Empowering the next generation of global entrepreneurs

What is the purpose of the Berlin Founders Program project?

Berlin Founders Program aims to empower innovative youth from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine to start and grow their own businesses. The objectives of the Berlin Founders Program are:

• Promote entrepreneurship as a viable career path across the Western Balkans and Ukraine
• Empower young entrepreneurs to start and grow and scale their businesses into the EU market
• Strengthen the startup ecosystem through creating strong, meaningful connections between entrepreneurs and their supporters across Europe (Western Balkans, Ukraine and Germany through Berlin)
• Contribute to the growing culture of entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans and Ukraine to drive sustainable economic growth
• Showcase the role of entrepreneurship in achieving social progress through improving job creation, sustainable practices and accessibility of opportunities and services
• Create visibility for young startups from the Western Balkans and Ukraine across the EU market through promoting their work in the Berlin ecosystem
• Improve visibility of the growing startup ecosystems in Western Balkans and Ukraine to attract international talent and investments
• Support young entrepreneurs in developing key personal and professional skills to support the success of their businesses
• Build a strong network where entrepreneurs, support organizations and ecosystem representatives can remain connected beyond the duration of the program and transfer their knowledge on a local scale to other potential and aspiring entrepreneurs

Who does the Berlin Founders Program target?

The Berlin Founders Program supports:

• Aspiring or first-time entrepreneurs based in Albania & Bosnia and Herzegovina & Ukraine
• Aspiring or first-time entrepreneurs based in Berlin
• Support organizations based in Albania & Bosnia and Herzegovina & Ukraine

What kind of support does the Berlin Founders Program offer?

The program offers the chance to learn the basics of setting up and fundraising for your business, access to an international network of entrepreneurs and experts, and an all-expenses paid trip to Berlin to get to know the startup ecosystem first-hand. By the end of the program, you should:

• Know the basics of setting up and raising funds for your business
• Have validation for your idea from experts/mentors and a preliminary road-map of next steps
• Expand your network/community with relevant connections in your key industry and fellow aspiring entrepreneurs
• Gain an understanding of international markets, specifically the EU market
• Have leads for potential international partnerships to support your business development

How is the Berlin Founders Program structured?

The Berlin Founders Program consists of two complementary components aimed at empowering innovative youth from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine to start and grow their own businesses.

During the first program phase, participants undergo an entrepreneurship crash course consisting of four weekly self-paced online modules and interactive live sessions designed to introduce the basics of setting up and fundraising for a business, along with understanding and accessing international markets.

The second program phase, the Berlin Landing Pad, is an all-expenses paid immersive week in Berlin for the participants to get to know the startup ecosystem in the city, create valuable connections, and take concrete steps towards market entry.

How long does the Berlin Founders Program run?

The Berlin Founders Program spans a total duration of five weeks. During the first program phase, the online entrepreneurship crash course, participants receive weekly self-paced training complimented by interactive live sessions for a total duration of four weeks. This is followed by an immersive week-long exchange in Berlin.

How is the Berlin Founders Program funded?

The project is implemented by enpact and financed by the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises.

What criteria do I have to meet to be eligible for the Berlin Founders Program?

The Berlin Founders Program enables participation for two different target groups, first-time entrepreneurs and their support organizations, for which the eligibility criteria slightly differ. The minimum criteria that needs to be fulfilled for participation are outlined below, alternatively, you can find a detailed description of target group, eligibility criteria, and selection criteria on the program webpage.

First-time entrepreneurs must…

• be at least 18 years old,
• be residing in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, or Berlin and
• demonstrate sufficient English language skills to be able to fully participate in all project activities.

Representatives from support organizations must…

• be at least 18 years and legally allowed to work in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine,
• be residing in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Ukraine,
• be responsible for content and/or training and/or are employed in a key position*, and
• demonstrate sufficient English language skills to be able to fully participate in all project activities.

While their organizations must…

• be operating and registered in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Ukraine,
• be held more than 50% by citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Ukraine,
• have provided support to a minimum of 10 aspiring entrepreneurs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Ukraine within the last 12 months.**

Additionally, applicants may, unfortunately, not be eligible for participation if:

• you or your organization are being investigated or prosecuted for corruption offenses, or
• your organization currently operates in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and/or has active operations in or open contracts in the Russian Federation and/or Belarus.

* Key positions in an organisation are those personnel positions without which the organisation cannot be continued or can only be continued at the cost of considerable losses in turnover or overloading other personnel positions. It is the applicant’s responsibility to present their qualifications as a key employee in the context of the individual organisation.

** Your organization ran a program, you provided mentoring, you ran a workshop (or workshop series), or you developed any content otherwise for young aspiring entrepreneurs, in academic or professional settings.

I already have a registered business. Can I participate in the program?

Yes, owning and/or operating a business does not disqualify you from participation in the program. It should be noted, however, that the benefits of participating are significantly reduced for experienced entrepreneurs due to the entry-level nature of the training and content.

Does the Berlin Founders Program target specific sectors or industries?

No, the Berlin Founders Program does not target specific sectors or industries explicitly. The emphasis in the program, and hence selection phase, is on the individuals, not their prior or current business ventures and therefore there is no sector focus. Participation is open to all individuals that fulfil the eligibility criteria.

Nonetheless, participants that have a well thought out problem statement or business idea that aims to create social, ecological, or economic impact, is very innovative, or has the potential to generate and grow revenue in the market will score higher in the evaluation as per the selection criteria.

What are the selection criteria?

The selection criteria are a set of pre-published criteria against which every received application will be evaluated. There are separate selection criteria for the different target groups. For the Berlin Founders Program the selection criteria (and their weighting) are as follows:

First-time entrepreneurs:

• The applicant demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit and has relevant skills/experience. (20%)
• The problem the applicant aims to solve could create social, ecological, or economic impact, and the business idea has the potential to be new and different, to generate revenue and grow in the market. (30%)
• The applicant appears motivated to actively participate in the program. (20%)
• The applicant will clearly benefit from the program. (30%)

Support organizations:

• Experience and expertise in supporting young founders. (30%)
• Extensive network in the local startup scene. (30%)
• Willingness and ability to actively participate in the project and to pass on knowledge and experience to other participants. (20%)
• Interest in promoting sustainable business development and social responsibility. (20%)

You can find a more detailed description of the whole application process, including selection criteria, on the program webpage.

What is the purpose of the selection criteria?

The selection criteria are devised to support a fair and transparent selection process and made publicly available so that every applicant can understand what their idea will be assessed on. The criteria are devised based on the objectives of the Berlin Founders Program. More information about the project and purpose behind it can be found on the program webpage.

What do I need to submit as part of the application?

Every application must include the following:

• Filled out application questionnaire
• Video addressing provided prompt (ca. 1-3 mins)
• Personal identification document
• Residence permit (if applicable; only for those that are not citizens of the country in which they reside)
• Resume/CV (optional)

Additionally, those individuals applying as representatives of support organizations must prove the registration for their organization.

The application guide has a detailed how-to guide explaining the application process.

Where can I apply?

You can apply exclusively through our application platform SM Apply. Applications delivered by any other means, such as email, phone, or letter, will not be considered.

Please refer to the instructional application guide. Additionally, you can contact us at bfp@enpact.org with any technical issue you may be experiencing.

Why do I need to submit identification documents? What does enpact do with them?

In order to assess your eligibility, we need to verify that you are 18 years or older and that you are an Albanian, Bosnian and Herzegovinian, or Ukrainian citizens or have a valid residence permit.

All your data is protected through our privacy policy. If you have any questions regarding data privacy, please email us at bfp@enpact.org with the subject line: ‘Privacy Inquiry – Just Transition through Entrepreneurship’ and your question. The application and slection process does include any information that is considered part of your proprietary technology.

How do I know if I have been accepted/rejected? How can I follow up?

All applicants will receive a response regarding the status of their application by October 15, 2024. Please make sure that you also check your spam folder. If you are unsure whether your application was successfully submitted, please reach out at bfp@enpact.org with the email information that you used for your application, and we will follow up with you.

You can also check the status of your application on the SurveyMonkey Apply platform by logging into your account.

I am having technical difficulties. What should I do?

Please make sure to open SurveyMonkey Apply and the application in a broadly supported browser like Chrome or Safari and try refreshing the page.

If you are still experiencing problems, make sure that you are respecting character limits for each question and do not use symbols or punctuation marks in number fields. Please also review the application guide containing information on  how to  use SurveyMonkey Apply.

If it still doesn’t work, please e-mail us a screenshot of your error at bfp@enpact.org.

In general, we advise you not to wait until the last minute to submit your application, as the application form and/or website page sometimes experience technical difficulties in the last few hours leading up to the application deadline due to a high influx of submissions.

Is there somebody I can contact to talk about my application?

If you have questions about your application, we invite you to join us at our online info session on the 2nd of October, 2024 at (insert time of info session). Session registration link to be provided soon.

If you cannot make it, or the date has passed, and you are unable to find a solution to your question in the provided resources you can reach out to us at bfp@enpact.org.

How do I know that my application has been successfully submitted?

Once you have submitted the application form, you will receive an email confirmation to the email you used to sign up for SurveyMonkey Apply. If you have any questions about using the online application tool, please check the application guide containing information on how to use SurveyMonkey Apply.

In what language(s) can I receive the training?

The working language of the program is English, hence English is a requirement for applying for and taking part in the program.

Where and how will the training take place?

The training is split across the two program phases. During the first phase, the entrepreneurship crash course, training material will be provided online for self-paced learning, which are then supplemented by the live interactive sessions that will take place in a webinar format.

During the second program phase, the week in Berlin, the training will take part in-person at various venues across Berlin. Details about the exact agenda will be shared with the participants ahead of time.

How much of a time commitment is expected over the duration of the program?

We estimate that a minimum of about 4 hours per week is expected over the course of the online training. While the program’s duration remains the same regardless of individual pace, dedicating more time can significantly enhance your learning experience and outcomes.

Ultimately, the amount of time you invest will directly correlate to the benefits you reap from the program.

What topics are covered in the training/workshops?

The program consists of a total of eight trainings blocks, four of which will be conducted online during the first program phase, and a further four that will be conducted in-person during the week in Berlin. The following topics will be covered, however, the order remains subject to change:

Entrepreneurship Crash Course:

• Basics of Entrepreneurship
• Business Model Development
• Basics of Fundraising
• EU Market Access

Berlin Landing Pad:

• Design Thinking & User Experience
• Product Development & Marketing Strategies
• Pitching & Negotiation Techniques
• Navigating the EU Market

In addition, in the application you have the option to further specify what other support you would be interested in receiving. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to cater to all those requests, but we will incorporate any suggestions wherever possible.

When is the Berlin Landing Pad?

The Berlin Landing Pad component will happen during the week of 18.11.2024-24.11.2024.

Exact dates are yet to be determined, but will be shared well ahead of time to allow adequate time for all preparations on the participants side.

What does the “all-expenses-paid” trip to Berlin include?

enpact will cover all travel costs (including those incurred in Berlin), as well as provide accommodation, food and drinks during your time in Berlin.

Will I have freetime during the week in Berlin?

Yes, you will have some free time to pursue your own professional or personal endeavours during the week in Berlin. We anticipate that you will have around 2 hours of free time in the afternoon each day you are in Berlin.