Hessian Founder Award
Are you a young company from Hessen or have you started a succession in Hessen in the last 5 years? Then apply now for the Hessian Founder Award 2026!
Brief introduction HGP
The Hessian Founder Award invites founders, successors, companies, and students to present their most exciting concepts and ideas
for start-ups or succession to our jury. Ready-to-launch projects from universities or university teams that are market-ready but not yet established or currently in the process of being established are also eligible to participate.
Application phase
The application period runs from January 28 to May 7, 2026. All written applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a jury.
On June 23, the 48 companies that have made it to the semi-finals will be announced. These semi-finalists will be presented on social media over the summer.
The semifinals will take place in Offenbach am Main in September 2026. In the semifinals, you will pitch your idea to a jury. The 12 finalists will then be announced in September 2026 on the HGP YouTube channel.
The finals will take place in Offenbach am Main on November 6, 2026. You will present yourself and your project at the HGP exhibition and pitch again to a jury. The evaluations of the jury, the trade visitors to the exhibition, and the votes from our online voting (October 22 to November 5, 2026) will be evaluated directly on the day of the final. All winners will be presented on the gala stage and one winner per category will be announced.
Competition procedure, prizes, participation
The first step is to fill out the application form. Based on this information, a jury will select the twelve most convincing companies in each of the four categories "Innovative Business Idea," "Sustainable Succession," "Social Impact," and "University Start-up" for the semi-finals.
In addition to a lot of attention and an expansion of your network, this award gives you, as a participant, the opportunity to present your company in a tailored manner. The award recognizes the achievements of successful founders and successors and presents them in a way that attracts media attention. That is why the Hessian Founder Award does not offer cash prizes, but instead involves the semi-finalists and finalists in the increasingly strong public relations work surrounding the Hessian Founder Award. This gives you a great platform and significantly increases your visibility.
To the registration
Further information
Department for Economy and Employment
Address
65183 Wiesbaden
Postal address
65029 Wiesbaden
Arrival
Notes on public transport
Public transportation: Bus stop Dern'sches Gelände, Luisenplatz and Wilhelmstraße; bus lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 30, 36, 45, 46, 47, 48, 262.
Telephone
- +49 611 313131
- +49 611 313922
Opening hours
The department can be reached by telephone from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the number given in the contact field. It is recommended that you make an appointment in advance.