FAQ

1. What is Startup-Impuls?

Startup-Impuls is a competition for anyone who wants to turn a business idea into a thriving business. From high-tech to new services to innovative products and technologies: The focus is on ideas with a future—and the people who have the courage to bring them to life.

2. What are the benefits of participating in the Startup-Impuls competition?

Applying to the Startup-Impuls competition helps you turn your business idea into a concrete concept. Plus, right from the start, you’ll have the opportunity to receive guidance from experienced experts and network within the ecosystem.

Prizes totaling over 100,000 euros await the best business ideas—ranging from cash prizes and in-kind contributions to valuable support services. At the same time, Startup-Impuls offers you the chance to raise awareness for your idea and make connections that will help you move forward—withpartners, sponsors, companies, or potential customers.

And the journey continues even after the competition: Our consulting services remain available to you—for example, when developing your business plan or as you move toward launching your startup. In this way, Startup-Impuls can be more than just a competition: it’s an important step toward turning your idea into a successful business.

3. What personal requirements must you meet to participate?

Above all, you need a good idea and the motivation to develop it further together. At Startup-Impuls, it doesn’t matter where you are right now: whether you’re working, in school, looking for a new direction, or have an idea you finally want to turn into reality. What matters is that you believe in your concept and are eager to take the next step together.

4. Are there fees for the consultations and events during the competition?

We’ll support you free of charge as you develop your business concept with tips, feedback, and tailored advice. If costs do arise for individual services—such as for external consultants or events—we’ll let you know in advance, of course. You decide for yourselves whether you want to take advantage of these offers; they’re not a requirement for participating in the competition.

5. Do we have to attend the offered events once we’ve registered for the competition?

All Startup-Impuls offerings and events are optional. However, if you want to further develop your business idea in a targeted way and submit a strong application, participation is definitely worthwhile. Through consultations and coaching sessions, you’ll receive valuable feedback, new ideas, and concrete support for your next steps.

6. Can we still participate in the Startup-Impuls competition if we’ve already founded a company?

Yes, the Startup-Impuls startup competition is also open to companies founded in 2024 or later.

7. We already have a business plan (e.g., because we’ve already founded a company this year or are about to do so). Can we submit this for our application, or do we need to recreate the documents according to the guidelines?

An existing business plan can serve as a good foundation, but for the application, you’ll need to submit the documents in our specified format.

These include:

• A pitch deck of no more than 20 pages: In it, you’ll present your business concept in a concise and easy-to-understand way. You should also demonstrate how your idea contributes to at least one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Resumes for all team members: Please submit a resume for each person on the founding team.

Important: Additional attachments are not permitted. A traditional business plan is significantly more detailed than what we require for the application and therefore cannot be submitted in place of the read deck.

You can find examples, the guidelines, and the terms and conditions for your application in the “Downloads” section .

8. What prizes are available?

There are four prize categories for which both solo founders and teams can apply:

Hottest Innovation: for innovative founders and technology-oriented university spin-offs

Next Mittelstand: for founders whose business models have the potential to develop into established small and medium-sized enterprises—in other words, the employers of tomorrow.

Biggest Impact: for founders tackling social or environmental challenges; this includes both traditional social enterprises and innovative impact startups

Future Health: for founders and startups offering innovative solutions in the healthcare sector.

The hannoverimpuls team will determine which award category the application falls into. The better the alignment with a category in the pitch deck, the easier it is for us to make that determination.

All winners across all four award categories will receive a professional promotional video as well as a free 6-month resident membership at Hafven (for teams, each team member receives a resident membership).

Special Marketing Award: Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG) is offering the Special Marketing Award. From among all applications (not just the eight nominees), HMTG is seeking a particularly attractive product that is already on the market or is about to enter the market. HMTG is offering a marketing package worth €5,000 as the prize, which will be individually tailored to the winner’s needs.

The prize money is intended for use in connection with the establishment and management of the business and not for personal purposes. The prize money will be paid out in 2027 upon request by the winners. hannoverimpuls reserves the right to reclaim the prize money if the competition terms and conditions are no longer met by June 30, 2028. If, during the specified period, the company relocates its headquarters from the Hannover region to another region or establishes itself in another region, the competition terms and conditions will no longer be met. This primarily relates to hannoverimpuls’s mission to promote the regional economy of the Hannover region and the state capital of Hannover.

9. Will all of our data be treated confidentially and with discretion?

Of course, we guarantee the confidentiality of your ideas and your personal data. All of your data will be treated confidentially. After the competition ends, the best business ideas will be publicly announced—in consultation with the winners and nominees—and awarded prizes at an event. The content of this announcement will, of course, be coordinated with you in advance.

Click here for the terms and conditions.

10. How does the ideas competition work?

It kicks off on September 9, 2026. Starting on that day, you can register via “Enter Now” on the homepage of the application tool. There, you’ll enter your information, upload your application materials, and can take advantage of our support services, such as consulting and coaching.

Important: Your application must be submitted in full by 11:59 p.m. on December 9, 2026, at the latest. Remember to click “Submit” in the application tool to finalize your submission. You may submit your documents in German or English.

After the application deadline, the business concepts will beevaluated by ourexperts in January. The eight best ideas will then be presented to the main jury, which will select the winners.

The awards ceremony will take place on March 18, 2027, in Hanover.

You can find all the details about the process here.

11. Who is on the jury?

The members of the main jury hold leading positions in business, academia, and politics and will be announced to the nominees prior to the jury sessions.

12. Does your business idea or invention fit the competition’s concept?

Yes! Startup-Impuls welcomes ideas from all industries and fields. If you’re confident in your idea, get to the point and submit your application. Even if you don’t win an award, participating is still worthwhile: you’ll receive valuable insights, feedback, and support to help you further develop your idea.

13. Do we have to be from Hanover to participate in Startup-Impuls?

Startup-Impuls is open to anyone who wants to bring a business idea to life—regardless of where you’re from. The key is that your idea has entrepreneurial potential and that you ’re implementing it in the Hannover region or plan to do so in the future. This connection to the Hannover region should be clearly evident in your application.

14. How do we get in touch with a coach?

Once you’ve registered for the startup competition, you can view the profiles of the “Startup-Impuls coaches” and their areas of expertise in the application tool. Once you’ve made your choice, send an email to gruendung@hannoverimpuls.de with the coach’s name and your pitch deck. We’ll then put you in touch with the respective coach.

15. Is participation in the competition mandatory once we’ve registered online?

No. Registration is free and non-binding. Even if you take advantage of our supporting services, you are not required to submit an application afterward.

Any questions? Give us a call!