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Der Deutsche Gründerpreis / The German Business Founder Award
The German Business Founder Award is the most important award for outstanding entrepreneurs in Germany.
It is awarded for exemplary achievement in developing innovative and stable business ideas, as well as for
setting up new companies. The objective of the German Business Founder Award is to foster a positive climate
for business foundation in Germany and to encourage self-employment.
Every year, the German Business Founder Award awards prizes in the following categories: Schüler (Students),
StartUp, Aufsteiger (Climber) and Lebenswerk (Lifework). In this way, prizes can be awarded to entrepreneurial
role models in different stages of business foundation, from student business simulations up to the work of a
lifetime. Extraordinarily creative entrepreneurial performances are awarded a special prize.
The German Business Founder Award is sponsored by the business partners stern, Sparkassen, ZDF and Porsche.
Since 1997, the partners have lobbied for the support of entrepreneurship and a culture that encourages business
foundation. The German Business Founder Award has been sponsored by Porsche since 2007. The initiative is supported
by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology), renowned
sponsors, a high-caliber board of trustees and a network of experts.
The Categories
In the Students category, prizes are awarded to young people who have developed the most convincing business concept
for a fictitious company in the context of a new internet-based business start-up competition.
The German Business Founder Award in the StartUp category goes to founders of a new business under three years old.
Prizes are awarded to new businesses that have become established in the market and which have attained a high degree
of success.
The prize for the Climber category is awarded to founders whose business has shown extraordinary growth and potential
for market leadership. The companies must not be older than seven years at the most.
In the Lifework category, prizes are awarded to entrepreneurs who have built up at least one company in Germany
that has achieved sustained success and features an exemplary business culture. As an exemplary entrepreneurial
personality, the person who is awarded the prize must show his or her commitment to social responsibility in addition
to entrepreneurial activities.
The Special prize is awarded to entrepreneurs who have managed to meet special entrepreneurial challenges in an
extraordinarily creative way.
The Award
Attended by Federal Minister for Economy and Technology, Michael Glos, the winners of the sixth German Business
Founder Award were awarded their prizes at a formal awards ceremony on June 19, 2007 in Berlin. STERN magazine and
German television channel ZDF reported on the nominations and award winners.
The ten best student teams won prize money worth a total of 6,000 Euro, and an invitation to "Future Camp",
a personality coaching training session with workshops and outdoor activities that has been specially designed
with young people in mind.
The nominees and award winners in the StartUp and Climber categories received tailor-made coaching by Porsche
Consulting GmbH specially geared to their individual requirements. In addition to this, their companies will be
sponsored by the German Business Founder Award's board of trustees. For two years, the sponsors will provide the
knowledge and experience that is necessary to be successful and, if need be, support the companies in all
operational fields, such as financing, organization, marketing, sales, legal aspects or staff. The nominees
also received one day of media training.
The Selection Procedure
The German Business Founder Award for students is awarded to the best teams taking part in the new business
start-up competition open to all young people from 16 years of age. The platform for this new business start-up
competition, which is the biggest competition of its kind nationwide, is the internet.
In the other categories, companies are nominated by a network of experts. The StartUp category is reserved for
the best business founders financed by the Sparkassen (savings banks). In the other categories, potential companies
are identified by nationwide research and screening tests. The best three companies in each category are nominated
for the German Business Founder Award, and prizewinners chosen by a high-caliber jury.
The around 200 experts of the German Business Founder Award include personalities from the world of politics and
economics, representatives from the Chambers of Crafts and Commerce, universities, technology transfer points and
venture capital providers.
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