Deadline: 22 September 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time
Specific Challenge:
Start-ups and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the primary source of innovation in Europe and globally. However, the fragmentation of innovation ecosystems and the lack of connectedness among public national and regional agencies appear to be one of the main bottlenecks towards ensuring the support of the most promising start-up and scale-up companies in the EU.
The start-ups and the SMEs very often lack tools and resources (human and financial) that will enable them to promote the deployment and uptake of innovative solutions, and thus grow and compete at global level. Moreover, they are at a disadvantage to recruit external experts to help them in their innovation and business development, including at transnational level to exploit the potential of the Single Market and global trade opportunities. Both are essential for start-ups and SMEs to ensure product/market fit, successful launch and later scaling of their innovations.
A key stage of this process is to elaborate a feasibility study of their innovative products/services, which would clearly demonstrate the ways forward and concrete steps to follow. The feasibility study (proof-of-concept) explore the scientific or technical feasibility and commercial potential of a new idea in order to develop an innovation project. A number of national/regional innovation agencies have schemes that tackle this specific key stage and need or consider setting one. However, up to now national and regional innovation agencies operate rather in isolation across EU in relation to the implementation of their programmes.
The topic focuses on start-ups and highly innovative SMEs with international ambitions, determined to turn strong, innovative business ideas into winners on the market, from the stage of business idea conception and planning. In order to select and support effectively those most promising innovators with strong potential on European and world markets, national and/or regional agencies across Europe would strongly benefit from the actions under this topic for transnational mutual learning and common tools and resources.Scope:
This aims to enhance cooperation among innovation agencies of the European innovation ecosystem by establishing a mutual learning process at national and regional level, as well as by developing joint tools and resources to assist start-ups and SMEs to innovate.
The pilot action will create an enhancing, supporting and cooperative environment across EU that will allow national and regional agencies to:
In particular, the cooperation that will notably involve the participation of national or regional innovation agencies or similar organisations should focus on:
Expected Impact:
This will enhance the quality of support provided at national and regional levels to the most promising innovative start-ups and SMEs, by enabling:
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