EXIST-Women
EXIST-Women 2026 – at a glance
Through the EXIST-Women programme, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action supports women at universities and research institutions who are interested in starting a business, during the pre-launch phase. The programme focuses on developing the women’s entrepreneurial skills and refining their business ideas.
Partnership with the Start-up Centre
The Start-up Centre at Worms University of Applied Sciences is the first point of contact for students and staff during the pre-launch phase of setting up their own business. It offers founders a wide range of events designed to raise awareness and provide training.
Events are held at regular intervals in collaboration with the Diversity Office, aimed specifically at interested female students and female founders. These events, featuring successful female start-up entrepreneurs, are designed to inspire and motivate them.
Further information on the Start-up Centre and the term programme is available from the Start-up Centre.
EXIST-Women – Funding Programme
EXIST-Women is a support programme that assists female entrepreneurs with a grant, a lump-sum allowance for material resources and an accompanying training programme (workshops and events).
The associated training programme is also open to interested women who do not qualify for financial support.
[Please check: current status of the application window and the current funding round]
Testimonials and other documents
Former participants share their experiences of their year with EXIST-Women. [Please check: the landing page for the testimonials in the new system has yet to be finalised – linked on the old website at hs-worms.de/hochschule/diversity-office/kooperation-mit-gruendungswerkstatt]
The project organiser, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, also summarises the key information for participants in an information email. [Please check: Upload the information email PDF to the new Fileadmin and link to it here]
Questions and Answers
EXIST-Women is aimed at female graduates (even if they graduated more than five years ago), female academics, female students (holding at least a Bachelor’s degree or having completed at least half of their degree programme), as well as women with vocational training and a university background who are interested in the topic of starting a business and would like to take part in a twelve-month training programme.
Participation is also possible whilst studying or working. A specific business idea is not a prerequisite: support is also available for ideas that are not knowledge- or research-based but are aimed at future economic activity.
Women who have already received start-up funding from the federal or state governments are excluded from this funding.
You will take part in the ‘Gründerin’ seminar and regularly attend the relevant local events organised by the start-up network. You will also attend appointments for one-to-one advice from the start-up network and for discussions with your mentor. Where possible, you should also attend the central start-up forums and networking events organised by the network.
EXIST-Women is a programme designed to raise awareness of and provide training in entrepreneurship. There is no obligation to set up a business. At the end of the programme, you will present your business idea and the results you have achieved in a short one-pager.
If you set up a business during the training phase or as part of subsequent start-up funding, we’ll be delighted for you. If you’d prefer to take your time with the start-up, that’s fine too. Entrepreneurial spirit is needed everywhere.
Worms University of Applied Sciences offers training programmes online or on-campus, some of which are run in partnership with other universities in the region. You will also take part in up to four centrally organised EXIST-Women events, where you will meet aspiring female entrepreneurs from across Germany.
On the project organiser’s website, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action provides detailed answers to further questions about EXIST-Women: exist.de/programm/women (external website).
Thanks to the courses offered by the university on campus and the centrally organised events, you now know what matters when setting up a business. You have met other female founders who have shared their experiences with you, and you have either developed a new, viable business idea or refined your existing one and validated your business model.
You know the next steps for your own start-up. Perhaps you have even found co-founders or secured follow-on funding.
This is organised by the participating universities. You can find out whether EXIST-Women is right for you during a personal consultation at the Start-up Centre at Worms University of Applied Sciences. Female students and graduates from other universities are also welcome to apply.
The Diversity Office (FocusFrauen initiative) and the Start-up Centre are responsible for implementing the programme at Worms University of Applied Sciences.
Contact the Start-up Workshop
samira schulz
