Every year, Willem Hovy Fonds aims to give 10 promising, innovative VU students the chance to get off to a flying start. Young people with entrepreneurial skills and promising ideas and solutions that contribute to a 'fair economy', in the 'very early startup phase'.

Many innovative solutions for the future live among students, but ultimately remain dormant due to various obstacles.

• The average student has a student debt of €20K 
• The tight labour market tempts students into business long before they finish their studies 
• Young people are concerned about securing a livelihood and finding a place to live
• The diverse VU population is more aware than the average student of the importance of securing their livelihood; this discourages entrepreneurial behaviour

Get involved

• Support 10 students per year with entrepreneurial or innovative ideas to move from vision to plan  
• Share your knowledge and your capital (from €15K)
• Join networking meetings with other donors twice a year to see the impact made
• Money is managed separately, earmarked in the VUfonds and allocated by a professional board

Strength of the community
VU believes in the strength and circularity of its community. That is why we are giving our alumni the opportunity to give back in this way: by contributing to the entrepreneurial power of brilliant and innovative VU students.

Through contributions from VU alumni - and others with a heart for entrepreneurship - Willem Hovy Fonds aims to give 10 young people every year from spring 2025 the chance to develop their idea and demonstrate initial 'market traction'. In this way, Willem Hovy Fonds strengthens the entrepreneurial ecosystem on VU campus. I want to help and participate, I want to know more.

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