EFIE - Empowering Females for Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2026

1. Scholarship (per month)
   • Students (at least 50% of coursework completed): €1,000
   • Graduates: €2,500
   • PhD holders: €3,000
   • Completed vocational training: €2,000
   Additional benefits:
   • per child: €150 / month
   • project-related expenses: up to €2,000
   • can be combined with part-time employment (max. 20 h/week)
   Duration of funding: a total of 3 months (monthly payments)
   • Background information on EXIST-Women
   • Requirements and FAQs
   • Application, selection, and admission criteria
2. Further information on the EXIST-Women program and the official requirements can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK):

• Hintergrundinformationen zu EXIST-WomenExternal link
• Voraussetzungen und FAQExternal link

The application deadline for the program “EFIE – Empowering Females for Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2026” is 15 November 2025.

Applicants go through a two-stage selection process.

Motivation letter

In the first step, please submit a motivation letter ( (Vorlage hierdocx, 22 kb · de), 2–3 pages via the central email address of the K1 Startup Service at Friedrich Schiller University Jena:
👉 gruendungsservice@uni-jena.de

The motivation letter should include:

• Your contact details
• Motivation – Why do you want to participate in the EXIST-Women program?
• Current situation – Do you already have a business idea? How would you describe your current professional or academic situation?
• Goals – What do you want to achieve by the end of the program? What personal and professional vision do you pursue for the coming years? Which project or business idea would you like to develop or expand?
• Expectations and wishes – What do you specifically expect from the program?

2. Short interview
Applicants with a convincing motivation letter will be invited to a short interview (approx. 20–30 minutes), expected to take place in December 2025. In this interview, topics from the motivation letter will be revisited and discussed in greater depth.

Selection

Following the short interviews, the selection committee decides on the up to 10 fellows.
The decision is based on the motivation letters and the impressions gained during the interviews.
Selected applicants will be informed about their admission to the EXIST-Women program by the beginning of January 2026 at the latest.

Eligibility criteria for the EXIST-Women EFIE Program

Startup status:
You are not yet operating a business with your startup idea and have not founded a limited liability company.

Language skills:
You have at least B2-level German, as program content is primarily delivered in German.

Previous funding:
You have not previously received support through an EXIST Business Start-up Grant or EXIST Research Transfer.

Student status:
If you are a Bachelor student, you must have already completed at least 50% of your studies.

Employment during the scholarship:
During the 3-month scholarship period, you may either have no additional income or work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Participation in the qualification program alongside part-time work is possible.

Target group

You belong to one or more of the following groups:

• Student or graduate (not necessarily from Uni Jena, but based in the Jena region)
• Researcher or current/former staff member of Friedrich Schiller University Jena
• Previously or currently supported by the K1 Startup Service
• Member of an existing startup team or interested in joining an academic startup team
• Holder of a vocational qualification without a university degree but with ties to the university

If you do not meet all the criteria for the scholarship but would still like to benefit from the program’s other support services:
👉 Please submit your application anyway and explain your situation. We will be happy to review how we can support you.

To succeed in the program, it is important that you are actively present during the entire fellowship period (January to December 2026), show a genuine interest in the program content, and engage in exchange with other founders. Please consider carefully before applying whether you can and want to integrate the program into your daily schedule.

Fellows are expected to participate in the following:

• Attendance at at least seven formats of the K1 Startup Service during the program year
• Willingness to collaborate with a mentor (minimum of one meeting per month)
• Participation in a national seminar called “Gründerin” within the framework of EXIST-Women, organized by the BMWK or its appointed project agency