Eligibility and selection

Applicants for incubation will be selected in accordance with the Rules of the H&ART Incubator, based on the quality of the concept, growth potential, commitment and readiness, innovation and impact, feasibility, collaboration potential, alignment with H&ART objectives, diversity, and stage fit.

I. Eligibility conditions

Applicants must:

• Submit an idea, project, product, service, artistic concept, or entrepreneurial initiative relevant to the cultural and creative sectors;
• Clearly identify the life stage of the project: Idea Discovery, Validation, Creation, or Scale-up;
• Demonstrate motivation and willingness to actively participate in the incubation process;
• Be available to participate in mentoring sessions, workshops, meetings, and incubation activities;
• Submit a complete application file;
• Submit the application within the deadline;
• Agree to comply with the rules, confidentiality requirements, and intellectual property provisions of the H&ART Incubator.

II. Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be assessed on the basis of the following provisional criteria:

• Quality and originality of concept [Weight 0.18 out of 1]
• Growth potential (audience, scalability, replication) [0.13]
• Professional commitment (readiness, time, governance) [0.10]
• Innovation and impact (heritage/cultural and creative industries value; cultural, social, economic, environmental) [0.13]
• Feasibility (workplan, resources, risks) [0,13]
• Collaboration and community (co-creation, partners, stakeholders) [0.11]
• Alignment with H&ART Incubator objectives and strategy [0.07]
• Diversity and representation (perspectives, inclusion, geography) [0.05]
• Stage fit and readiness (lifecycle alignment [0.10]

Working language 

The local branch at the University of Greifswald may organise the incubation process in German and English. Applicants may be asked to participate in selected transnational activities in English. 

Application process

Applications are submitted via an online application form and are intentionally designed to be light and non-burdensome, while providing sufficient information for evaluation.

APPLY HERE - Fill out this form!

Upon submission of this application form, applicants are required to send the following supporting documents to heart.incubator@uni-greifswald.de:

• submitted application form [PDF file, which can be generated after submitting the form by clicking the circle icon with the three dots in the upper right corner of the form and selecting “Print response”]
• professional CV or link to updated LinkedIn profile of the applicant or team leader
• portfolio, examples of previous work, website, LinkedIn profile, or other supporting material (if available)
• letters of support, references, or endorsements (optional but encouraged)

Timeline

• Call opening: 20/05/2026
• Application deadline: 22/06/2026, 5:00 pm CEST
• Evaluation and selection: 30/06/2026
• Announcement of results: 01/07/2026
• Incubation: following selection

All applicants will be informed of the outcome by email. If no mentor cannot be assigned to an accepted application, successful applicants may, if they wish, remain in the pool of incubatees to be assigned in a subsequent incubation cycle.

Contact and further information

For further information regarding the Call, the H&ART Incubator and its objectives, mission and vision, or the incubation process, please contact: heart.incubator@uni-greifswald.de

Join us in transforming ideas into cultural, creative, and social impact through the H&ART Incubator.