INvertebrateIT is accepting applications for its OPEN CONTEST to find and support the three projects with the most innovative solutions for invertebrate production for sustainable fish feeds, competitive aquaculture and integrated waste management, across the EU Atlantic Basin.
Ten projects will be short-listed by the project partners of INvertebrateIT, and promoted by the partnership via our communication channels. Three projects will then be awarded by an expert jury, following the evaluation criteria and procedures.
The winning projects will receive support in their development to a pre-commercial level. Each project will receive:
– Tailored capacity building and technical assistance vouchers to increase their capacity and develop sound business models along the project’s objectives
– Opportunities to network with potential investors and transversal public and private stakeholders
– Assistance to elaborate their concept to be put into action through PPPs
– Guidance through testing business plans and assessing their economic potential through market analysis
– Support to develop business cases to secure financing, whilst finding solutions to cover innovation risks and ensure implementation along a well defined timeline.
The capacity building process will include coaching, mentoring and specific support services that will be delivered through technical assistance vouchers (for instance, testing infrastructures or equipment, research support, or other specific services) of a value of up to EUR 10.000 per demonstration project.
The final objective will be to identify international public and private partners, to then develop durable PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships), resulting in three ready-to-invest bankable flagship projects. With assistance, the PPPs created will be developed so that they are ready to be pitched to investors. Special attention will be given to the development of pitching skills, with the aim of facilitating the attraction of additional investment when needed by the demonstration projects.
Overall, the activities of this program will have a clear effect on increasing the viability of the projects and will significantly improve the effectiveness of technology transfer process from research and academia to industry, including cross-cutting adaptation of advance carried out elsewhere. It is expected that in the long term the ventures resulting from the projects will accelerate the proposing SMEs’ growth, will generate jobs, and will contribute to European sustainable growth.
To find out more about the application process, please click here.
http://invertebrateitproject.eu/?page_id=370&preview=true
