<aside> 💡 Note: The application portal is closed!
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The goal of the Social Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) is to match entrepreneurial talent with technology, further coach them and support them financially to create a project with a real social impact.
The SEP supports student projects in the field of social innovation and social entrepreneurship at RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen that demonstrate a real social impact. The funding focus is on the downstripping of high tech, i.e. the simplification and application of technologies from the university environment for charitable purposes in Germany, Europe and around the world.
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The SEP includes a total of €100,000 per year for project scholarships. Individual projects can be funded with up to €20,000. The funding period is up to four semesters and starts around the beginning of each semester. Enrolled students from RWTH and FH Aachen are eligible to apply for the project scholarship.
The awarding of the scholarship is decided by the advisory board consisting of the following positions’ holders:
Please note the official guidelines for the Social Entrepreneurship Program from RWTH Aachen University (see here for the English version).
<aside> 🔗 Direct link to the application platform (open): https://app.santanderx.com/calls/social-entrepreneurship-program-summer-24
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Individual projects can be funded up to a total of €20,000 (for a maximum of four funding periods), depending on the notified and proven need. Only applications with a minimum need of €200 per funding period are eligible for funding.
The funds can be paid to student associations and teams of one or more persons. If there is no legal form (e.g. e.V.), the funds are paid out as (tax-free) scholarships. For this purpose, the team is required to name one person as the recipient. This person must be enrolled at RWTH Aachen during the entire funding period — the whole team however might include students enrolled at FH Aachen as well. An audit of the use of funds (costs incurred) must be submitted at the end of the funding period.
The scholarships are usually granted for one semester. The funding period begins roughly at the start of the respective semester and ends at the end of the semester. The funding period can be extended for one additional semester, so the maximum funding period is 4 funding periods of 6 months each.
The project grants primarily serve the simplified application of technologies, the construction of corresponding prototypes, and the development of products or services as a basis for a social entrepreneurial implementation. Staff and travel costs for the project team, general costs for the association (e.g. insurance, legal, and foundation costs) and services that are offered free of charge to students of RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen are not funded.