No. For the first time since it launched, the Corporate Campus Challenge will not take place during the Winter Semester. We’ve taken time to reflect on alumni feedback and are working on scaling your experience even further. The next batch will take place in our brand-new Gravity building during Summer Semester 2026.

Any individual, 18 years or older with strong intrinsic motivation can apply.  You can do so only individually (not as a team), as working in a diverse and interdisciplinary team is a key part of your learning journey.
CCC is aimed at change-makers and innovators and is therefore open to anyone who would like to contribute to help solve a meaningful real-world challenge from one of our corporate partners. Hence, we consider everyone, from students to experienced professionals.

The goal is to enable you to act entrepreneurially by tackling a real challenge from a company. You will learn and apply the Design Thinking approach and Lean Startup methodology while working with your corporate partner at eye level. This means collaborating within and beyond your team, using innovative tools throughout each stage of the process. You won’t be alone in this journey, as every team is supported by a dedicated coach and a corporate expert over the full 14 weeks and more

The workshops focus on Design Thinking including what it is, what belongs in its toolbox, and how and when to apply which tool. Each session combines input with direct application to your challenge, so you learn by doing. You’ll explore how to uncover the conscious and unconscious needs of potential customers and validate them using the right methods. From there, you’ll ideate, test, and iterate solutions ideas and prototypes. Beyond solving the given challenge, the workshops equip you with the mindset and tools to creatively approach future problems.

Don’t worry! All of our sessions are offered in a hybrid setting, so you can still attend remotely without missing out on anything important.

Joining the program is free for our participants. You just need to bring your motivation, passion, and willingness to learn. We take care of the rest.

You’ll spend an average of 8 hours per week over the 14 weeks of the program.
This includes the mandatory cohort and coaching sessions, plus a few hours on your own or with your team to complete some tasks and submissions.

The mandatory sessions to attend are our weekly cohort sessions and coaching sessions. The cohort sessions take place either on Thursday evenings, or on Saturdays, for the longer workshops. The coaching sessions also happen weekly on a day that your team and your coach agree on.
In addition, we have some extra cohort-building sessions such as game nights and networking evenings that are offered for you to have a fully rounded experience during the run of CCC.

Design Thinking is a user-centered innovation method that helps you deeply understand a problem before developing a solution. It is the core methodology we use throughout the program, guiding your progress from exploration to validation.

English. As such, we can ensure a diverse and inclusive environment. We expect all participants to speak and write basic English – not perfectly, but you should be comfortable expressing yourself and your thoughts.

No, the focus of the program is on solving real challenges provided by our corporate partners. While you’ll build valuable skills that can later support your own entrepreneurial projects, CCC is about teamwork, innovation, and impact within a specific challenge context.
If you're eager to work on your own idea, we recommend applying to one of our other Campus Founders programs after completing CCC.

The program is split into two main phases. In the first phase, you’ll focus on understanding the challenge, identifying the real problem, and defining the right problem statement.
The second phase, starting at week 7, is when you can start creating and testing your solution. It’s important to follow the process step by step and to stay aligned with your coach and team during each phase.

Short answer: Yes, you will! All details are written down in our AGBs.

For all HHN students: The Corporate Campus Challenge is part of the Studium Generale. Therefore, if you choose Corporate Campus Challenge you will receive ECTS from HHN.
For all HUGS students: The Corporate Campus is part of the elective study program. The students need to register with the University to receive the ECTS.
For all TUM students: The Corporate Campus Challenge is part of the elective study program. All BMT, BMDS, and MiM students will receive ECTS for their participation.
For all Uni Viadrina students: The Corporate Campus is part of the elective study program. The students need to fill in the official application form and also register with the University to receive the ECTS.
For THM students:
In general, if your university provides ECTS, remember to register for the corresponding course at the beginning of the semester and read through the university’s guideline for receiving ECTS.
But if you are only an “ECTS-hunter” – looking for the most fun way to get ECTS – this is not the right program for you.

With CCC, you move from deeply understanding the problem to creating a semi-validated prototype. Don’t expect to have a fully developed MVP by the end of the program, as your solution idea will likely still need refinement and further validation. For that next step, we offer other programs, such as AI Start, where you can continue validating and prototyping your idea before moving on to the Incubator to develop a full MVP.

Successful completion means showing commitment, collaboration, and learning. You are expected to attend all cohort and coaching sessions - missing up to 3 is allowed with prior notification via your coach -, to submit high-quality assignments, and to present a solution that fits the challenge you worked on.
More than that, success in CCC means personal growth. You should graduate with a better understanding of your working style, which one of your skills needs improvement, and what entrepreneurship means for you.

After CCC, you and your team can decide how to move forward. You may want to keep working with your corporate partner to refine and implement your solution.
If your team prefers to continue independently and possibly turn the idea into a startup, you can apply for one of our advanced programs like AI Start or the Campus Founders Incubator.
In addition, you can also hand over the rights to the solution to the corporate partner, in those cases where you have a convincing solution, but you and your team cannot keep working on it.
For those of you who really enjoyed the program and would love to shape the next batch and its cohort, we openly invite you to apply to become a CCC Catalyst. Being one involves spreading encouraging words about the program to potential applicants, taking part in special events, and getting a chance to shadow coach.