To do an internship in your own startup it is as requirement that ‘Project placement’ (internship) is part of your academic regulations.

You must:

• Have a preliminary business idea
• Plan a clearly defined engineering-related contribution
• Have found an academic supervisor before applying

Final approval of the internship in your own startup rests with your academic supervisor.

If places are limited, applicants will be prioritised based on the potential of their project and their individual potential.

Framework

• 30 ECTS
• 20 weeks / 740 hours
• Period: 1 September – 31 January
• Offered every autumn from 2026

A minimum of one third of the time must be spent on engineering-related topics and a minimum of one third on business-related topics.

12 week programme (September–November)

As part of the programme, you will take part in:

• Kick-off: 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.
• Ongoing individual support from a business developer

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.

8-week project period (December–January)

Focus on independent project work combined with individual support from a business developer from Kitchen.

Guidance

During your internship, you will have:

• A business developer from Kitchen
• An academic supervisor from your department (you are responsible for finding a supervisor before applying)

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.

Project plan

Before the internship begins, a project plan must be prepared and approved by both your academic supervisor and Kitchen.

The project plan must include:

• Goals for the development of the idea.
• Business-related focus areas (e.g. market clarification, validation, business model).
• Engineering-related focus areas (e.g. product development, state-of-the-art, prototype, testing, IPR).
• A supervision plan.
• Practical arrangements.

The project plan must be updated at least every other week.

Mandatory requirements

You must:

• Meet all formal requirements for the engineering internship (report, focus report, company certificate, etc.).
• Participate in the Kick-off, workshops and reflection sessions.
• Have regular meetings with your supervisor.
• Fulfil the requirement of 740 hours of work.
• Document progress through the project plan.

The application deadline is 15 June. Please contact us well in advance to ensure you have time to speak with a supervisor and a business developer beforehand.

1. Contact Kitchen's internship coordinator Marie Kjølhede at makj@au.dk

Send a brief description of your idea and clarify any questions you may have. Based on this, you will be matched with a business developer from Kitchen.

2. Describe your idea

Prepare a brief outline of your business idea and its engineering perspective to share with your academic supervisor and business developer.

3. Find an academic supervisor

Talk to an academic supervisor from your department.

4. Talk to a business developer at Kitchen

The project’s commercial potential and fit with the programme will be assessed.

5. Preliminary approval from both parties

You can only submit the formal application once both your academic supervisor and Kitchen have given their approval.

6. Submit your application

You can get the application form link from programme manager Marie Kjølhede.

7. Joint meeting

Meeting between you, your business developer, the programme manager and your academic supervisor.

8. Final assessment and internship agreement

Once admitted, the internship agreement is prepared and signed, and the student prepares a project plan.

9. 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.

15 June: Application deadline for the internship programme at Kitchen

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

• Find your academic regulations here
• Find information about your engineering internship here