Overview

The service aims to provide the interested parties with a single entry point to all business incubators in Europe, regardless of type (virtual or real-estate), business sector or location. Its objectives are to:

• assist entrepreneurs with new business ideas find the incubators develop these ideas into commercially and technically viable products and/or services;
• facilitate networking among business incubators in Europe, and
• help national, regional and local authorities to access information on more than 950 business incubators spread throughout Europe today.

The incubators service allows European incubators to submit their details and update them at any time after registration.

Using the Incubators forms

Submit your incubator

step 1: Click on "submit incubator" on the incubators homepage

step 2: Log in with your CORDIS user name and password.
Please register on CORDIS if you do not have any login details at:/search?fuseaction=reg.userregistration

step 3: Fill in the 2 sections and then click on "publish your profile" at the end of the section 2.

step 4: Log out

Please note that new incubators are not automatically included in the database. See FAQ number 4.

Update/delete your details

step 1: Click on "Update" on the incubators home page

step 2: Log in with your CORDIS user name and password.

step 3: You will access your record. You can then choose to: View - Update - Delete your record.

step 4: Log out

To re-validate current contact details:
Please note that you can confirm the validity of the information on the incubators service by going into the edit mode and click on "publish your profile" at the end of section 2.

The working area

The incubator's working area is a storage unit in which you can store your incubator profile that you have not yet submitted to the live service. If you do not have all the information at your disposal, you can save the record to the working area and complete your profile at a later date. You can easily view your incubator in the working area and choose to update or delete them at your convenience.

FAQs

1. Why should I submit my incubators details to CORDIS?

   Following the launch of a benchmarking project by the Commission on the management and promotion of business incubators in 2000, the CORDIS Incubators database has been created in order to:
   - Allow users to easily access their nearest incubator
   - Facilitate networking between incubators.

2. I have submitted my contact details in the Incubators database and I want to modify them. Is this possible?

   Yes. Records can be deleted or modified by the users at any time. Simply choose Update from the home page and follow the instructions accordingly.

3. I encounter problems in submitting my incubator details.

   Please make sure you are using an up-to-date browser preferably PC based (version 5.0 or higher for Internet Explorer and version 6.2 or higher for Netscape.). Earlier versions of these browsers do not support the structure of the entry form and although you may be able to enter information, there may be transmission problems and your entry form may be lost. In order to navigate within this application and to exit, please use the links provided on the forms and avoid navigating with the [BACK] and [FORWARD] buttons of the browser when completing each section.

4. Two hours ago I submitted my incubator details in the Incubators database.

   However, I cannot find my record when I search in the database. The records collected through the incubators service are submitted to the Commission, which authorizes the publication on CORDIS. Once the Commission gives approval to CORDIS, your record will be published on the CORDIS Incubators service within 2 days. If the Commission needs additional information before publication, an email will be sent to the incubator organization requesting the relevant information.

5. Will I know if the Commission does not accept to add my incubator in the database?

   You can follow the status of your submission by clicking on the Update button on the Home page. The Commission may hesitate before adding a new incubator. An email is then sent to the organization requesting additional information.

6. How long will my incubator details stay online?

   As long as you like. Submitters can update or delete their organization at any time using the CORDIS log in and password. In order to insure that the incubators details are up-to-date, a mailing is sent to each user once a year.

7. Do I have to register with CORDIS before I create a new profile?

   Yes, before you create a new profile you will need to register on CORDIS. Incubators records already in the database at the launching of the electronic update system have been assigned a log in and password, which they received by email.

8. What business sectors can be included?

   A list of business sectors exists already but incubators are allowed to propose new sectors if they consider them relevant. However, the number of new sectors accepted must be limited to avoid having a long list of sectors relevant only to limited number of incubators or having sectors not specific enough. In addition, the terms should be as short as possible.

9. What Memberships can be included?

   Incubators are allowed to add any membership associations they belong to in the limit of the field size (maximum 200 characters). The information is added at the end of the organization details on the record. If the list of Membership associations exceeds 200 characters, submitters can add the information at the end of the Organization description field.

10. What is the General information about?

    Incubators can submit a short paragraph (maximum 1800 characters) to describe their organizations and their role. Incubators should submit this information in English preferably. If it's not the case, CORDIS will insure the translation of the text in English.

Incubators service fields

Section 1: Contact details

* indicates the mandatory fields

FIELD NAME	FIELD CONTENT
1.1 Incubator's name *	The Incubator Organization's name
1.2 Department	The organization's department
1.3 Family name *	The contact person's last name. Please include "Information officer" if no contact person.
1.4 First name	The contact person's first name
1.5 Title	The contact person's title
1.6 Position in organization	The contact person's position
1.7 Address *	The organization's address
1.8 PO Box	The organization's PO Box (if any)
1.9 Post code	The organization's postcode. Note that the country code should not be included in the postcode.
1.10 City *	The organization's city or town; The city must be given in the original language.
1. 11 Country *	The organization's country.
1.12 Telephone	The contact person's telephone
1.13 Telefax	The contact person's fax
1.14 E-mail *	The contact person's e-mail
1.15 Organization URL	The organization's Website address

Section 2: Business sectors and general information

FIELD NAME	FIELD CONTENT
2.1 Business sectors	Business sectors relevant to the incubator
2.2 Other sectors	Other sectors not included in the business sectors list above which would be relevant to the Incubator. New sectors are not included automatically.
2.3 Organization description and role	Short text preferably submitted in English describing the organization and its role. The description will be published in English.
2.4 Membership associations	Membership associations, which the incubator belongs to.