Startup Play

Q: What is the application process like?

Subscribe Apply before the 9th of September 2023. Intake interview Does your idea sound good? If so, we would like to get to know you over a drink at PLNT! Based on this interview, you will prepare a short pitch to present to the selection committee. Selection Days The final part is pitching your idea to our selection committee. This is on 12 or 13 September 2023. In your pitch, you explain what your idea is, what market you will enter, and why exactly this idea is cool and/or innovative. And, of course, you answer the committee’s questions. And uhm… you really don’t have to be a star at pitching. ;) We’ll teach you those tricks during the program!

Do you have a cool idea for your own business? Give this idea a chance and discover its potential during Startup Play! In this English-language program you make your idea concrete: you turn your idea into a business plan and, thanks to the sessions and your personal coach, gain insight into whether entrepreneurship suits you.

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Do you have questions about Startup Play?

This is Startup Play

Startup Play consists of two different parts: personal coaching and interactive sessions.

You will receive coaching from Sander Kuin, PLNT’s Activation Manager and Startup Play Lead or our other Activation Manager Micha Heilman. These 6 coaching sessions will take place at PLNT Leiden and you will schedule with your assigned coach and your startup team. During these sessions, you will receive the guidance you need to get the most out of the program.

There are a total of 6 interactive sessions, on Thursdays from 14:00 – 18:00 at PLNT. The sessions consist of several workshops to make your idea concrete. This way, you work on issues and see what you are up against with the other participants and how you work on (entrepreneurship) problems. This way you learn from each other and help each other.

After each session, join us for the premier networking reception in Leiden! At this get-together you will meet the PLNT Community and get to know our startups, partners, student organization PLNT Students and of course the PLNT team. Weather permitting, it will be on our rooftop garden, The Roof, with bad weather, it will be in our lunch cafe, Midi.

Concrete steps to establish your startup

You want to start your own business, but where to begin? What makes your startup successful? During Startup Play, you’ll learn how to make the most of your idea:

You get to know your target audience better and know what the needs are.
Next you see “the bigger picture” and know roughly what it takes to turn your idea into a startup.
You will work on your business model and learn how to create a pitch deck.
Finally, you will learn to experiment and assess the results. In addition, you will work with entrepreneurial tools within the Design Thinking Method.

When & Where

The Startup Play program lasts 3 months and consists of 6 sessions. We give these on Thursday afternoons at PLNT Leiden. You will schedule the coaching calls with your mentor.

The dates:

Session 1: Setting expectations | September 28
Session 2: Understand your customer | October 12
Session 3: Creating Value | October 26
Session 4: Create your own business model | November 9
Session 5: Budget & personal finance | November 23
Sessie 6: Pitch training | December 7
Final event | December 14

We additionally suggest spending 3-6 hours each week learning, connecting with people and concretizing your idea. The result depends on the time you spend on it.

FAQ

See the most frequently asked questions.

Do I need to pay for this program?

Nope, our partners pay for your participation. This comes to about €2,000 per person. So check carefully if you can be there on all dates.

How much time will I spend on the program?

Besides session time and your coaching calls, we recommend you spend 3-6 hours working on your potential startup.

Do I have to attend all the workshops?

Yes, it is mandatory to attend all sessions.

To what extent should I have already worked out my idea?

You must have a basic understanding of who your customer is and what problem you are solving for them, based on market research, interviews or other ways that prove the idea has potential.

What is the application process like?

Subscribe
Apply before the 9th of September 2023.

Intake interview
Does your idea sound good? If so, we would like to get to know you over a drink at PLNT! Based on this interview, you will prepare a short pitch to present to the selection committee.

Selection Days
The final part is pitching your idea to our selection committee. This is on 12 or 13 September 2023.

In your pitch, you explain what your idea is, what market you will enter, and why exactly this idea is cool and/or innovative. And, of course, you answer the committee’s questions.

And uhm… you really don’t have to be a star at pitching. 😉 We’ll teach you those tricks during the program!

Can I also participate online?

No, all sessions are physical. We believe that physical meetings benefit your participation. This way you can grow more and connect better with the other participants/PLNT Community.

Can I work on my idea at PLNT?

Yes, you certainly can! You can work Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Sandbox. The coffee and tea is free, there are flex spaces, you can brainstorm with other participants from programs, and it is PLNT Students’ primary location.