What do we mean by diversity?
The concept of diversity is broad and can take many forms within an educational context:
- Diversity may include gender, geography, and ethnic, social, and cultural perspectives.
- Diversity may also involve engaging new target groups or developing alternative pedagogical approaches to entrepreneurship education.
The objective of the award is to celebrate and recognise initiatives which aim to broaden the field and create opportunities for participation for a wider range of students.
Who is eligible for the award?
The Diversity Award is open to projects, initiatives, and study programmes within higher education institutions in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. The award recognises both strategic initiatives and concrete teaching and development activities that contribute to strengthening diversity in entrepreneurship. The award is given to specific organisational initiatives and cannot be awarded either to institutions as a whole or to individual educators.
What do we value?
Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:
- Innovation: initiatives that explore new approaches to diversity in entrepreneurship.
- Scale: the number of students participating in entrepreneurship courses, projects, or programmes.
- Organisational anchoring: including the extent to which the initiative is embedded within the institution and contributes to the long-term development of practice.
Emphasis will also be placed on the initiative’s potential to inspire other educational institutions.
Award ceremony
The Diversity Award will be presented on 30 November 2026 at the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) in connection with the INSPIRE Conference during the Danish Entrepreneurship Festival.
The winning institution will be recognised as an active contributor to developing the field of entrepreneurship in a more inclusive direction. Such recognition increases visibility within the broader ecosystem surrounding entrepreneurship, innovation, and education.
Nomination and selection process
The deadline for nominations for the Diversity Award is 23 October 2026.
Submit your nomination by clicking here
Among the submitted nominations, the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship will select three finalists. The nominated institutions will be informed directly and announced on the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship’s social media channels. The three finalists will then proceed to the final selection process, where an external jury will choose the winner. As part of the announcement of the winner, the nominated institutions will present their projects briefly on stage at SMK.
The jury
- Nanna Højlund, Vice Chair, Danish Trade Union Confederation
- Sofie Findling, Deputy Director, Danish Chamber of Commerce
- Thomas Frederiksen, CEO, Wheat Kids Clothing
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the Diversity Award, please contact Higher Education Consultant, Maja Laybourn at maja@ffefonden.dk