Transparency

HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V.
Plautstraße 80
D-04179 Leipzig

Registered Office: Leipzig, Local Court Leipzig VR 3683

Year of Establishment: 2002

Contact Persons: Stefanie Sieber and Susanne Voigt, Management

Contact: Email info@hands-on-technology.org, Phone +49 (0)341 246 1583, more contacts for the team at the office

The statutes of our association describe what we do and regulate fundamental questions of association life. The membership regulations include the admission fee and contributions for membership.

The vision of HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. is to inspire young people early on for science and technology and to give them a playful introduction to the world of complex technology. They learn to approach challenges creatively, imaginatively, and collaboratively, building digital skills as well as teamwork and communication abilities. The goal is to equip children and young people with the key competencies of the 21st century: they can think and act like researchers and engineers and actively shape society – both with their STEM knowledge and their social skills.

Since 2002, HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. has been organizing various international educational programs to facilitate access to scientific subjects for young people and to motivate them early for careers in engineering or IT. Our main tools are competitive educational programs such as the research and robotics competition FIRST LEGO League Challenge for secondary schools, FIRST LEGO League Explore for primary schools, FIRST LEGO League Discover for kindergartens, and until 2023 the regional RoboCup Junior qualification tournament in Berlin.

More information on the project goals and impacts can be found in our Impact Report, which we publish annually. In the 2024 edition, the goals and impacts are detailed in the following sections:

• FIRST LEGO League Discover - page 18 ff.
• FIRST LEGO League Explore - page 22 ff.
• FIRST LEGO League Challenge - page 28 ff.

Our work is exempt from corporate income tax due to youth welfare promotion, according to the most recent exemption notice issued by the Leipzig Tax Office I (Tax Number 232/14013479) on October 27, 2023 (assessment period 2022-25) pursuant to §5 para. 1 no. 9 of the German Corporate Tax Act.

Organizational Structure
The association was founded in Leipzig in 2002. As of the publication of the 2024 impact report, the General Assembly consists of 37 members (9 legal entities, 26 individuals, and 1 honorary member). In addition to the members, the association has a large network of partners and volunteers who support the association and its projects through their work, totaling around 1,500 people.

The Board can be led by up to five volunteer members since 2020. Jakub Stribny is a developer, former team member, long-time volunteer in the educational program, and since June 2025, the chairman of the association. Fabian Schmidtchen is a research associate at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg and has also been actively involved in FIRST LEGO League for many years. Since June 2025, he serves as the vice-chairman of the association.
The board is completed by Irmgard Rothkirch and Thomas Madeya as assessors. The fifth board position is currently vacant.

Long-term staff members at HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V., Stefanie Sieber and Susanne Voigt, jointly manage the executive office using a dual-leadership principle.

More information about people in our organization can be found in our impact report starting on page 64.

The office currently has 10 staff members who handle all matters related to the implementation of the educational programs and the association. All figures and details about the staff structure in the office can be found in the 2024 Impact Report on pages 64–65.

HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. finances its work through donations, sponsorships, participation fees from the educational program, and the sale of robotics kits as part of funding projects. Details and figures can be found in the 2024 Impact Report on page 68, as well as in the excerpt from the profit determination report by the tax consulting firm.

The 2024 Impact Report shows how funds have been used in each program, under "What We Invest" and "What We Achieve".

In summary, the association is financially stable and will be able to carry out its educational programs nationally and internationally in the coming years. The goal is to expand existing partnerships and gain additional supporters. If you would like to support us, learn more about the opportunities or contact us directly.

HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. worked closely with the supporting association HANDS on e.V. until 2022. Since its founding in 2008, the purpose of HANDS on e.V. was to provide both personnel and financial support to the association. The supporting association HANDS on e.V. was dissolved in 2023.

For the past fiscal year 2023 (as reported in the 2024 impact report), the following individuals, initiatives, companies, and foundations supported HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. and/or the supporting association HANDS on e.V., thereby contributing to our non-profit work. Contributions were made in varying amounts:

up to €5,000

• Communardo Software GmbH
• Global Foundries
• Mark von Pentz
• Porsche Leipzig GmbH
• The Walt Disney Company (Germany) GmbH

€5,000 to €50,000

• Deutsche Bahn Stiftung
• FIRST
• LEGO GmbH
• Haus des Stiftens für Unternehmen und Non-Profits gGmbH
• Phineo gAG
• Sage GmbH
• Vision Components GmbH

over €50,000

• Hessian Ministry of Culture, Education and Opportunities*
• Motorola Solutions Foundation
• Sage Global Services Limited

* The contribution accounted for more than 10% of the total annual budget (used for support and equipment for Hessian schools participating in FIRST LEGO League)

HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V. is part of strong STEM networks. This includes the Landesverband Sächsischer Jugendbildungswerke e.V. (LJBW), which, as an umbrella and specialist association, strengthens out-of-school STEM education in Saxony, connects organizations, and represents young people at the political level. We are also a member of MINT Zukunft schaffen e.V., the nationwide network behind the awards “MINT-friendly School” and “Digital School”, certifications that schools offering FIRST LEGO League can also receive. The association connects STEM ambassadors and makes STEM education visible nationwide. We support both initiatives and leverage synergies to further advance STEM education for young people.