Scaling GreenTech: Unlock Your Growth in Essen

About EWG – Essener Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH

EWG – Essener Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH is the economic development agency of the city of Essen, dedicated to fostering business growth, innovation, and international investment. Serving as the central point of contact for companies seeking to establish or scale operations, EWG provides tailored support, strategic funding guidance, and valuable market insights to empower businesses in the region. 

As a key driver in Europe’s energy transition, EWG actively supports companies and scale-ups in the GreenTech and hydrogen sectors. From large corporates to emerging ventures, Essen’s dynamic ecosystem features global players like E.ON, RWE, Thyssen Krupp and Evonik, strong research institutions such as the University of Duisburg-Essen, and pioneering hubs like H2UB. This vibrant network offers a wealth of collaboration opportunities that fuel cutting-edge developments in decarbonization, digital energy solutions, and resource efficiency. 

Through its specialized market entry programs—including the HyTechCheck Program—EWG streamlines the process of navigating regulations, securing partnerships, and accessing essential infrastructure. By leveraging EWG’s expertise and robust regional networks, businesses can confidently expand in Essen, benefitting from a city committed to shaping the future of sustainable energy. 

We are seeking GreenTech scale-ups with innovative solutions in hydrogen, clean energy, and decarbonization technologies that are looking to expand their footprint and explore opportunities for a local presence in Essen as part of their market entry or growth strategy.

Check out our tutorial: Get started! 

Check out our tutorial: Join a Challenge!

After the end of the deadline, the submissions will be reviewed by EWG. The scale-Ups will be selected and invited to a get to know interview. We will inform you via mail. Check the timeline.

We've structured our process into two comprehensive phases. These phases are designed to give you the opportunites and support offered by EWG — from funding to local networking — to help you enter the German market and possibly open a presence in Essen

Your participation is not binding until you submit the Submission Template, and the submission phase ends. You can always withdraw your submission before the deadline. Once you have uploaded your submission and you want to take part, please consider the timeline and be aware that you should be able to participate in every further step.

Get in contact with us!
If you want to talk to someone from our team about your approaches, you need more information or if questions arise, just join one of our Q&A calls every Tuesday from 11:00am-11:30am, Wednesday from 15:00 to 15:30 and Thursday from 4:00pm-4:30pm. It is a group call and you also get the chance to meet other innovators!
Simply register here

All final teams agree to enter into discussions with the respective challenge provider within three months of the challenge completion regarding possible further use of the solution.  

During this period, the final teams also agree not to enter into discussions with third parties regarding further use of the solutions. 

Both parties (challenge provider and finalists) are also entitled to jointly agree on deviating and individual provisions with regard to confidentiality agreements or IP rights during the collaboration phase. 

All details can be found in the conditions of participation.