Recognizing Volunteerism as a Pillar of Democratic Action, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz Presents Awards to Winners of startsocial Competition at the Chancellery, with Alexander von zur Mühlen in Attendance.
## Application Process for the Startsocial Competition in Germany
The Startsocial competition, a renowned initiative supporting social initiatives, charities, and non-profit projects in Germany, offers coaching, networking, and mentoring to deserving projects. While the exact application process for the current competition may not be publicly available, understanding the broader context of Germany's focus on social innovation is essential.
### General Steps
- **Announcement of the Competition Cycle:** Startsocial typically announces new application rounds on its official website, with clear deadlines and eligibility criteria. - **Registration:** Interested initiatives, charities, or projects must usually register online via the Startsocial platform, providing basic contact and organizational information. - **Project Description:** Applicants are often required to submit a detailed description of their project, including the social challenge they address, their goals, planned activities, and expected impact. - **Supporting Documents:** Supporting materials—such as team biographies, testimonials, or evidence of previous work—may be requested. - **Selection Process:** A jury typically reviews applications and selects promising projects for the next phase, often involving direct coaching or mentoring. - **Coaching Phase:** Selected initiatives receive several months of free consulting and support from experienced professionals (coaches). - **Final Event and Awards:** After the coaching phase, finalists present their projects at a public event. The most impactful projects receive cash prizes and further recognition.
### Key Considerations
- **Eligibility:** The competition is open to non-profit and social initiatives based in Germany, often including new and established projects. - **Thematic Focus:** Startsocial usually seeks projects that address pressing social challenges—such as education, integration, health, the environment, or digital inclusion. - **Support Network:** Beyond financial awards, the program emphasizes capacity-building through expert advice and peer networking.
### Where to Apply
- **Official Startsocial Website:** All detailed application instructions, forms, and deadlines are published here. Prospective applicants should monitor this site for updates.
### Broader Context
Germany's increased focus on social innovation—evidenced by its national strategy and participation in EU-wide initiatives—shows strong institutional and financial support for programs like Startsocial, reinforcing the value of participation for social organizations seeking to scale their impact.
For the most accurate, up-to-date information, always refer directly to the official Startsocial website or contact the organization, as application procedures and requirements can change with each competition cycle.
This year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz presented his special award to Weilburg erinnert e. V., a charity based in Weilburg, Hesse, that works resolutely against racism and antisemitism and is committed to an active culture of remembrance and commemoration in memory of the victims of the Nazi regime and those who resisted the regime.
In the past 17 years, Erica's Manna Mobil e. V.'s initiative has benefited 178,000 young guests, while Weilburg erinnert e. V. has been the main partner of the Startsocial competition for over 10 years.
The Startsocial competition awards 100 four-month scholarships to initiatives tackling social challenges with volunteers. This year, three website colleagues were active as coaches for the winning initiatives, and the honorees are finalists in the Startsocial competition.
The competition invites the 25 most convincing initiatives to Berlin for further development. These scholarships are worth a total of 35,000 euros, distributed among the 25 most convincing initiatives. The next Startsocial competition in Germany is open for applications until July 10, 2024.
At a recent event held on June 4, 2024, at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, 25 social initiatives were honoured, with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as patron of Startsocial, thanking the social initiatives and applauding their commitment to social interaction. These young people receive a free, hot meal, and a 15-year-old guest stated that eating lunch together prevents further conflicts.
Since 2012, employees of the website have supported over 1,300 initiatives in the competition. Erica's Manna Mobil e. V. distributes food and promotes community in Wiesbaden, where up to 80 young people from over 60 different countries gather every school day.
Alexander von zur Mühlen, a member of our website's management board, honoured Erica's Manna Mobil e. V. at the event. The specific recipients of the seven awards given out were not mentioned in the provided paragraph.
- Participating in the Startsocial competition can contribute significantly to one's personal growth and education-and-self-development as it offers mentoring, coaching, and networking opportunities for social initiatives in Germany.
- Pursuing a project focused on education, integration, health, the environment, or digital inclusion in Germany could lead to a significant impact on people's lifestyle, particularly when it receives support and recognition through competitions like Startsocial.
