Business Plan Competition Berlin-Brandenburg

Program description

The Berlin-Brandenburg Business Plan Competition (BPW) is Germany's largest regional start-up initiative and much more than just a competition. The BPW supports you with free offers on your way to self-employment. Benefit from seminars and workshops to expand your knowledge, build your own business network and get individual advice. All interested parties - both founders and existing companies - with a (new) business idea that they would like to implement in the region can participate. The BPW supports the creation of a business concept with:

• Knowledge in seminars, workshops, online offers and forums
• Networking to build up own contacts with different event formats on and offline
• Advice on individual questions in personal consultations
• Competition with the chance to win prize money and feedback, including pitch training

Independent of the competition, the BPW Academy offers free support. You can expand your knowledge in seminars, workshops and forums. Experts provide initial impulses in consultations.

At the BPW competition, you have the opportunity to submit your business concept in three phases. The jurors will evaluate all submissions and give you well-founded feedback that will help you optimize your business concept. The best concepts in each phase will be awarded prize money totaling more than 50.000 €. In addition, a sustainability prize will be awarded in the last phase. Participation is possible with a business plan and/or a business model canvas (s. Manual of BPW).

The BPW network is at your side with its concentrated know-how and supports you in your start-up or business expansion. More than 300 consultants are at your side with their expertise. The BPW supports you in building your network and organizes various event formats to connect experts, investors and other founders.

Institution

IBB Business Team GmbH

IBB Business Team GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of IBB Unternehmensverwaltung, the sponsor of Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB). On behalf of the State of Berlin and IBB, it implements various funding instruments for start-ups & consulting, innovation & digitalization, mobility, and energy & sustainability. It is the primary contact for companies and start-ups when it comes to applying for grants from the state's own funding programs and funding projects.

Tasks: Information, advice, support and funding

Applying for subsidies is sometimes a complex area for companies and start-ups. The IBB Business Team aims to reduce the hurdles in applying for subsidies and acts as a partner for applicants.

The goal is to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, expansion, modernization and sustainability.

Deadline

Registration for the BPW 2025 is already possible. You can enter at any time during the competition. In three phases you can submit your business concept for evaluation and participation in the competition (both for a single phase and for all phases).

Submission deadlines BPW 2025

1st submission deadline: November 19, 2024
2nd submission deadline: February 18, 2025
3rd submission deadline: May 20, 2025

Your concept must be received by midnight on the respective deadline.

Funding period

BPW Year 2025 will open on October 11, 2024. It will run annually from October to July. TIP: If you register with BPW in time, you will receive an invitation to the kick-off event at deGUT - the founders' and entrepreneurs' fair in the ARENA Berlin. This year the BPW celebrates their 30th anniversary.

Funding criteria

Any idea is welcome, regardless of the industry in which the business idea is located and whether it is a start-up, a business succession or a new business segment of an existing company. The hurdles are low, but the following must be met for successful participation:

• The company is planned or has been founded in Berlin and/or Brandenburg.
• If the company already exists, it was founded no more than 12 months before the start of the BPW year (October 2023).
• If the company was founded before October 2023, participation is possible if an additional business field is to be established.
• Participation is also possible if the company was taken over as part of a succession.
• The business concept was created by the team members themselves (no creation by management consultancies etc.).

Please note: If all phases of a BPW year have already been completed, participation in the program is no longer possible. Teams that have been awarded in a BPW year can no longer participate with this business idea. If an expansion of the business area is planned or the product changes, then a renewed participation is possible. The BPW team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Additional conditions

1st phase - prize money

• Winning team: 10.000 €
• Audience award: 1.000 €

2nd phase - prize money

• Winning team: 15.000 €
• Audience prize: 2.000 €

3rd phase - prize money

• Winning team: 20.000 €
• Audience award: 3.000 €
• Sustainability Award: 5.000 €

You or your team can also win several prizes during the competition, both in the different phases and prize categories!

Expenses for (commercial)

Entrepreneurial salary/stipend/award money or similar, Coaching/mentoring services

Funding focuses on

Start-up/Foundation & consolidation, Entrepreneurial know-how, Business model development, Sustainability, Strengthening the local/regional economic power

Stage of the company/self-employment

prior to founding, up to 1 year after founding, existing company, company succession

Company Sizes

solo self-employed/one-man business, micro enterprise, small enterprise, medium-sized enterprise, large enterprise/corporation

Application type

Online form, Registration in advance

Application procedure/documents

It's easy: Register here at BPW and take advantage of the offer free of charge and without obligation. You can then register online for seminars, workshops, forums and networking events and manage your appointments. You can also submit consulting requests (even multiple times) during the BPW term. All offers can be used independently of participation in the competition.

Registration for the competition also takes place digitally on the platform: Your business concept must be received by the respective deadline and should contain the required chapters/segments. Participation in the competition is independent of the other offers. You can optionally take advantage of any BPW service. It is the same with the phases. Entry is possible in every phase. You can submit a business plan or a business model canvas, switch between the categories and phases or participate in both categories.

Choose for yourself whether you want to create and submit your business concept as a classic business plan (BPW Plan) and/or using the Business Model Canvas (BPW Canvas) method.

• BPW Plan - includes the preparation of a business plan in three stages, each with a specific content focus. You can find an overview of the business plan chapter requirements here (only in German).
• BPW Canvas - provides the creation of a canvas model that addresses all aspects relevant to the business. Using nine components, the tool allows for quick visualization of business concepts. Templates can be found here (only in German).

Jury/Decision-making body

After the respective deadline, two independent jurors will receive your concept for evaluation. Based on defined criteria, the concept is reviewed and provided with hints, tips and comments from which you can benefit.

Ten teams qualify for the pitch final in each phase. Pitching takes place in front of a jury of experts who select the winning team, which is awarded a prize on the award evenings. There is only one winning team in each phase. In addition, the top 3 from the jury session in each phase will have the opportunity to pitch in front of an audience on the award night. After a live vote, one team will receive the audience award.

In the third phase, the BPW Special Award for Sustainability will also be awarded. Application is automatic for all submissions in the final phase. Ten final teams in the BPW Plan and BPW Canvas and BPW Sustainability categories pitch to the expert jury, which selects the winning team of the third phase and the winning team of the Sustainability Award. The top 3 from the jury session will in turn pitch for the audience award.

The jury's feedback at each stage can be viewed online one day after the award ceremony. The ratings and placements in the respective competition phase do not influence further participation in the competition. The evaluations are anonymous. The jurors themselves decide whether they are available for further feedback discussions.

Furthermore, at the end of the BPW year, a so-called final report is prepared, which is uploaded in the download area. It lists all the contributors, from speakers and advisors to jury members.

Assistance/Downloads

At the media centre of the BPW, you can watch a film series from the awarding during the different phases in 2024 as well as follow a podcast (only in German) where start-up topics and trends in the start-up scene are presented by experts.

BPW explainer film 2023

A manual for the BPW 2024 is available free of charge as a download (the manual for 2025 will soon be published). It describes the process, the conditions of participation and further information in detail. In addition, you will find useful documents for your foundation in the download area. Registration is not required to use the download area.

In the service area you will find further helpful tips, links and documents about the foundation, e.g. a team exchange.

For the current events (seminars, networking events, workshops, fora) have a look here.

For breaking news, interviews and more, check out the BPW Blog.

FAQ Url

Funded by

The BPW is jointly supported by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Business of the State of Berlin and the Ministry for Economics, Labor and Energy of the State of Brandenburg, as well as co-financed by funds from the European Union (ESF). The achievements of the BPW are possible thanks to the sponsors, who actively support with financial means, know-how and personal commitment.

Funding area

State of Berlin