Lizzy Award
The Lizzy Award supports young WUR entrepreneurs in developing their start-up. With the prize money, they can do research into market urgency and customer validation.
Wageningen Ambassador Peter Poortinga, former CEO of Plukon and now CEO of Wageningen-based company Solynta, established the prize to give them a boost. He named the award after the chicken Lizzy from a well-known commercial, where the concept for image stabilisation in cameras came from a chicken’s head, which remains stable while its body moves around.
The Lizzy Award is awarded to multiple entrepreneurs each year during the Wageningen Impact Expo.
University Fund Wageningen
Sven Menschel
Winners Lizzy Award during the Wageningen Impact Expo 2025
Criteria
The Lizzy awards are meant to support impact, driven by (former) WUR startups. Market urgency/customer validation are the central topics for the awards. To apply for this award, it is necessary to prepare a motivation letter and a two-pager or pitch deck which emphasize these topics.
The letter and 2-pager/pitch deck should at least contain the following:
1. Short description of your startup - include website and/or socials
2. Social impact (potential)
3. Expenditure request if grant is awarded
The motivation letter and the deck serve as the information for the jury to select winners; there is NO pitch competition during the Expo, only a startup presentation – after all, the aim of the Impact Expo is to place the story of the startup at the centre. The winners are therefore contacted in advance and can prepare to give a short presentation during the Expo itself.
The jury criteria are:
- Feasibility
- Social Impact
- Market urgency/customer validation as the next step
The applications for 2026 are closed.
Contact
Do you have a question about the Lizzy Award? Contact us!