STEP Award: Spirit To ExPand

€ 100,000 for innovative, growing companies

The STEP Award, a business award initiated by Infraserv Höchst and F.A.Z.-Institut Innovationsprojekte (Innovation Projects), is being awarded for the fourth time this year. More than 500 companies have competed for this prize in the last three years.

All-in-one support during the transition from research to production

The purpose of the STEP Award is to raise the prize-winner's business to the next level by awarding prize money, a service package, networking opportunities, communications, production and infrastructure. The grand prize-winner receives a cash prize of € 50,000 and a comprehensive service package worth the same amount. The services in the package are provided by STEP Award sponsors and partners to help the prize-winners during their upcoming growth phase. This includes assistance in finding technology partners, financing/business development, strategy consulting, legal consulting, logistics, IT and document management, marketing and communication.

Since immediate access to space and infrastructure is often a crucial success factor for expanding companies, the prize-winner will also have the option of using laboratory and office facilities in Industriepark Höchst rent-free for two years.

Five category prizes

In addition to the grand prize for the overall winner, there are also other prizes in the following categories: Market/Customer, Processes, Product/Technology and Finance.

All the STEP Award candidates will reap lasting business benefits thanks to an independent expert assessment and their participation in the STEP Award community's networking activities.

Main sponsors

The main sponsors of the STEP Award:

• Commerzbank
• Deutsche Börse
• Hessen Agentur
• Merck Serono
• Sanofi-Aventis
• TÜV Hessen

Many other companies and institutions are involved as sponsors as well.

STEP Award – the success story

The 2006 grand prize winner, Geneart AG, an international leader in the production of optimized genes, combinatorial biology and the creation of DNA-based agents, was succeeded in 2007 by Nanogate AG, an international leader in the growing nanotechnology market who develops, produces and markets system solutions that add new functionality to existing products. EyeSense GmbH won the STEP Award grand prize in 2008. EyeSense GmbH, a Novartis spinoff, looks forward to a promising future in the fast-growing diabetes market. The company has found a new, innovative way to monitor blood glucose levels that can replace conventional finger-pricking.

Category prizes were won last year by Inventux Technologies AG (Processes), Pieris AG (Product/Technology), mosaiques diagnostics and therapeutics AG (Market/Customer), and R Biopharm AG (Finances)

Eligibility and application process

The competition is open to small and medium-sized businesses that have been in operation and active in the market for at least one year. Entrants have to detail their business model, expansion mission and competitive position in their entry application. They are also asked to describe their patent situation and implementation plan. Nominated candidates will be invited to an interview where they can present their businesses in person. The prize-winners will be selected by a jury of independent experts from industry and academia. Entries will be accepted until August 12th, 2011. The prizes will be awarded on November 29th, 2011 during a gala event in the Commerzbank Tower.

Contact and more information

F.A.Z.-Institut, Innovationsprojekte
www.step-award.de

Michael Klapproth and Simone Kuczynski
Telefon:+49 69 7591-1564
info (at) step-award.de