Bauhaus-Universität Weimar: EXIST-Women: neudeli empowHER

Get started with neudeli empowHER

With neudeli empowHER, we support women on their way to self-employment. We firmly believe that great ideas should know no gender boundaries and are passionate about preparing female founders in the best possible way.

Our programme offers you the opportunity to learn from experienced mentors, use valuable resources and network with female founders and experts.

What does the programme offer me?

10-month programme full of workshops and coaching sessions to prepare you in the best possible way for self-employment
2,000 euros in material resources to implement your start-up idea
optional scholarship (1.000-3.000 euros) for three months each for your life expenses
Participation in the neudeli Female Founders Retreat Weekend
an experienced mentor at your side
a workplace in the neudeli founder workshop & 24/7 access to our Maker Lab
a certificate after successful completion of the programme

Can I participate?

Neudeli empowHER is aimed particularly at women with a connection to the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar who are interested in founding a business, are still at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey, and want to familiarize themselves early on with the topics of entrepreneurship and self-employment.
You have a connection to the university if you are currently studying or working — or have done so in the past — at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
A limited number of spots are available for participants without a direct university affiliation.

Are you international and wondering if you can take part?
As an international founder, you can participate if you hold a valid visa and are able to attend the events on site throughout the year.
We are generally flexible and can conduct many program formats, such as one-on-one coaching sessions, in English. However, there will also be offers in German, such as the Female Founders Retreat or talks as part of networking events.
A basic level of German proficiency (B1) is therefore advisable to at least understand what is being said.

Applicants cannot be admitted if they:

are already conducting business with the idea submitted in the application,
have already founded a corporation,
are already funded through the EXIST-Gründerstipendium or EXIST-Forschungstransfer,
are pursuing a bachelor’s degree and have not yet completed more than half of their required coursework,
do not live in the Weimar area and therefore cannot realistically take part in the program’s activities.

Not sure if you’re eligible to apply?
Then join the digital info session or get in touch with us directly.
You’ll find the dates in the blue information box on this website.

What does neudeli empowHER offer?

Workshops and Coachings

… that will boost your entrepreneurial skills!

Throughout the year, we offer a wide range of workshops and seminars designed to prepare you for founding your own business and to help you develop useful soft skills for your everyday startup life.
In addition, you can book individual coaching sessions with the neudeli coaches at any time to receive advice and feedback on your startup project.

Here are some example topics for our workshops:
Taxes & Accounting, Legal Forms, Pitch Training, Social Media Marketing, and more.

Community and Networking Events

.… to help you build a network of like-minded people and valuable contacts!

You don’t have to do it all on your own! In the startup process, the importance of a strong network cannot be overstated.
With us, you’ll meet a group of fellow founders who are all on their own journey toward building a business.

Together, we’ll kick off the program with the Female Founders Retreat Weekend at Rittergut Positz — a great opportunity to get to know other founders and absorb plenty of knowledge on topics relevant to entrepreneurship.

In addition, we regularly offer community and networking events throughout the year, where you can make new contacts both regionally and beyond.

Mentoring and role models

... who share their experiences with you!

Learn from experienced entrepreneurs how they got to where they are today. Being able to talk to someone who has already gone through the process of starting a business can be incredibly helpful and valuable. To this end, we assign you a personal mentor who supports you with their expertise and industry contacts. We also offer talk formats where experienced entrepreneurs tell you about their highs and lows in the start-up process and share their personal tips with you.

Your Commitment

We aim to bring together a strong group of aspiring female founders who are motivated to turn their ideas into reality and eager to exchange experiences on a regular basis.

To make this possible, you should be willing to commit to the full duration of the one-year program and have a genuine interest in its content as well as in connecting with other founders. Before applying, please take a moment to assess whether you can and want to integrate the program into your daily life.

The program includes participation in the following events:

Selection session at the Startup Workshop // (tbd)
Program Kickoff // March tbd
Female Founders Retreat // End of March (tbd)
Two brunches with mentors // April and Sept (tbd)
Summer Network Event “Female Founders Connected” // May (tbd)
MACHN Festival // June 3–4
Final Event // Dec (tbd)
National “Female Founder” Seminar in Berlin/Munich (mandatory event organized by the project sponsor) // tbd
Optional participation in workshops of your choice from the neudeli event program

The complete annual schedule of workshops and networking events has not yet been finalized. You can find an initial overview in the digital neudeli calendar, which is updated continuously.

What do I have to consider?

You can still submit your application for neudeli empowHER online using the application form below. To do so, you will need a two- to three-page letter of motivation. In this letter, describe your start-up idea, your motivation for participating, and what you hope to achieve with neudeli empowHER. All key questions can be found here in the guide.

The third cohort of neudeli empowHER will start in March 2026.
The application deadline is February 8, 11:59 p.m.

The Selection Process

The motivation letter you submit will first be reviewed by the neudeli coaches for formal criteria. In case of a high number of applications, the most promising candidates will be pre-selected by the team and then forwarded to the selection committee.

This committee consists of the program coordinators and experts from the startup community with experience in founding and/or coaching.

First impressions matter!
The most promising applicants will be invited to the second stage — a selection session at the Startup Workshop. Here, candidates will have the opportunity to personally convince the selection committee in a five-minute pitch.

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Motivation & Commitment
Need for Support
Communication Skills
Professional Competence
Feasibility & Impact of the Business Idea

Up to 10 participants will be accepted into the program.

Online Application Form – neudeli empowHER

Your contact details:

First name:

Last name:

Email address:

Address (street, house number, and city):

Phone number:

Status:

To participate in the program, you must have already earned half of your credits in your degree program. To verify this, we require a current transcript of records. This will, of course, be treated as strictly confidential.

Upload your current transcript of record (if you are a student):

Do you already have a specific idea for starting a business?

Yes

No

If so, please describe in a maximum of 5 sentences:

Have you already started a business with this idea?

Yes

No

Do you also receive a scholarship to cover your living expenses?

Yes

No

Upload your letter of motivation:

To learn more about you and your start-up idea, please submit your letter of motivation (2 to 3 pages) here.
You can find out more about the content requirements in the guide in the section “How and when can I apply?”.

Letter of motivation (max. 3 pages):

Data processing:

Information on data protection
1. The data you provide in the form will only be processed by us for the specified purpose. In accordance with Article 6, paragraph 1, lit. e, GDPR, the processing of your data is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. In the event of a positive initial assessment by the employees of the Gründerwerkstatt neudeli, the personal data will be passed on to a jury.
The finalists will be informed in writing about the composition of the jury. The finalists will be informed in writing about the composition of the jury. By submitting the application documents, the applicant gives permission for the submitted documents to be copied for the purpose of distribution to the jury. The jury may contact the applicant directly if there are any questions. 2. The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation and other national data protection laws of the member states as well as other data protection regulations is:
Gründungswerksatt neudeli
Helmholtzstr. 15
99425 Weimar
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 36 43/58 39 24 Email: neudeli@uni-weimar.de

3. The data protection officer of the responsible party is:
Office of the Chancellor
Belvederer Allee 6
99423 Weimar
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 3643/58 12 22 Email: datenschutz[at]uni-weimar.de
Website: www.uni-weimar.de/dsb

4. The data collected using the form will be deleted after 10 years.

5. You have the right to information, the right to correction, and the right to restriction of processing.

Privacy policy read:

I hereby confirm that I have read the above information on data protection.

Consent to data transfer:

I hereby consent to the transfer of my data. In the event of funding, the project and its initiator will be named on the Gründerwerkstatt neudeli website.

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The “neudeli empowHER” program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection as part of the “EXIST-Women” program and co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus.