APPLICATION PHASE OPEN
The application phase runs from 9 March to 19 April 2026.
TEILHABE SCHAFFEN 2026 – Social Startup Pitch der Fritz Henkel Stiftung
‘Teilhabe Schaffen‘ (Creating Participation) enters its next round in 2026: For the third time, the Fritz Henkel Foundation is supporting founders and non-profit organisations that strengthen the social participation of people with a migration background – with a specific focus on art and culture – with its Social Startup Pitch. The focus is on innovative projects that use cultural approaches to open up new avenues for education, exchange and participation and to anchor participation structurally.
The programme is based on the conviction that cultural education creates access and opens up new spaces for encounter. Especially for people with a migration or refugee background, it can provide decisive impetus for social participation. However, many initiatives in this field reach their limits because a lack of visibility and funding slows down their growth. This is where the Social Startup Pitch comes in, supporting effective projects in taking the next step in their development.
HOW WE SUPPORT THE TEAMS
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | Community award |
| 35.000 € | 20.000 € | 10.000 € | 10.000 € |
|---|
Places 4 to 8 are each endowed with 5,000 €. Regardless of their ranking, all eight finalist teams benefit from individual coaching, access to the Social Impact online learning platform and increased visibility through media coverage. In addition, they receive professional support and opportunities for exchange in structured peer-to-peer formats.
Would you like to submit your project to the Social Startup Pitch 2026?
All information on the application process and the form can be found at our partner Social Impact.
THE PROCESS
The application phase runs from 9 March to 19 April 2026.
The jury will select eight non-profit social start-ups or existing organisations from all submissions. These will receive intensive preparation for their pitch in workshops and individual coaching sessions.
The aim is to strategically develop offers, specify scaling steps, hone presentation skills and network with each other. This creates a clear vision for the future of each project – supported by a strong community and a shared vision.
After the intensive programme phase, the eight finalists will present their projects at the pitch event in Düsseldorf on 27 October 2026.
A total of 100,000 € in prize money will be awarded. In addition to several jury prizes, there will also be a community prize, which will be decided by online voting. Even the teams that do not win one of the four main prizes will each receive 5,000 € to continue their work.
THE HIGH-CALIBRE JURY OF THE PITCH
Thorsten Jahnke Managing Director and Co-founder of Social Impact gGmbH
Sylvie Nicol Member of the Executive Board of Henkel Management AG and the Fritz Henkel Foundation
Reza Solhi Expert in cultural education, founder of Heartbeat Edutainment gUG
Cornelia Röper Managing Director and founder of Wefugees gUG, expert in start-ups and migration
By the way: In our impact report for the 2024 programme year, we show which developments ‘Creating Participation’ has specifically initiated. We provide insight into the progress made by the teams we support, the target groups reached, the partnerships gained and the key learnings from the coaching and pitch phase. The report highlights the impact of the combination of financial support, training and networking – and the insights we have gained for the next round.