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Welcome to the NRW Innovation Award!

The NRW Innovation Prize is awarded every year to people who drive progress in North Rhine-Westphalia with their knowledge and solutions to problems.

Innovation is crucial to a robust economy. We continue to be a strong state thanks to the input from a multitude of people who contribute their ideas and their willingness to take entrepreneurial risks.

The NRW Innovation Award honours people who contribute to advancing North Rhine-Westphalia by helping innovations from the initial idea through to success.

It is important for ideas to be turned into business success. This is how North Rhine-Westphalia remains competitive.

The NRW Innovation Award comes in four categories:

  1. innovation: For people with good ideas who have already proven that they can be successful.
  2. innovation2business: For people who have turned good ideas into successful business models.
  3. innovation2market: For people whose innovations have quickly become market successes.
  4. innovation4transformation: An audience award for people whose innovations contribute to solving major problems.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia is awarding the NRW Innovation Prize, with the prize money amounting to 200,000 euros.
The application phase for the NRW Innovation Award 2024 begins on 15 November 2023 and ends on 8 February 2024.

How to apply:

  • People are nominated who fulfil the criteria.
  • A jury of experts selects the winners.