HAK Oberwart gives 4th place at the business plan final!

HAK Oberwart gives 4th place at the business plan final!

An exciting award for young entrepreneurs: The team "Smoke Smarter" of the Oberwart trade academy took the 4th place in the Bank Austria Center in Vienna at the federal final of the Next Generation Business Plan competition on June 17, 2025. Among the committed students of 4AK were Eva, Helena, Olivia, Emily, Xenia and Hanna. Their innovative idea of ​​developing cigarette packaging with an integrated ash container was able to prevail against around 750 submissions and creates a sustainable approach to combating environmental pollution through cigarette waste.

In order to achieve this outstanding performance, the team qualified through the victory at the "Festival of Ideas" in Vienna, where they were able to take first place with their creative solution. The innovative packaging combines a well -thought -out design with the aim of reducing the waste problem caused by thrown cigarette stubs. Director Mag. Andreas Lonyai emphasizes the committed and creative approach of the pupils, which is important not only for the environment, but also for the market.

competition with tradition and perspective

The Next Generation business plan competition is one of the most important students: internal competitions in Austria. It not only promotes economic thinking, but also creativity and teamwork. An aspect that also plays a role in numerous business plan competitions in numerous business plan competitions-around 50 nationwide and over 60 regionals. These competitions are free of charge and support founders in transforming their business idea into a marketable business plan, which is essential for the start-up and the application for funding germany reported.

in different phases-from finding ideas to the development of a rough concept to a complete business plan-the participants acquire valuable experiences and also receive expert feedback. This is considered important support, especially in the seed phase in which the team has to develop its ideas further to develop a sustainable business model. This is where the principles such as the Business Model Canvas come into play, which is also recommended Top50startups Complemented.

A look at the ideas and structures

The competitions cover various industries and corporate phases and offer a wide range of opportunities for founders. Whether in the idea phase, as with the KfW Award, or in the growth phase-participation can not only increase visibility, but also act as a quality label towards investors and customers top50startups reported.

The “Smoke Smarter” team shows impressively how school projects in the Oberwart trade academy can successfully combine practical challenges. The development phase of a business idea can therefore not only be a valuable learning experience, but also produce real solutions for pressing environmental problems.