With the support programme GründerCampus+ (engl.: Founder Campus), the ministry of science and culture of Lower Saxony offers attractive possibilities for young researchers from Lower Saxony to specifically deal with their business idea and plan it down until it enters the market. This carries forward the successful programme “Gründercampus Niedersachsen”, which ran from 2000 to 2007. In the course of GründerCampus+, until 2013, annually about 2.5 Mio Euro are provided from the EFRE Programme of the EU in order to facilitate the way into self-employment for young founders from Lower Saxon universities. This takes place as follows:

1. Altogether, at 7 Lower-Saxon universities coaches support interested students, alumni or members of staff. The coaches help to develop an accordant entrepreneurial climate and to advise and look after the young entrepreneurs.
2. With the help of two EFRE lines of funding, planned spin-offs can be financially supported as well:
   • Realisation-Spin-Offs: In the EFRE line of funding 2.3.1 “Realisation-Spin-Offs”, technology-intensive existence-founding intentions in the area of research and development are in the centre. Results from research projects, as for example technologies and patents, are often suitable for a foundation of an enterprise. There is, however, a need for a concrete advancement or construction of a prototype in order to make products marketable. It is important for the application that the innovative approach and a sufficient demand for the planned foundation are plausibly documented. Founders have the possibility to finance their own position and material costs with this line of funding for a time period of up to two years. The university, the department resp. the applying professor has to prove a 50% co-financing. The application is submitted to the EU-structural-fund delegate of the universities, respectively in April and September of each year.
   • Competence-Spin-Offs: The EFRE line of funding 2.3.2 “Competence-Spin-Offs“ can be a possible offer for knowledge-based business ideas with a low RD effort. Specific abilities and knowledge, which the interested entrepreneurs acquired in the course of their scientific activities at the universities, are in the centre of this line of funding. Topics may be e.g. internet-based service performances as well as novel social services or specific counselling offers in the pedagogic or cultural sector which have not been existent before in that way. The application needs proof for the innovative approach and a sufficient demand for the planned foundation. Founders have the possibility to finance their own position and material costs with this line of funding for a time period of up to two years. The university, the department resp. the applying professor has to prove a 50% co-financing. The application is submitted to the EU-structural-fund delegate of the universities, respectively in April and September of each year.
3. Support Programme of the ministry of economics: From the end of this year, the Lower Saxon ministry of economics, technology and traffic plans to relaunch the support of the programme “Gründercampus Niedersachsen”. Further information will soon be provided as soon as the programme has officially begun.

Contact

Dr. Mark Euler
Fakultät II,
Institut für Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Wirtschaftspädagogik
Stiftungslehrstuhl für Entrepreneurship
Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118
Raum A5 0-035
26129 Oldenburg
Tel.: +49 (0) 441 - 798 4852
Fax: +49 (0) 441 - 798 4872
Mail:
URL: www.uni-oldenburg.de/fk2/entrepreneurship

Further information (in German)

uol.de/praesidium/forschung/eu-buero/index.php
www.agip.fh-hannover.de/index.php?id=129

Press

Press release of the University of Oldenburg (30. November 2007, 4607/07)

Go-ahead for „Gründercampus+“

Oldenburg. Lutz Stratmann, Lower Saxon minister of economics and culture, gave the go-ahead for the federal support programme “Gründercampus+”. Representatives of seven Lower-Saxon universities had been invited, who are supposed to give way to, and plan the support of foundations of enterprises in the next three years. Oldenburg’s Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship of Prof. Dr. Alexander Nicolai got the permission for its concept as well. In the course of the previous programme “Gründercampus Niedersachsen”, 15 founder-teams have been promoted in Oldenburg with up to 18.000 Euro, which in the meantime have created about 70 jobs.

ⓘ  www.uni-oldenburg.de

ⓚ  Contact:
Prof. Dr. Alexander Nicolai Tel.: 0441/798-4645, E-Mail: