Step 1: Idea phase.
During an 8-week participation period, applicants can submit their project ideas via a form on the smart.aachen platform. Registration on the smart.aachen platform is a prerequisite for both creating a project idea and commenting on and evaluating the ideas submitted. In order to ensure a high diversity of participants, the platform also offers the possibility during this first phase to find a partner application for the implementation of one's own project idea - or to apply for such a partner application. As an analog contact point for questions about the competition, consultation hours are offered every Wednesday from 2 - 5 p.m. in the OecherLab and in the digitalHUB.
Step 2: Public Voting.
After the end of the participation period, the ideas submitted on the smart.aachen platform will be activated for public voting for two weeks. From the ideas with the most likes, the Smart City think tank will select 5 ideas that will advance to the second, final round of the competition with a €2,500 grant for the further development of the concept.
Step 3: Final
For 5 ideas, things really get going after the first phase: In addition to the €2,500 for further elaboration of their concept, they receive a Startup-Business-Membership package in the digitalHUB for the duration of the elaboration phase of another 8 weeks. The type of elaboration depends on the respective project idea and is coordinated with the Smart City think tank.
