Senator h.c. Prof h.c. Dr. Martin Steinmeyer Grant 2026

Support for entrepreneurial projects at the MCI as part of the „Deutscher Freundeskreises der Innsbrucker Universitäten e.V.“

“To be successful, one needs not only a willingness to perform, courage, and a willingness to take risks, but above all, opportunities.” — Honorary Senator, Honorary Professor, Dr. Martin Steinmeyer

In recognition of the opportunities that were made available to him, not least through his studies in Innsbruck, Dr. Martin Steinmeyer—through the German Friends of the Innsbruck Universities Association—supports entrepreneurial initiatives by young people in Tyrol in collaboration with MCI.

Support programme

With this in mind, and in recognition of the opportunities opened up to him by his studies in Innsbruck, Senator h.c. Dr. Martin Steinmeyer, in cooperation with the MCI, supports entrepreneurial projects by young people in Tyrol.

Eligible to apply

Persons up to the age of 35 with a special connection to the MCI (e.g. studies, further education, alumni, collaboration ...)

Apply Now

Eligible For Funding

Concrete entrepreneurial projects with the aim of

exploiting opportunities and realising potential
which are demonstrably relevant to Tyrol as a business location
which can be traced back to university activities in the fields of research, development, teaching or continuing education and/or which build a bridge between research, innovation and application, whereby a partnership realisation with the MCI is envisaged
which realise an innovative entrepreneurial idea, promise a particular social benefit or otherwise have a value-creating connection to the university
which have the potential to be self-sustaining in the long term
which cannot be realised without financial support.

Funding

As a general rule, the amount of funding requested should not exceed EUR 10,000 * (it may be higher in particularly justified cases).
Funding is ideally provided in the form of a grant in addition to the applicant's own contributions or resources provided by third parties.
On a case-by-case basis, additional commitments and/or corporate involvement by the university may be considered, provided that this is beneficial to the proposed project. If the university is involved, additional resources may be made available to the project (e.g. capital, infrastructure, expertise, network, etc.).

Submission of applications

The deadline for submissions to the Senator h.c. Dr Martin Steinmeyer Fund is July 1, 2026.
Projects will be selected by a qualified jury.
The successful applicants will be honoured in a ceremony at the DFK Annual Meeting on Friday, October 2, 2026.

The application must contain the following documents:

Objective and description of the project
Participating persons or institutions (incl. curriculum vitae, excerpt from the commercial register, etc.)
Relevance for the Tyrol as a business location
Financing plan o Justification of the requested amount of funding
Implementation schedule and next steps
Relationship to the MCI (e.g. studies, further education, alumni, cooperation, etc.).
Outline of a potential collaboration with the MCI and the long-term development potential of the partnership

We look forward to receiving your application!

Details

Deadline: July 1, 2026
Award ceremony: October 2, 2026
Maximum funding amount per project: 10.000€

About the Founder:

After completing his studies in Frankfurt am Main and Innsbruck and earning his doctorate under the supervision of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Clemens August Andreae, Senator h.c. Prof. h.c. Dr. Martin Steinmeyer—as a manager, entrepreneur, investor, author, honorary senator, and member of the German Friends and Supporters Association of the Universities in Innsbruck e.V., he has had a lasting impact over many years of a successful career, initiating developments, supporting people, shaping organizations, and creating new opportunities.

Dr. Martin Steinmeyer is convinced that, in addition to a willingness to work hard, courage, enthusiasm, perseverance, a willingness to take risks, and luck, success above all requires opportunities. With this in mind, and in recognition of the opportunities that were opened up to him not least through his studies in Innsbruck, he supports the entrepreneurial endeavors of young people in Tyrol in collaboration with MCI.

Apply Now

* Senator h.c. Prof. h.c. Dr. Martin-Steinmeyer grants offer the opportunity for a long-term strategic partnership with MCI to further develop the proposed project, as well as for the university to provide additional support (research & development, infrastructure, networking, venture capital, etc.). By submitting an application, applicants signal their interest in discussions regarding these matters.

Benjamin Suitner, BA MACorporate Investment Management, Startups & Entrepreneurship

+43 512 2070 - 1826benjamin.suitner@mci.edu

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