Our upcoming pitching event (20th October 2026, 15.00-17.15 CET) is designed to be a dynamic platform where innovation meets opportunity. Here’s what you can expect from the event: 

Event Features

• Open eligibility: the contest is open to students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, alumni, entrepreneurs and start-ups linked to a CHARM-EU university or its regional innovation ecosystem, regardless of the project’s stage of maturity. Note: unlike last year, there are no longer two separate competition strands for early-stage vs. mature projects; all eligible profiles now compete together in a single track.
• Focus on sustainability: projects must contribute to sustainability in a broad sense (environmental, social, or economic)
• Video pitches: each team submits a 5-minute video pitch in english.
• Live Q&A: each pitch is followed by a 7-minute Q&A session in English with a jury of European experts.
• Expert jury: each partner university forms a multidisciplinary jury including representatives from incubators, technology transfer offices, and investors.

Evaluation criteria

• Quality of the pitch (clarity, presentation material)
• Effectiveness and precision in addressing jury questions
• Business idea
• Project feasibility
• Sustainability perspective

Key dates

• Two-pagers submission deadline: 21 September 2026
• Pitch video submission deadline: 5 October 2026
• Contest event: 20 October 2026, 3:00-5:15 PM (CET)

Benefits for the winning team 

The winning team will receive a dedicated marketing package to boost the visibility of their project, including:

• A dedicated feature article on the CHARM-EU website
• A promotional campaign on LinkedIn
• CHARM-EU badge

Summary 

• Event: International Pitching Event – CHARM-DEN
• Goal: Promotion of innovative, sustainability-driven projects from the CHARM-EU Alliance
• Participants: Students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, alumni, entrepreneurs and start-ups from CHARM-EU partner universities and their regional ecosystems
• Format: Video pitches followed by live Q&A with an expert jury
• Jury: Multidisciplinary jury of European experts (incubators, TTOs, investors)
• Award: Feature article and LinkedIn campaign for the winning team; CHARM-EU badge, website feature, Pitch Guide and expert feedback for all selected teams
• Sustainability: Central topic of the contest