Why become a coach?

Science & Startups is the association of the startup centres of Berlin’s universities: Technische Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin are represented. We pursue the goal of ensuring the quality of startup support in the capital in the long term and would like to enable every startup that we support to receive professional and needs-based advice.

To ensure good quality and to help in the search for suitable support, the Science & Startups coaching pool was created. Our coaches offer a daily rate of max. 800€ net/day especially for the startups of the Science & Startups members.

Being a Science & Startups coach offers you many advantages!

Science & Startups offers you access to our networks, to universities and startups. In this network, you can exchange your experiences with other startup advisors. The coaches can actively use the events and network meetings of Science & Startups to get to know startups and potential business partners. The coaches’ profiles are published on the Science & Startups website and serve as a reference in the startup scene.

1. You apply via info@science-startups.berlin or are alternatively recommended to us directly by our startups. An application is possible at any time. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@science-startups.berlin. Please submit all application forms and documents in electronic form only!
2. The Science & Startups association decides about the admission of applicants to the coaching pool on a quarterly basis. You will be informed by us if you are accepted or rejected.
3. If we decide to take you on as a coach, we will publish your short profile on the Science & Startups website. Startups can now make use of your consulting services.

What you need to know for the cooperation with us

Should a cooperation between you and one of our startups come about, you must submit certain self-declarations, which are a prerequisite for the awarding of coaching services up to a total amount of 10,000 euros. The startup advisors will send you the appropriate forms.

In order to ensure the quality of startup consulting in the long term, we pay attention to high consulting quality, confirmed e.g. by the recommendation of our startups.
We apply the following criteria for your inclusion in the coaching pool:

• Professional and industry-specific competence
• Methodical competence
• Experience in advising startups at and from universities and, if applicable, own startup experience.

These requirements must be supported by evidence (certificates, references, etc.).

In order to meet the quality standards of Science & Startups, we regularly evaluate the members of our coaching pool, about 1x/year. You are obliged to answer the questionnaires sent out for this purpose. An important criterion is the coaching of at least one team in the evaluated year.

Furthermore, all participants are encouraged to send their feedback to the Science & Startups team at any time: So the startups as well as you! We welcome a lively exchange at any time. Should one party not be satisfied with the coaching, it is possible for the startup to switch to another member of the coaching pool.

If a coach repeatedly fails to meet the requirements of the various startups and we do not reach a mutually satisfactory solution in a joint discussion, Science & Startups can cancel the membership in the coaching pool.

Of course, you can also terminate your membership at any time, a short message is sufficient. Your profile will then be completely deleted from science-startups.berlin.

You take on a responsibility for the startups. That is why Science & Startups sets the following requirements for our coaches. A Science & Startups coach …

• has experience in consulting or coaching, in managing companies and has ideally founded his own company;
• has a mission statement in which he presents his principles and values;
• can name at least two reference teams from the higher education sector that can provide information on his approach and quality of counselling (and encloses a letter of reference for each);
• knows his own strengths and weaknesses and recommends competent colleagues for other areas;
• is an active member of important networks and is accredited as a coach by various institutions;
• uses different methods in coaching and explains the methods used in advance;
• clearly describes the process according to which the coaching or counselling takes place, e.g. preliminary information, coaching roadmaps, meeting protocols, target agreements, handing over of results and documents, etc.;
• carries out the coaching or counselling itself and subcontracts only to a small extent (max. 10 percent) to third parties;
• provides regular and transparent information on hours worked in coaching through continuous time recording;
• avoids direct interventions, but as a sparring partner gives hints and suggestions for self-reflection;
• never puts pressure on the startups to do or sign things;
• is a good listener and has social skills;
• identifies problems and addresses them clearly;
• Does not propose standard solutions, but gets involved in the specific situation or needs of the startups;
• is easily accessible, keeps appointments and has enough time for the startups’ questions and concerns;
• coordinates closely with the respective incubator on the startup’s counselling needs and commits to good conduct towards the incubator;
• is obliged to take into account the interests of the respective incubator that are worthy of protection, as well as its reputation and standing in particular.