Criteria Wageningen Entrepreneurship Grant

Target audience: BSc & MSc students, alumni (< 5 years after graduation), PhDs and Postdocs of WUR.

General and substantive selection criteria for all three awards are as follows:
• the registered participant falls within the target group of the Wageningen Entrepreneurship Grant and may have other team members within his or her initiative, which may or may not fall within the target group.
• for the duration of the award spending period, the registered participant is actively involved in his or her initiative, or is replaced by a successor who falls within the target group and has been involved in the initiative from the beginning of the competition.
• the participant’s initiative exists for less than 5 years, falls within the WUR domain, is innovative and new to the market.
• the participant’s initiative clearly contributes to “Fuel a Sustainable Future” in the broadest sense of the word.
• there is clear added value from winning the award, both in terms of the cash prize and access to the givers’ network and Wageningen Centre for Entrepreneurship.

For applying to the startup awards (ad. € 25.000,-), participants must:
• have a business (legal entity) or will establish one within 6 months after winning the award.
• be active with customer validation activities and can show proven interest from customers (traction).
• have their growth potential for the market validated.
• have no major (>100k€) investment raised.
• must indicate whether his or her initiative focusses on either renewables and climate & energy transition or on a different WUR driven knowledge idea and what the envisioned impact will be.

We have to award categories
• Future resources award: award of €25,000 for the best initiative focused on renewables as the most promising solution for climate and energy transition, within the WUR domain.
• Future planet award: award of €25,000 for the best knowledge-driven idea within the WUR domain with impact as its goal and with proven growth potential and interest from the market (validation and traction).

For applying to the Get unstuck award (chosen by the public) ad. 7.500, -, participants must:
• have an initiative of which social or environmental impact is demonstrated following SDG criteria.
• Hhve an initiative that include non-profit, for-profit, or hybrid model business plans.
• be active with key partner validation and proven interest from potential users.

Note: it is possible to apply for a second time.

Criteria after receiving the startup awards
The first term involves 20.000 euro and will be transferred after receiving a signed copy of the award letter, a budget and a brief explanation that shows what the Grant will be used for.

• The maximum period for spending the grant is one year. After end of this grant period, you are expected to write a short report within 30 days.
• University Fund Wageningen receives a report and financial overview of the initiative and the grant, including a paragraph on how business development has been strengthened. These documents are used to follow the progress of your initiative and to be able to provide you with valuable feedback.
• The second term involves 5.000 euro and will be transferred after the reports have been received.
• You agree to cooperate with public communication in relation to this grant, through for example, an interview or by delivering content and photo material that can be placed on the channels of UFW, StartHub, and WUR.
• We appreciate mentioning the support by ‘Wageningen Entrepreneurship Grant managed by University Fund Wageningen’ in your communications, where possible.
• In case of termination of the initiative before spending the full prize, you will contact UFW immediately. University Fund Wageningen will arrange for a meeting, in which it will be determined whether (partial) refund is necessary.

Criteria after receiving Get unstuck award
The entire amount will be transferred after receiving a signed copy of the award letter, a budget and a brief explanation that shows what the Grant will be used for.
• The maximum period for spending the grant is one year. After end of this grant period, you are expected to write a short report within 30 days.
• University Fund Wageningen receives a report and financial overview of the initiative and the grant, including a paragraph on how business development has been strengthened. These documents are used to follow the progress of your initiative and to be able to provide you with valuable feedback.
• You agree to cooperate with public communication in relation to this grant, through for example, an interview or by delivering content and photo material that can be placed on the channels of UFW, StartHub, and WUR.

• We appreciate mentioning the support by ‘Wageningen Entrepreneurship Grant managed by University Fund Wageningen’ in your communications, where possible.
• In case of termination of the initiative before spending the full prize, you will contact University Fund Wageningen immediately. University Fund Wageningen will arrange for a meeting, in which it will be determined whether (partial) refund is necessary.