With the Ideas and Business Plan Competition, the Schwarzwälder Gründergeist – a partnership comprising the University of Freiburg, Furtwangen and Offenburg – together with regional partners, is calling for the submission of innovative business ideas from our region. The competition supports students, PhD candidates, alumni and staff at the participating universities who are interested in starting a business and who wish to develop ideas or turn them into marketable business models.

In zwei Phasen – Idee and Businessplan – können Einzelpersonen und Teams ihre Konzepte einreichen. Gesucht werden sowohl frühphasige, kreative Ansätze als auch bereits ausgearbeitete Gründungsvorhaben. Eine Jury mit Expert*innen aus Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Gründungsförderung bewertet die Einreichungen u.a. nach Innovationsgrad, Marktpotenzial, Umsetzbarkeit und gesellschaftlichem Nutzen. Mit dem Schwarzwälder Gründergeist Ideen- und Businessplan-Wettbewerb sollen Gründer*innen in der Region sichtbar und vernetzt werden sowie einen starken Start ermöglicht kriegen.

Participants benefit from the feedback provided by the jury, as well as an extensive support programme comprising workshops, events and advice and coaching services offered by all three participating universities. The best entries are presented via pitches at the end of each phase during a public closing event. The winners receive financial support to further develop their idea or start-up project.

Ideas and Business Plan Competition: Entry and Deadlines

• Submission of entries for the ideas competition by 31 May 2026 at the latest (for the business plan competition by 25 October 2026 at the latest)
• Closing event featuring a presentation and awards ceremony for the best ideas on 2 July 2026 (and for the business plans on 21 November 2026)
• You can find information on the terms and conditions and how to register here.

On the Schwarzwälder Gründergeist

The “Black Forest Entrepreneurial Spirit” is a project aimed at boosting innovation and entrepreneurship in the south-western Black Forest. It is jointly run by the University of Freiburg, Furtwangen University and Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, as well as other regional partners.

The collaboration between the participating universities and their partners creates synergies that provide the region with a new foundation in the field of start-up support. Thanks to this concentrated expertise, those interested in starting a business and existing founders can expect the best possible support on their start-up journey. From raising awareness of the topic, through targeted training (‘entrepreneurship education’), idea and business plan competitions, and implementation workshops, right through to team-building activities, those interested will receive active support along the way.

The Black Forest Entrepreneurial Spirit is part of the MWK-funded Inspire-BW Hubs, which aim to promote regional entrepreneurial potential through targeted cross-university collaboration across Baden-Württemberg. The Inspire-BW Hubs cooperate with other initiatives such as the start-up factory NXTGN, which, as a nationwide flagship initiative of the BMFTR, is intended to take the topic of start-ups to a new level whilst also placing greater emphasis on cooperation with industry partners. The Schwarzwälder Gründergeist anchors these efforts in the south-west of Baden-Württemberg.

The Schwarzwald Entrepreneurial Spirit Ideas and Business Plan Competition is already supported by a number of regional sponsors, and further sponsors are always welcome.