Recommendation to all participating pre-foundation teams: Contact your start-up advisory service at your college/university.
Many colleges and universities offer start-up semesters. Find out from your local start-up support if you can take advantage of a start-up semester that does not have a negative impact on your standard study period.
If you have any difficulties, we will be happy to help you via ai-cup@uni-passau.de.
No, you can’t skip the scientific challenges. The competition consists of two parts: 1. Scientific challenge 2. Entrepreneurial challenge. Once the scientific challenge is over, the solution of each team will be evaluated, and only the teams/candidates with the best scientific solutions will be moved to the next phase, i.e., the entrepreneurial challenge where you have to produce a business plan. If you are interested in applying for the AI-Cup scholarship, at least one of your team members must solve one of the Data challenges available on the Codalab platform (https://codalab.ai-cup.uni-passau.de/).
The ranking in the scientific challenge will be determined by the best rank in any task and an additional evaluation of the submitted scientific report (4 pages maximum) about the taken approach. The best rank in the task accounts for 80% of the total points, while the scientific report accounts for 20%. You will also need to submit the source code in order to allow the AI Cup team to verify the correctness of submitted runs and the description in the report, but it will not be considered in the ranking.
Here is the template for the scientific report with the corresponding submission procedures. The scientific report will be evaluated by a panel of scientific jury in terms of correctness, conciseness, reproducibility and embedding in the broader field of application.
The first twelve teams with the best scientific solution (based on ranks) will be allowed to participate in the entrepreneurial challenge.
Once your scientific solution in the AI-Cup Codalab platform is evaluated, you will be informed on the 22nd of July whether you are allowed to participate in the entrepreneurial challenge or not. In the entrepreneurial challenge, you have to submit your business idea before the 22nd of August 2022, in the form of an idea paper/business plan. Here is the template for the business plan.
In addition to the business plan, the teams must pitch their business idea to a panel of experts on 13. September 2022. More information regarding the Entrepreneurial challenge or pitch event will be directly sent to the chosen teams/participants with the successful scientific solution.
The business plan and the idea pitch of all the twelve teams will be analysed and evaluated by a panel of experts. At the end of the entrepreneurial challenge, eight teams with the best scientific solutions as well as the excellent business plan will be selected as AI-Cup winners.
You can have more than three members in your team. However, the AI-Cup scholarship will be provided for only up to three team members.
If a team member was/ is enrolled or employed as a student or researcher at a university or non-university research institution in Germany or France at the time of submitting the application or at the start of the scholarship, this team member is in principle eligible to receive the AI-Cup scholarship.
To qualify your team for the scholarship, at least one member of your team must be eligible in principle.
A team may include more than three members. However, the AI-Cup scholarship will only be awarded for up to three team members.
If your start-up is not officially registered, you can apply for the AI-Cup scholarship. And if you win the AI-Cup, you must register your start-up in Bavaria.
If you win the AI-Cup scholarship, you are expected to register your start-up initially in Bavaria. However, you can create branches globally and manage your start-up from wherever convenient for you.
If eligible, the scholarship will be paid out in the period from 01 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 (maximum 12 months). According to current knowledge, a scholarship started later will also expire at the stated end of funding (September 2023). If there are compelling reasons for a team to start funding at a later date, this must be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Double funding is not possible, but follow-up funding through the AI-Cup scholarship is possible.
Eligible members of an exclusively student pre-founding team can receive the AI-Cup scholarship. The student status must have existed at the time of submitting the application.
If a team member was/ is enrolled or employed as a student or researcher at a university or non-university research institution in Germany or France at the time of submitting the application or at the start of the scholarship, this team member is in principle eligible to receive the AI-Cup scholarship.
The aim of the AI-Cup scholarship is for the scholarship holder to devote him/herself fully to the further development and realisation of the start-up idea during the scholarship, i.e. the preparation of the start-up in the field of AI with a registered office, a branch or an operating facility in Bavaria.
In principle, residence outside Germany (within or outside the EU) is also possible, but the residence title for Germany must be available and the team members should also be on site in order to receive the best possible support from their university/ start-up consultants as well as your mentor.
Paid or unpaid secondary activities of the scholarship holder of up to 5 hours per week are compatible with the AI-Cup scholarship.
In addition, it is possible to postpone the start of the scholarship to a later point in time, e.g. after the end of an employment relationship that involves more than 5 hours per week. According to current knowledge, a scholarship started at a later date will also expire at the stated end of funding (September 2023).
The aim of the AI-Cup scholarship is for the scholarship holder to devote him/herself fully to the further development and realisation of the start-up idea during the scholarship, i.e. to prepare the establishment of a company in the field of AI with a registered office, branch or operating facility in Bavaria. If there are compelling reasons for a team to postpone the start of funding for individual members, this must be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Without existing eligibility, no funding can be provided within the framework of the AI-Cup scholarship, not even via material and coaching resources.
During the fellowship, the fellowship holder should devote him/ herself entirely to the further development and realisation of the start-up idea. Paid or unpaid secondary activities of the scholarship holder amounting to more than 5 hours per week are not compatible with this.
Therefore, funding within the framework of the AI-Cup scholarship is not possible during the practical phases of the dual study programme. Outside of the practical phases, funding is possible in principle.
The AI-Cup scholarship includes funding for living expenses (in addition to material and coaching resources). If, for example, another grant is already being received for living expenses, the AI-Cup grant cannot be paid out in addition (i.e. at the same time). This would correspond to double funding and is not permissible. It is also not possible for some team members to be funded under the AI-Cup scholarship and some, for example, under EXIST to advance the same start-up project (double funding). It is possible, however, to receive the AI-Cup scholarship provided that the other scholarship is dormant during the funding phase.
Paid or unpaid secondary activities of the scholarship holder amounting to up to 5 hours per week are compatible with the AI-Cup scholarship. The amount of the hourly wage is not relevant.
Rental income and capital gains are also compatible with the AI-Cup scholarship.
After receiving funding through an AI-Cup scholarship, follow-up funding through an EXIST start-up scholarship is in principle possible.
Please contact the Studentenwerk/ Student Services at your university to clarify the exact requirements for obtaining your student status.
The AI-Cup scholarship also supports alumni, provided you were still studying or working scientifically at the time of application.
The AI-Cup scholarship also supports alumni, provided you were still studying or working scientifically at the time of application.
The granting of the AI-Cup scholarship changes the residence title of foreign students, especially with regard to the extent to which they can take up employment.
Please contact your Foreigners' Registration Office to clarify any further questions.
The aim of the AI-Cup scholarship is for the scholarship holder to devote him/herself fully to the further development and realisation of the start-up idea during the scholarship, i.e. to prepare the foundation of the company in the field of AI with a registered office, branch or operating facility in Bavaria.
In principle, residence outside Germany (within or outside the EU) is also possible, but the residence title for Germany must be available and the team members should also be on site in order to receive the best possible support from their university/ foundation funding.
Travel from the scholarship holder's place of residence to the project location cannot be funded.
In principle, it is possible to change the number of team members. The change of team members must be well justified and in line with the goal of the business start-up.
A lack of expertise for the success of the business start-up in the team can be an exclusion criterion for funding. In this respect, it is desirable and recommended to expand the team in accordance with the missing competences in these cases. If there are compelling reasons to change the number of team members, this must be decided on a case-by-case basis.
A team can have more than three members. However, the AI-Cup scholarship will only be awarded for up to three team members.
It is desirable that the teams funded by the AI-Cup scholarship secure follow-up funding during the funding phase, for example through investor funds. However, investor funds must not be used for living expenses, because then it would be a case of double funding.
Prize money is not harmful to funding as long as it is in line with the goal of the business start-up and benefits the business idea, i.e. the development of the products or services. Prize money may not be used for living expenses, because then it would be a case of double funding.
The University of Passau will treat the submitted competition entries confidentially.
By accepting the conditions of participation, each participant expressly authorises the University of Passau to forward the competition entries to his/ her staff, the scientific and business jury and other persons involved in the AI-Cup. The aforementioned groups of persons are separately obligated by the University of Passau to treat the competition entries confidentially (confidentiality agreement).
As part of the AI-Cup scholarship, in addition to the possibility of individual coaching, there will also be a structured support programme that will benefit all sponsored teams. More information on this will follow as soon as possible.
We will be happy to receive suggestions for topics that might be of general interest or that relate to specific team needs via ai-cup@uni-passau.de.
The University of Passau is authorised to award the AI-Cup scholarships to the selected pre-foundation teams. Thus, all scholarship contracts are concluded with the University of Passau.
The material and coaching funds are also administered by the University of Passau and paid out if approved.
The pre-foundation teams must submit confirmation from their university/ college that the latter – in the case of selection for the AI-Cup scholarship – will advise/ supervise the pre-foundation team (start-up support) and also provide the necessary resources (laboratories, workshops, rooms, computer centres and other infrastructure) free of charge. Before receiving the AI-Cup scholarship, the selected pre-founding teams must nominate a suitable mentor who will be available to them free of charge for the duration of the scholarship.
The necessary documents (declaration of the locally supervising scientific institution, mentor's declaration of support) will be provided by the University of Passau.
The AI-Cup funding does not provide for a flat-rate support fee or an incentive bonus for the local scientific institutions.
Before receiving the AI Cup scholarship, the eligible team members of the selected pre-founder teams must submit the following documents to the Transfer Centre of the University of Passau:
Please note that the documents are only available in German.
It has been determined that the scholarships will run from 01 October 2022 to 30 September 2023.
The assets (including licences and software) procured as part of the grant for the selected pre-founding teams may be given away without consideration or provided free of charge for further use as de minimis aid in accordance with Regulation (EU) 1407/2013 (de minimis Regulation) after successful completion of the project and successful business start-up by at least one member of the pre-founding team in individual cases and up to a value of EUR 50,000.
After termination of the contract, the scholarship holder must immediately return all documents and other objects (assets including licences and software) that may have been made available to him/ her by the University of Passau without special request, at the latest on the last day of the funding period.
The AI-Cup is designed as a one-off competition.
If you have further questions, please contact us at ai-cup@uni-passau.de
