OREANDA-NEWS. July 15, 2015. "GrunderChampions". The requirement for taking part is that the foundation or takeover of the company took place not before 1 January 2010. The KfW Entrepreneurs' Award honours one successful company from each federal German state, and one national winner is then selected from the group of regional finalists. The audience votes for an additional winner on the day of the award ceremony in Berlin. If you are interested, go to www.degut.de to apply.

The winners of the KfW Entrepreneurs' Award will be chosen by a panel consisting of experienced representatives from politics and business, state development institutions and chambers of commerce and industry. The panel will assess the business ideas for their level of innovation and creativity and review whether they create value added for society. Other criteria for the award are how environmentally friendly the process of implementation is and whether jobs and training positions have been created or retained. Companies from all sectors can apply.

The award ceremony will be held at the opening event of the Deutsche Grunder- und Unternehmertage (deGUT – a trade fair for German start-ups and entrepreneurs) in Berlin on 8 October 2015. The 16 regional winners will each receive EUR 1,000, and the national winner selected from this group an additional prize of EUR 9,000. This prize will be awarded to a company that is particularly outstanding – either as a result of an especially innovative or creative idea, or of the dedication to social responsibility. On the evening of the award ceremony, the audience votes for an audience winner who will receive an additional EUR 5,000. The 16 prize-winning entrepreneurs will be invited to Berlin from 8 to 10 October 2015. The winners will be supported by a PR agency to publish their success story.

Note:

Businesses interested in applying for the Entrepreneurs' Award can obtain further information and download an application form at www.degut.de/gruenderchampions and www.kfw.de/award. Profiles of previous prizewinners can also be viewed at www.degut.de/erfahrungsberichte-von-gruenderchampions.

About KfW:

As the largest German promotional bank, KfW supports its costumers with tailor-made financial products. Last year KfW provided total financing of EUR 74.1 billion for projects in Germany and abroad. In addition to advisory services, KfW also offers debt capital, mezzanine capital and equity financing for entrepreneurs and start-ups.

About deGUT:

deGUT is the largest trade fair for new business start-ups and entrepreneurship in Germany. It will be held in Berlin on 9 and 10 October 2015. deGUT is organised by the regional business development banks Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) and Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB). deGUT is promoted by the Senate Administration for Economics, Technology and Research of the State of Berlin, and the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of the State of Brandenburg. The event is held under the patronage of Sigmar Gabriel, the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy.