Start-up Your Idea! – The GUIDE Idea Competition 2025

Do you have an innovative idea that is waiting to be put into practice? Then Start-up Your Idea! - the ideas competition of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), offers the perfect opportunity to take the next steps on the way to realizing your idea.

Why should you take part?

  • Discover the potential of an idea: Let's find out together whether your idea or research result has the potential to become a successful start-up! The ideas competition offers the opportunity to specify your vision and lay the foundation for its implementation.
  • Support and prizes: Attractive non-cash and cash prizes await the winners, which GUIDE awards in cooperation with partners from the start-up ecosystem and which support the further development of the idea. In addition, the GUIDE team will be on hand as a sparring partner and coach to help participants move their project forward.
  • Networking and exchange: The competition brings together talented minds from different disciplines. It offers you a great opportunity to expand your personal network, exchange ideas with like-minded people and learn from each other.

So take part and let your ideas flow!

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German here

How can I participate?

The competition is divided into two categories - BASIC and ADVANCED. With these two categories, GUIDE wants to promote both initial ideas and more advanced concepts. Whether technical solutions, digital services or social projects - all ideas are welcome!

We are looking forward to all submissions and are looking forward to a great event with exciting ideas.

Competition categories

  • BASIC: Do you have a rough idea of how to (better) solve a target group-specific problem, but don't have a concrete business model in mind yet? Then this category is just right for you! All you have to do here is outline the main features of your idea in the entry form. Describe it very briefly: What is the problem, what could a solution look like and which target group are you addressing?
  • ADVANCED: If your idea has already been developed further, this category offers you more space to explain the business model. To do this, fill in the additional fields “Unique selling point”, “Business model”, “Market & competition”, “Results to date & next steps” in the entry form.

Organization of the competition

  1. After reviewing the submissions, the jury will invite 10 teams per category to the semi-finals. There, the participants will present their idea live in front of the jury for the first time. In preparation for this pitch, GUIDE will provide all invited participants with an online course on “pitch training” worth 200 euros from 02.05.2025.
  2. In the semi-finals, 5 teams per category will qualify for the final on 04.06.2025.
  3. For the final, the selected teams will prepare pitch presentations including a pitch deck. To support the finalists, we have prepared a group pitch training session with an experienced trainer. The training will take place on 23.05.2025.
  4. Based on the pitch training, the finalists have the opportunity to adapt their pitch deck and submit it by 03.06.2025.
  5. The grand finale will take place on 04.06.2025 in front of the jury and a large audience in the library hall at Campus Essen

Dates at a glance

End of the submission deadline for the ideas competition:  30.04.2025
Access to the “Pitch training” online course for all participants:  02.05.2025
Invitation to the semi-final:  until 08.05.2025
Semi-final:  13.05.2025
Group pitch training:  23.05.2025
Individual coaching:  02.06.2025
Final submission of the pitch presentations:  03.06.2025
Finale:  04.06.2025 in the afternoon

What do you have to do?

Simply download the entry form, fill it out and send it as a PDF by email to info@ude.guide by 30.04.2025. The document should not exceed a size of 3 MB.

DOWNLOAD

Participation form BASIC (PDF)

Participation form ADVANCED (PDF)

 

Participation & requirements

  • Students, employees and researchers of the University of Duisburg-Essen and the University Hospital Essen can participate.
  • Participation is possible as an individual or as a team.
  • Projects that have already been founded may only be submitted if their founding date is after July 1, 2024.
  • The ideas submitted must have been developed independently by the participants and must not infringe the rights of third parties. Each idea may only be submitted once per annual GUIDE ideas competition.
  • Participation in GUIDE Start-up your idea! takes place from 04.02.2025 by submitting the completed entry form for the BASIC or ADVANCED category. The entry form is available on the website. Applications can only be accepted if they are received in writing, in German or English, complete and on time by 30.04.2025 (11:00 a.m.).
  • The winners of GUIDE Start-up your idea! will be announced at the award ceremony and on the GUIDE website and the GUIDE LinkedIn and Instagram accounts.
  • Non-cash prizes and special prizes cannot be paid out in cash. 
  • Participation in the competition implies agreement with the conditions of participation stated here.

Prizes

All participants who have submitted the form correctly and in full will receive access to the “Pitch Training” online course worth 200 euros.

All semi-final participants will also receive a group pitch training course worth 700 euros.

BASIC category:

1st place - non-cash prizes on the topic of start-ups/entrepreneurship as well as participation in the sbm I GUIDE courses “Orientation course entrepreneurship” and “sbm goes hightech” with max. 2 people

2nd place - non-cash prizes on the topic of start-ups/entrepreneurship and participation in the sbm I GUIDE Entrepreneurship Orientation Course with a maximum of 2 people

3rd place - non-cash prizes on the topic of start-ups/entrepreneurship

 

ADVANCED category:

The winners will receive prize money for 1st to 3rd place and - regardless of their ranking - attractive special prizes to support their start-up idea from our partners in the start-up ecosystem.

1st place - 1,000 euros

2nd place - 750 euros

3rd place - 500 euros

Special prizes from the start-up ecosystem

The special prizes offered by our partners provide participants with the perfect support from the start-up ecosystem to tackle the implementation of their own idea.



6 months BRYCK Startup Lab Membership (incl. co-working space, BRYCKademy Kickstart, intro to experts/mentors from the medical startup ecosystem and participation in BRYCK and external events) - worth €900 p.p.
   
   

 

Finale and award ceremony

On June 4, 2025, all participants and of course all those interested in founding a company at UDE are invited to the grand finale including pitch presentations and award ceremony.

Registration is possible at: Eventbrite

Do you have any questions?

The GUIDE start-up coaches are happy to answer questions and act as idea sparring partners in advance. Simply book a GUIDE XPresso appointment on our website.

Contact:

Dr. Annika Daun

annika.daun@uni-due.de