The changes.AWARD is a business plan competition that prepares school students for the challenges of their future with their own project ideas on current topics. The task is to realize a project together as a team - from the initial idea to the final concept, researching facts, interviewing the target group and drawing up a financial plan - and to inspire with a rousing presentation at the end of the project.

School students in EF and Q1 from NRW can take part with a teacher who will supervise them. The teams, consisting of 3-5 members, will be supported by the organizers' coaches - digitally and in person. The winning team can look forward to an eventful trip to Japan's capital Tokyo. The students of the winning teams in 2nd and 3rd place can each look forward to a technology voucher worth EUR 1,000 and EUR 500 respectively.

In 2025, under the motto “Invent today – innovate tomorrow”, everything was about developing sustainable ideas that change our lives. The winner was the “SpeechFlow” team from Kopernikus-Gymnasium in Ratingen. The five students secured first place with their concept for a transcription application for doctor-patient conversations, which can be documented using artificial intelligence (AI).