent is filed in the name of the university, direct patent costs may also be funded from the project budget. However, applications for intellectual property rights filed in the name of private individuals or the newly established company are not eligible for funding.

Low-value assets may continue to be made available to and transferred to the founder after the grant period ends. Equipment acquired through the existing grant program that exceeds the inventory threshold (generally €800) may be transferred under the de minimis rule to the startup (corporation or sole proprietorship) that emerged from the grant program.

A degree (bachelor’s, master’s, diploma, doctorate) may be recognized for existing women if the issuing institution legally certifies that all requirements necessary to obtain the degree have been met. This can take various forms (transcript, confirmation from the registrar’s office). If a participant is eligible for the higher scholarship after completing a degree or Ph.D., it will be granted starting the month following graduation.

No, the project sponsor decides on the institution’s overall application, not on individual female entrepreneurs to be funded. The applying institution conducts the selection process and is responsible for ensuring that the selected applicants meet the eligibility requirements.

The applying institution informs the target group—both within its own organization and, if applicable, beyond—as widely as possible about the planned application to exist Women (public announcement). It advises potential applicants on the funding program and encourages them to apply. The organization shall appoint the selection committee for the selection process, which must be conducted transparently; it shall formulate the selection criteria and document the selection process. The selection of the female founders to receive funding may also take place after the funding period has begun and should ideally be completed within 2 months of the start of the funding period (see above).

The institutions must provide the female entrepreneurs with workspaces free of charge (e.g., in startup centers, libraries, or similar locations) free of charge and allow them to use workshops, laboratories, computer centers, and/or other facilities and resources for development work during and outside of business hours for the duration of the funding. There is no entitlement to equipment such as a laptop or similar items.

No, not during the pilot phase, which begins in 2023. ESF funding is being considered for subsequent phases.