Strong women, strong ideas: Trier University supports female founders!

Strong women, strong ideas: Trier University supports female founders!

The University and the Trier University of Applied Sciences play an important role in supporting young female entrepreneurs in Germany. As part of the federal program EXIST Women Twelve talented women who want to realize their business ideas are supported. The aim of this program is not only to strengthen the entrepreneurial skills of the scholarship holders, but also to offer them a platform for exchange and networking.

An independent jury selected the scholarship holders from numerous applications. The founders supported include Olga Kieseleva, Sara Huber, Magdalena Stahl, Canan Dincel, Sophie Kliesa, Lisa Haichwald, Stella Middelhauve, Jenny Krüger, Daniela Hansen and Sabrina Rohles. Also not in the picture are Arina Wischnewsky, Jaqueline Hoffmann and Nathalie Wolf. The participants benefit from individual coaching and extensive qualification measures provided by the joint start-up office.

Comprehensive support for female founders

The funding includes material resources and three months of financial support. In addition, experienced mentors are available to offer helpful insights from business. The EXIST Women program is actively supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and aims to strengthen the female founder rate, which is currently 25% - a value that is above the national average and has shown an increasing trend in recent years.

With the introduction of the EXIST-Women funding line, the federal government is pursuing a comprehensive start-up strategy that is intended to increase diversity among female founders. Universities and research institutions with suitable advisory services are eligible to apply. A current application deadline for interested institutions is December 6th, 2024.

Challenges in the start-up process

In the discussion about supporting female founders, the need for profound change should also be mentioned. KfW emphasizes that it is important to create equal opportunities between men and women in the start-up process and to examine existing institutional barriers. These include childcare offers, parental allowance and spousal splitting.

Long-term measures must be developed to raise awareness of gender stereotypes among parents and teachers. In addition, anchoring entrepreneurship education in curricula is crucial in order to increase women's willingness to start a business and their entrepreneurial ambitions.

The challenges are diverse, but the initiatives within the EXIST Women program and other support measures show that the will to change and support female founders is there. Sharing best practices and creating positive role models are essential. The results of an ongoing survey to collect good practice measures in the area of ​​women entrepreneurship will help to further refine and adapt the strategies.