22nd Saxon Founder's Prize: The application portal is open until March 9th

In 2022, the Free State of Saxony will award the best innovative business ideas and start-up concepts with the 22nd time Saxon Founder's Prize. The competition, which is open to all sectors and technologies, supports start-ups and young companies in further developing their idea or business concept and making it visible. The winners receive prize money totaling 50.000 euros. On behalf of the Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs, futureSAX, the innovation platform of the Free State of Saxony, takes on the technical support and public relations work for the start-up projects. The countdown for submitting the application documents is on: founders can submit their concepts until March 9, 2022 www.futureSAX.de/gruenderpreis Submit.

Saxon Economics Minister Martin Dulig is looking forward to an exciting competition. »Our innovation ecosystem is first class. For the 22nd time, the Founder's Prize makes the Saxon entrepreneurial spirit and the innovative potential of the Free State visible - across all sectors, in urban and rural areas. And the competition brings added value for all participants: They benefit from increasing their level of awareness through access to over 9.000 contacts in the futureSAX network. Excellent researchers, established and innovative entrepreneurs, investors and many other bright minds are at the side of the founders.«

Marina Heimann, Managing Director of futureSAX, says: »We would like to support and accompany founders and those who want to become founders with their ideas and thus strengthen the culture of innovation in Bavaria. We look forward to submissions of social, sustainable solutions as well as technical visions, across industries and across Saxony, because there are no creative limits to innovative ideas.«

Individuals, start-up teams and young companies with existing or future headquarters in Saxony can apply. You can also apply in the pre-foundation phase. The start-up process does not have to be completed at the time of application, but should be aimed for by 2024 inclusive. In the case of start-ups and growth companies, the foundation may not date back more than three years.

Minister Dulig continues: »A lively start-up scene helps to solve future issues such as e-mobility and hydrogen, sustainability, digitization, health and many other technological and social issues. Take your chance to further develop your concept and make your innovation visible in the competition, which is open to all sectors and technologies!«

futureSAX Founders' Forum

The futureSAX start-up forums take place parallel to the competition and optimally prepare all participants for the application process. The first start-up forum took place on February 3rd of this year on the topic »Developing and communicating business models«. The start-up forums on March 3 will provide further important impetus on the subject »Develop a financing concept suitable for investors« and on May 3rd on the subject »Present your own idea convincingly«.

As an innovation platform, futureSAX not only offers support in the area of ​​start-ups, but also raises awareness as a central contact point in the Saxon innovation ecosystem through a variety of measures for innovative entrepreneurship and exemplary transfer services from science to business. All information about this under www.futureSAX.de

Background: Saxon start-up award

The IT business plan competition was launched for the first time in 1999, during which the futureSAX brand was also created. Just one year later, the first prizes were awarded for the overarching business plan competition. This start-up competition, which was later renamed “Ideas Competition”, continued to develop until 2012 and since then has established a start-up network from all over Saxony. Since 2018, the competition has been called the "Saxon Founder's Prize" and has recorded around 70 prizes including special prizes since the beginning. In 2020, the Free State of Saxony set a new participation record with over 120 entries.

The winners of the past five years include watttron GmbH from Freital (2017), wisefood GmbH from Langenbernsdorf (2018), wandelbots GmbH from Dresden (2019), Morpheus Space GmbH (2020) from Dresden and Additive Drives GmbH Dresden (2021).

All prize-winners of the past years as well as all special prizes are listed in futureSAX innovation radar to find.

Background: Saxon start-up support »InnoStartBonus«

Another option for support for innovative founders in Saxony is the »InnoStartBonus”. The former model project has become a central component of Saxon start-up support. Therefore, on February 1, 2022, the cabinet confirmed the new funding guidelines presented by the Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs for the continuation of the program. Both the subsidy amount and the child bonus will be increased by EUR 50 per month – to EUR 1.050 and EUR 150 respectively. A part-time job of up to 20 hours per week is now possible alongside the start-up project. For the first time, start-up projects can be submitted to the futureSAX GmbH application portal under the new conditions in the period from March 17th to May 11th, 2022. The approval authority for the funding is the Saxon Development Bank – Development Bank – (SAB).

Source: Press release SMWA from February 16.02.2022, XNUMX