BMW Group has handed out its Awards for Social Engagement for the 15th time, honouring four employees whose voluntary work supports education, social inclusion and women’s safety. The ceremony took place on 14 September at BMW Welt in Munich, where each winning project received 10,000 euros. Since the scheme began in 2011, the company says around 1,500 applications have been submitted and more than 115 awards presented.
Carmakers are usually measured by model launches and sales figures, but BMW Group used this week to draw attention to something else entirely: what its own staff do outside working hours. The BMW Group Awards for Social Engagement, launched in 2011, recognise employees whose volunteering helps others and, in the company’s words, contributes to a fairer and more liveable society.
This year’s winners are Julia Springer, Kais Aseckzai, Nadege Goncalves and Abdessamad Bendahhou. According to the manufacturer, their projects open up access to education, encourage social inclusion and create new opportunities for people who would otherwise struggle to find them.
Four projects, four very different causes
Julia Springer is a co-founder of the non-profit organisation Urlaubskinder e.V., which gives children from disadvantaged backgrounds a break from difficult home situations. She organises and accompanies camping trips for children aged eight to fourteen, and there are currently 17 KidsCamps across the German-speaking region, plus one camp aimed at older teenagers. Springer also won this year’s employee poll, which BMW Group says attracted more votes than ever before.
Kais Aseckzai works with orphaned children and young people in Afghanistan. His organisation, Learn.Lead.Lift, supports educational projects with local partners and places particular emphasis on girls, who frequently have no access to schooling at all. At present the group is primarily backing an orphanage in Kabul, where it enables the children and young people living there to attend school.
Nadege Goncalves co-founded Maison Solidarite Femmes 95, which supports women affected by domestic violence with protection, advice and practical assistance. An employment programme attached to the organisation helps those women return to the job market and regain financial independence.
Abdessamad Bendahhou focuses on career prospects for young people. Through workshops and exchange programmes run with the non-profit Deutsch-Marokkanische Kompetenznetzwerk e.V., he connects young talent with each other and with businesses, opening doors to internships, vocational training, higher education and jobs. He frequently stays on as a mentor for several years.
A competitive field
More than 100 applications were submitted this year. Nine projects made the shortlist and four took awards, each receiving 10,000 euros in prize money. The remaining finalists were not sent away empty-handed: they received 2,500 euros each towards their projects. The Vera and Volker Doppelfeld Foundation Special Award, which recognises young volunteers, went to Aseckzai.
The ceremony was held on 14 September in the Double Cone at BMW Welt, with finalists, presenters and guests in attendance. Dorothea von Boxberg, Member of the Board of Management responsible for HR and Labour Relations Director with BMW AG, spoke at the event.
“The award-winning projects represent people who show great dedication to helping others and, in doing so, make a tangible difference. Their commitment deserves our special recognition. Because every act of commitment counts. Every hour spent helping others strengthens social cohesion in our society.”
What it means
The award sits within SOCIAL DRIVE, a BMW Group initiative that gives employees a platform to present their projects, find colleagues and gather support. With a workforce of 154,540 people at the end of 2025 and production sites in more than 30 locations worldwide, the company has a large pool to draw from, and the international spread of this year’s winners reflects that.
Programs of this kind have become a standard part of how large manufacturers report on corporate responsibility, alongside supply chain and emissions commitments. What sets this one apart is its longevity and the fact that the projects are chosen from employee submissions rather than defined centrally.
BMW Group did not announce a date for the next round of applications.
Source: www.press.bmwgroup.com