To do an internship in your own startup it is as requirement that an internship course (also know as project placement or “projektorienteret forløb”) is part of your academic regulations.

Some field of studies have specific courses called ‘Projektorienteret forløb i egen virksomhed’ (e.g. at Department of Management at BSS and Digital Design and Information Science at Arts), while other field of studies allow internship in your own startup via the ordinary internship course.

Please check with your board of study or internship supervisor whether you are eligible or not.

Final approval of your internship in your own startup rests with your academic supervisor. Their signature is required to confirm that the academic objectives of your internship are relevant to your degree programme.

The internship programme consists of a series of mandatory sessions that take place physically at Kitchen. The programme begins around 1 September and runs until the end of November.

The programme includes four types of sessions:

• A full workshop week, Foundations Lab, where you work on testing assumptions about your business idea and your customers.
• Specialised workshops focusing on topics such as sales, storytelling and sustainability.
• A full week of pitch training, Pitch Week, concluding with individual presentations in front of a panel.
• Reflection sessions focused on your entrepreneurial journey and the insights and learning you gain throughout the programme.

In addition to participating in the programme, you will be assigned a business developer who can provide guidance and sparring whenever needed.

Between workshops and sessions, you will have plenty of opportunity to apply your new tools and continue developing your startup. Aside from the initial Foundations Lab and the Pitch Week, there will typically be one session per week on average.

Participation in the sessions at Kitchen is mandatory, and online attendance is not possible.

Kitchen supports your entrepreneurial journey with a tailored internship programme and a dedicated business developer.

In addition to the programme, you become part of Kitchen and gain access to all our member services:

• Opportunity to take part in specialised workshops
• Opportunity to apply for your own office
• Access to workspace in our open office environment, as well as meeting rooms, a photo lab and podcast studio
• Free advice from lawyers, accountants and other specialists through our Open Desk partners
• Opportunity to apply for the AU Launch Grant
• A community of like-minded entrepreneurs

We expect you to take ownership of your own development and contribute to supporting your fellow interns.

Throughout the internship programme, you will be introduced to a range of tools – your task is to turn them into action and use them to move your project forward.

Th internship programme requires you to be ready to work independently and manage your own time. In return, you will develop your entrepreneurial and project management skills.

When it comes to technical and practical questions about starting a business – such as accounting, legal matters, tax or banking – we refer you to our Open Desk partners, where accountants and lawyers are ready to help.

All planned activities in the internship programme are mandatory, take place in person at Kitchen, and require your active participation.

1. Check if you are eligible for an internship in your own startup

Make sure the academic regulations of Master’s degree programme allows for a ‘Projektorienteret forløb’ in your own companys. If in doubt, contact your student counsellor or internship coordinator.

2. Contact the internship coordinator at Kitchen

Send an email to Kitchen's internship coordinator Marie Kjølhede at makj@au.dk to apply for admission to the internship programme (no later than 15 June 2026).

3. Receive application details

You will receive a link to the application form along with instructions on how to complete it.

4. Complete the application

Fill in the form and the attached application template. Once completed, save the template as a PDF and upload it with your application.

5. Application review

Your application will be reviewed and assessed, and you will be invited to a follow-up conversation about your idea, goals and readiness for the internship programme.

6. Receive your decision

After the conversation, you will receive an email informing you whether you have been admitted to the programme.

We reserve the right to decline your application if we do not consider you ready to participate in the programme.

7. Contact your academic supervisor

Find an academic supervisor or internship coordinator from your degree programme and get approval for your internship in your own startup at Kitchen.

8. Complete your internship agreement

Fill in your internship agreement and seek feedback on your academic learning objectives from your academic supervisor if needed.

9. Sign and upload your internship agreement 

Have your internship agreement signed by your academic supervisor and the internship coordinator at Kitchen, and upload the agreement as instructed in the document.

10. Prepare for the internship programme

Before the programme begins in the autumn semester, you will receive the programme scedule and practical information by email from Kitchen.

1–5 May: Course registration

To do an internship in your own startup, you need to register for the course ‘Project placement’ in the Student Self-Service system (STADS).

When the course registration is open, choose ‘Projektorienteret forløb’/’Project placement’.

• If you are a student in the MSc in Economics and Business Adminstration (cand.merc.) programme at Aarhus BSS, you have to choose the course 'Project-based Internship in Your Own Startup'.
• If you are a student of Digital Design and Information Science you have to choose the course 'Project placement – innovation and entrepreneurship'.

15 June: Application deadline for the internship programme at Kitchen

You need to contact the internship coordinator at Kitchen no later than 15 June.

15 August: Upload of project placement agreement for BSS-students

If you are a student at Aarhus BSS, your project placement agreement must be handed in no later than 15 August.

30 August: Upload of project placement agreement for ARTS-students

If you are a student at Arts, your project placement agreement must be handed in no later than 30 August.

• Find your academic regulations here
• Find information about your project placement here
• Find the internship agreement for ARTS here
• Find the internship agreement for Aarhus BSS here