Funding aims

In Germany, many people can imagine being their own boss – but, fewer and fewer people actually do so. In order to strengthen the diversity of companies and innovative power in Germany in the long term, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is providing targeted funding for undertakings that support start-up activities.

Universities of applied sciences with their application-oriented education are particularly well suited to introduce students and young scientists to the idea of founding a company as early as possible.

The StartUpLab@FH funding line creates a concrete link between the concept and the practice of founding a company. It is intended to create free space at universities where young scientists can test creative ideas within interdisciplinary teams and develop promising business ideas from these ideas. There they can learn the business and legal tools of the trade. Failure and starting over are also part of the training field.

University administrations can apply for three different modules for implementation, including the StartUpLab itself, the associated lab management and financial support for creative teams with KickStart@FH funding.

Infrastructure and operation

The StartUpLab as a meeting place and focal point for start-up activities is at the heart of the funding.

What is a StartUpLab?

• The StartUpLab comprises all spaces that are necessary for the practical testing of business start-ups. These are creative spaces where UAS members can easily test their start-up ideas and which, depending on the university profile, are equipped with IT, software or technology (electronics laboratory, maker’s space, etc.).
• In addition, rooms can be set up to hold lectures, seminars and discussion groups, as well as libraries and lounges.

Who should use the StartUpLab?

• The rooms and infrastructure of the StartUpLabs are to be open to all UAS members who wish to test ideas for business start-ups.
• The StartUpLab should be a central institution of the UAS. The overall project and lab management of the StartUpLab is to be directly subordinate to university administration. The lab will be technically supervised directly on-site by a new position to be filled (E11).
• Project management decides on the allocation and distribution of resources. For specific needs of those interested in founding a company, existing non-central facilities (e.g. electronics workshop, media laboratory) of the UAS should also be open to the project teams.

Our university does not have suitable premises to set up a StartUpLab. What can we do?

• New space can be rented for the StartUpLab.
• Alternatively, containers could be rented or even purchased, if this is more cost-effective. The efficiency of the purchase must be proven by means of a comparative calculation. It must be clarified in advance what will be done with the containers after the end of the project.

Project management

Project management is responsible for the StartUpLab and takes over comprehensive tasks.

What is the task of project management?

• The core task of project management is the strategic or scientific-technical implementation of the start-up concept.
• Among other things, project management is to plan and initiate modularised strategic development measures for the StartUpLab, which will provide the basis for a later stabilisation.
• Project management is intended to promote and expand entrepreneurial thinking with a holistic approach throughout the entire university, addressing students as well as lecturers and staff.

This includes the following:

• The integration of the StartUpLab into teaching.
• The sustainable networking of the StartUpLab with all relevant internal university bodies, such as transfer office, university management, departments, central and non-central workshops and laboratories.
• Preparing the networking of the StartUpLab with external bodies (start-up advisers, investors, Chamber of Commerce, other universities, incubators, technology centres, EXIST start-up networks of the BMWi, legal advice, etc.).
• Specific marketing measures that contribute to networking and the visibility of the StartUpLabs.

Who should be on the project management team?

• Project management should consist of an interdisciplinary team of at least two members of the professorial staff.
• Ideally, one member should come from economics, and one from another discipline.
• Interdisciplinary teams that reflect the focal points of the respective UAS profile are expressly welcomed.
• If it is a joint concept of several UAS, each one must provide at least one member for project management.

Who supports project management?

• Up to two positions for employees can be applied for.
• One position for strategic and operational project support (up to pay group E14).
• Another position for individual scientific and technical support and assistance of university members in the creative environment of the StartUpLabs (up to pay group E13).

Which expenditures and activities are eligible for funding?

1. Teaching assistants (teaching assignments) of UAS professors who take over project management, provided that the release from work is granted by university administration and the teaching assistants are not part of the permanent staff.
2. Personnel expenditure for one research assistant for strategic and/or operational project support (up to pay group E14) and another for individual scientific and technical support and assistance for UAS members in the creative environment of the StartUpLabs (up to pay group E13).
3. Event costs – such as for start-up fairs, investor days, demonstration days and start-up competitions, as well as general marketing measures – provided that the measures focus on the activities of the StartUpLab.
4. Contracts with third parties, provided that they contribute to networking and the visibility of the StartUpLab (in the sense of its transfer function) or to the verification of research and start-up ideas.
5. Travel expenses to status seminars or meetings of established networks in the field of start-ups (e.g. within the EXIST networks).

KickStart@FH

With KickStart@FH, individuals or teams from the UAS are to be supported for a maximum of six months in an uncomplicated and flexible way. The project team should thus be able to easily test innovative ideas that could lead to a start-up. In addition to contributions in kind of up to 7,500 euros, the selected teams and individuals will receive support through consultations and free access to the premises of the StartUpLab.

What should the individual or a team accomplish in these six months?

• The team should try out the first ideas and concepts which might lead to the foundation of a company (concept suggestions). For instance, a proof of principle can be provided, a demonstration model built, or a market or economic analysis carried out.

What contributions in kind can be obtained by the teams?

• The acquisition of the necessary material including any necessary special parts (custom-made products).
• Special consulting services.

What should be done after these six months?

• In the event of a successful idea test, this should be followed by the further pursuit of the start-up idea. This can be done, for example, by applying for further start-up funding, as provided by various German states or the EXIST programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

Who can apply for support within the framework of KickStart@FH?

• All members of the UAS – students and employees alike – are welcome to apply. For teams, these conditions apply to each individual member.

How many teams or individuals can be supported by KickStart@FH?

• The number of idea proposals depends on the previous experience of the UAS, the requirements of the UAS (profile) and the start-up concept. A plausible estimate should be made as part of the outline. An indication for this estimate can, for example, be the number of EXIST start-up grants applied for in the past years.

How are the teams or individuals selected?

• The UAS carries out a (competitive) selection process and transmits the result via email to the BMBF or the project management agency. After approval by the BMBF, the contributions in kind can be acquired by the university and made available to the teams or individuals.

 What should the university’s internal selection process look like?

• The internal selection process should be transparent and precisely defined before the first selection decision is made. At least two people should be involved in the selection of the idea proposals. The UAS is responsible for the exact structure of the process.