National Cup 2026: Two Days Full of Impact, Innovation, and Enactus Spirit

On June 25 and 26, we headed to Cologne for this year’s Enactus National Cup. Two days filled with exciting pitches, inspiring projects, and plenty of Enactus spirit lay ahead of us.

For our InnoSole project, our debut on the National Cup stage took place right on Day 1. In League 4, we competed alongside teams from Hanover, Augsburg, Cologne, and Karlsruhe. As the second team to present, Jonas and Jonas shared our idea with the jury and the audience. The focus was on the challenges that people with dementia and their loved ones face in everyday life, and how InnoSole—with its sensor-integrated insole—can help detect changes in gait early on, thereby helping to maintain quality of life for as long as possible.

After a strong pitch, the jury posed questions, which the two teams also handled with confidence. The decision then rested with the jury.

On the second day of the event, the final round was finally on the agenda. With inSEAlation (Enactus Münster), FriGIS (Enactus Munich), veridu (Enactus Hamburg), and Rivopump (Enactus Cologne), the audience was in for an exciting and thematically diverse final round. The projects presented ranged from seagrass as a sustainable insulation material to planning software for climate-resilient cities, psychological support for school classes, and water-powered pumps for smallholder farmers in Kenya.

In the end, Rivopump from Enactus Cologne prevailed and secured the title of National Champion on home turf. Congratulations to the entire team from Cologne, as well as to all the finalists and award winners!

The National Cup was also extremely successful for InnoSole. In addition to taking second place in our league, we were delighted to receive the Procter & Gamble Special Prize, worth 1,500 euros. Furthermore, Peter Sticksel provided our team with an additional 500 euros.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Procter & Gamble and Peter Sticksel for this support. It takes our project a significant step forward: The first components have already been ordered, and we hope to have our first functional technical prototype in our hands very soon.

However, the National Cup thrives not only on the competitions but, above all, on the people behind them. As with every Enactus event, this one once again offered the opportunity to exchange ideas with other teams, alumni, and advisors, celebrate together, and experience the Enactus spirit. After the official program, we explored Cologne together, cheered on the teams at the public viewing, played Gurkiball, danced, or simply wound down the evening in a relaxed atmosphere.

We were especially delighted to get to know our newly founded neighboring team, Enactus Erlangen-Nuremberg, in person. Sharing a hostel, traveling to and from the event, and exploring Cologne together left plenty of time for conversations and personal exchanges. We’re excited to see what the revitalized Enactus Franconia Connection will bring in the future.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Enactus Germany and Enactus Cologne for organizing a great National Cup and, once again, a fantastic evening program.

Finally, we wish Enactus Cologne with Rivopump and Enactus Munich with FriGIS the best of luck as they prepare for the Enactus World Cup in São Paulo, where they will represent Enactus Germany in November.

Update: Following the completion of the “Impact & Financial Review,” the title of National Champion 2026 goes to Team Enactus Münster for its project, InSEAlation. Congratulations