Haniel Scholarship Program 2026

Promising young professionals should acquire additional qualifications to take on roles in sustainable business management. This will enable companies to consistently focus on performance through sustainability. Seven to eight scholarships can be awarded annually for study abroad followed by an internship in both Europe and outside of Europe.

intergenerational sustainability

Anyone who wants to create a future worth living in must think across generations and ensure outstanding performance through a consistent focus on sustainability – in other words, be fit for future generations, as the Haniel Foundation puts it. This attitude and the actions derived from it characterize the Haniel Foundation and its more than 260-year-old founding company, as well as the German National Academic Foundation.

Both in the foundation work of the Haniel Foundation and in the founding company, it is demonstrated and proven anew every day how sustainability is further developed across generations: strengthening expertise and thinking outside the box, promoting the strong in such a way that the weak also benefit, and strengthening the entrepreneurial skills of those who strive not only for economic success but also for social change.

In this spirit, the Haniel Foundation, through its Haniel Scholarship Program of the German National Academic Foundation, supports talented individuals in researching and understanding how entrepreneurial success can be achieved through sustainability. Its aim is to foster forward-looking ideas and brilliant minds, and to create a values-driven network.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineOctober 15, 2026
• Study LevelMasters , PhD
• SponsorThe Haniel Foundation
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• Admission to the German National Academic Foundation and the Haniel Foundation
• monthly full scholarship (1,200 euros in European countries, 1,500 euros in Great Britain, the USA and most non-European countries)
• Tuition fees will be covered for a maximum of 2 years ( up to €14,000 per year in the USA and the UK , and up to €10,000 per year in all other countries).
• one-time entry fee of 500 euros
• a one-time travel allowance of 1,000 euros

Requirements

A high level of qualification and the willingness to combine a study stay abroad of at least two semesters with an internship of several months in a business company are the basis for funding.

Furthermore, the following applies:

• The program is open to students of all disciplines with a proven interest in sustainable business practices. This interest can be demonstrated through evidence of studies focusing on and content related to sustainability, as well as through relevant extracurricular involvement.
• It requires an excellently completed university or university of applied sciences degree (at least a Bachelor's degree) no later than the start of the program.
• On the application deadline of October 15th, the applicant's last university degree, as stated on the certificate, must not be more than five years old.
• Prior funding from the German National Academic Foundation is not necessary.

Students without German citizenship can apply if they

• have acquired their university entrance qualification in Germany or at a German school abroad (“Bildungsinländer”) or
• are treated as equivalent to Germans according to the conditions specified in §8 BAföG or have the nationality of an EU state or Switzerland and have obtained their last university degree (Bachelor/Master/Diploma/State Examination) in Germany.
• and fulfill the other participation requirements.

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Eutopia PhD Co-tutelle Call

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• Please send your complete application documents as a single PDF file, arranged in the specified order, to the following address: Bewerbung.haniel-sp(at)studienstiftung(dot)de.

For more information, kindly visit the Haniel Scholarship webpage.