Scaling a Secure Awards Platform for ODDO-BHF Young Entrepreneurs
Building a multilingual, automation-driven application journey for ODDO-BHF’s entrepreneurship awards across Germany, Switzerland and France.
50
Increase in applications
84.6
Unique email open rate
72
NPS for the application experience
Success Story
In just two months, ODDO-BHF and Like Reply launched a secure, multilingual awards platform capable of handling hundreds of startup applications end-to-end, simplifying document handling for the Jury and automating all applicant communication. The program now reaches more founders, generates stronger digital traction and supports a growing portfolio of winning startups and social-media reach.
The Challenge
ODDO-BHF wanted to professionalise the management of its Young Entrepreneurs Awards, a program supporting early-stage startups in France, Switzerland and the wider DACH region. They needed a more robust, scalable setup that reflected the bank’s premium positioning and growing visibility among founders.
Previous editions relied on fragmented tools and manual work, making it difficult to collect documents from a large, diverse group of founders, protect sensitive business information and provide a smooth experience for applicants and Jury members. This complexity increased the risk of errors and delays, especially as the volume and diversity of applications grew.
Solution
Like Reply designed and implemented a digital awards community powered by Oracle Eloqua, a custom Like Reply upload app and Discovery Reply DAM.
The solution enabled secure, GDPR-compliant applications, centralized document management for the Jury and automated, personalized communication with founders from first invitation to final feedback. It also created an integrated data foundation that ODDO-BHF can reuse for future editions and adjacent innovation programs.
A Financial Group Investing in the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
ODDO-BHF is Europe’s leading independent Franco-German financial group, combining a long banking tradition with a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. Its core activities span private banking, asset management and corporate & investment banking across key European markets.
To extend this entrepreneurial mindset, ODDO-BHF created the Young Entrepreneurs Awards (OYEA) – a competition that highlights promising startups and connects them with investors, business angels and expert coaches. Each year, more than 100 startups across France, Switzerland and the DACH region apply for awards such as the Jury’s Award, Social Impact Award, People’s Choice Award and Female Entrepreneur Award.
The program does more than select winners: it builds a community around innovation, environmental and social impact and long-term value creation for founders.
From Fragmented Processes to a Secure Awards Platform
Managing the Young Entrepreneurs Awards had become increasingly complex as the program expanded geographically and in visibility. With more incubators and startups joining each year, ODDO-BHF needed to coordinate applications across France, Switzerland and Germany while protecting confidential business plans, financials and product information. Manual forms, email-based document collection and shared folders could no longer guarantee data security, traceability or a consistent applicant journey.
At the same time, the client wanted to use the awards as a marketing and relationship-building engine: increasing brand visibility among entrepreneurs, strengthening their investor network and showcasing successful alumni. This required a scalable platform with centralized data, automated communication and clear governance around who can access which documents at each step in the Jury process.
Like Reply’s brief was therefore twofold:
Design a secure, compliant and multilingual digital process for submissions, document handling and Jury evaluation.
Activate marketing automation to deliver timely, relevant touchpoints to founders, from the first call for applications through to mentoring and post-award follow-up.
Oracle Eloqua as the Messaging Backbone
Oracle Eloqua serves as the central orchestration layer for the awards program. All forms, consent management and email touchpoints are managed through Eloqua, ensuring GDPR-compliant tracking, consistent branding and detailed reporting across the applicant lifecycle.
Like Reply Secure Upload App
Like Reply developed a dedicated upload application embedded into the Eloqua journey. Applicants can securely submit pitch decks, financials and supporting documents, with size limits and formats controlled by business rules. Submissions are associated with each application profile for end-to-end traceability.
Discovery Reply DAM for Jury Evaluation
All application materials are automatically stored in Discovery Reply DAM. The Jury accesses a structured, permission-based repository that allows them to review files by category, filter by award type and track status during the evaluation period.
Governance & Compliance by Design
Role-based access rights, audit trails and data retention rules are embedded into the architecture. Confidential documents remain accessible only to authorized Jury and project members, while Eloqua workflows ensure that personal data is processed in line with GDPR and ODDO-BHF internal guidelines.
THE PROCESS
End-to-End Awards Journey
Application Launch & Call for Entries
Eloqua campaigns invite startups across Germany, Switzerland and France to apply. Founders access a branded portal aligned with ODDO-BHF’s visual identity and language preferences.
Secure Online Application
Applicants fill in structured forms and upload required documents through the Like Reply app. Input validation and mandatory fields ensure that the Jury receives complete and comparable information sets.
Centralized Document Management
Submissions are automatically synchronized with Discovery Reply DAM. Each application becomes a structured asset bundle, tagged by country, category and award type for easy filtering.
Jury Review & Collaboration
The Jury accesses the DAM workspace to review, compare and score applications. Secure sharing and access controls safeguard sensitive data while giving reviewers a unified view of all materials.
Communication, Awards & Follow-up
Using Eloqua, ODDO-BHF sends confirmations, reminders, feedback and event invitations tailored to each applicant’s status. Winners receive further information about financial support and coaching, while the broader community continues to be nurtured via targeted communications and content.
Why Like Reply
Like Reply combined martech expertise, security-driven engineering and deep knowledge of Oracle Eloqua and Discovery Reply DAM to deliver a robust, future-proof awards platform.
Marketing Automation at Scale
Secure, Compliant Architectures
Integrated Content & Data Platforms
Fast, Collaborative Delivery
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