The European Commission is set to invest €80 million in 1300 small businesses with innovative digital ideas. At least 300 of the businesses funded by the FIWARE Accelerator Programme will be start-ups.
When applying, businesses must show that their idea impacts one of the following areas of the digital economy: Smart Cities, eHealth, Transport, Energy & Environment, AgriFood, Media & Content, Manufacturing & Logistics, and Social & Learning. You’ll also need a good business plan that shows the innovation’s potential, and how you plan to scale and grow your business to meet that potential.
The innovation must also make use of FIWARE, an open cloud-based infrastructure. FIWARE has been developed with European Commission support to deliver web applications and services. FiWARE API specifications are royalty-free.
The ambition of this accelerator programme is “to invest into the entrepreneurial skills of young Europeans,” according to Mario Campolargo, director of the European Commission’s ‘Net Futures’ team.
According to the promotional video, which you can view below, the funders are taking a very open approach to applications. Any innovative idea will be welcomed and considered if you can show how you would scale up the business as it grows.
The individuals and SMEs picked will receive coaching and mentoring support as well as technology training.
It looks like a great opportunity, not to be missed by anyone developing a business or startup in those areas. The accelerator organizations have started accepting proposals for the FIWARE Accelerator Programme – so get going.
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Liz Wiley MBA is Editor of Prowess.org.uk and a qualified SFEDI-accredited business adviser, coach and enterprise trainer with more than 15 years’ experience supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners across the UK. She has designed and delivered start-up, growth and leadership programmes for public sector agencies, universities and enterprise organisations, working directly with founders at every stage of development.
Her expertise includes business planning, financial sustainability, strategic growth and confidence development, with a particular focus on supporting women founders to build resilient, scalable businesses.
Liz holds a Master of Business Administration from the Open University and has recently completed a Diploma in Digital Marketing with the Digital Marketing Institute, strengthening her advisory work in online growth strategy and digital positioning.