Under the motto “Creative Minds – bubbling over with ideas” we invite all UDE and UK Essen members to participate in this year's GUIDE Idea Competition. The competition offers the perfect platform to bring innovative and creative ideas from all fields to life.

Whether based on a research result or a solution to an everyday problem, the competition offers the opportunity to take ideas to the next level. To do so, simply submit the project in the form of an idea sketch and get one step closer to implementatio

Why participate?

1. Discovering the potential of an idea. The competition is the chance to find out wether an idea has the potential for a successful business model. It offers the opportunity to concretize a vision and lay the foundation for implementation.

2. Support and prizes: In addition to attractive prizes that support the further developement of the idea, the GUIDE team is available to the participants afterwards as a sparringspartner and coach to help move the project forward.

3. Networking and exchange: The Idea Competition brings together talented minds from different disciplines. It thus offers a good opportunity to expand one's personal network, exchange ideas with like-minded people and learn from each other.

So join in and let your ideas bubble! We are looking forward to many exciting submissions.

What do you have to do?

Simply download the entry form, complete it and send it as a PDF via email to info@ude.guide during the application period until September 30, 2023. You may attach up to 3 supplementary graphics in JPEG format with a maximum size of 1 MB each in the email.

Of course, we will treat the submitted ideas confidentially!

What can the participants win?

As a prize the top 3 participants/teams will receive 

1st place - participation in the Startup Olympics as well as in an individual pitch training session.

2nd place - participation in the Startup Olympics as well as a spot in the sbm I GUIDE orientation course entrepreneurship with max. 2 persons

3rd place - participation in the Startup Olympics

Prizes cannot be paid out in cash.

The award ceremony

Following the evaluation process by our jury, a selection of up to 8 ideas will be invited to pitch during the award ceremony. After the pitch, the winners will be announced.

All participants and of course all people interested in the topics of founding a company at the UDE are invited.

When will the award ceremony take place?

The award ceremony will take place on October 26th 2023 in room 135, Geibelstraße 41, 47057 Duisburg, Germany.

Registration to attend is now open on Eventbrite: 

https://praemierungfeier-ideenwettbewerb2023.eventbrite.de

Participation, confidentiality & requirements

• Students, employees and researchers of the University of Duisburg-Essen and the University Hospital Essen can participate.
• Participation is possible as an individual and as a team.
• The idea sketch created must have been developed independently by the participants and must not infringe the rights of third parties. Each idea sketch may only be submitted once per annual GUIDE idea competition.
• The formal founding of the company must not have taken place at the time of submission.
• Participation in the GUIDE Idea Competition 2023 takes place from 02.08.2023 by submitting an idea sketch via the participation form provided on the website. Only applications that are received in writing, in German or English, complete and on time by 30.09.2023 (14:00) can be accepted.
• The winners of the GUIDE Idea Competition 2023 will be announced at the award ceremony and on the GUIDE website as well as on the GUIDE LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Publications on the content of the winning entries will only be made with the consent of the participants.
• Participation in the competition implies agreement with the conditions of participation stated here.
• Participation is confidential, i.e. the jury members sign a non-disclosure agreement. The personal data of the participants will not be passed on to unauthorized third parties by the organizer.

Any questions?

The GUIDE start-up coaches are available for questions and as idea sparring partners. Simply book a GUIDE XPresso meeting on our website.

Under the motto "Every idea counts!", all members of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and the University Hospital Essen were invited to submit their ideas to the GUIDE Idea Competition in August and September 2022. For the second time, the competition at the UDE drew attention to the topic of (start-up) ideas and encouraged entrepreneurial action in the university context.

Creative ideas are the key to progress: this was the motto of the University of Duisburg-Essen's Ideas Competition 2021, initiated by GUIDE, the Center for Start-ups and Innopreneurship, which took place for the first time this year. All members of the university and the University Hospital Essen were invited to submit ideas in the innovation areas of artificial intelligence, chemistry-based innovations and digital education.