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Awareness-raising and capacity-building for business angels and other early-stage investors

 

Proposals should take account of a) the early-stage investment landscape, players and dynamics in EU Member States and the countries associated with Horizon 2020, b) the supply of business angel expertise and funding and c) the increased demand of initial risk capital for entrepreneurial businesses and:

  1. Develop a capacity-building strategy and consequent implementation plan that makes use of techniques (tailored for both women and men) such as awareness raising campaigns, coaching, mentoring, workshops, courses, training materials (in particular through social media) as well as knowledge transfer of best practices.
  2. Validate the implementation plan by stakeholders.
  3. Execute the implementation plan.
  4. Review the impact of the implementation plan and possibly adapt the scheme in the light of experience.

The approach taken must complement and build on existing early-stage capacity-building schemes at EU, regional and national levels, working with them where possible. The proposal must also address how to ensure the continuity of the action beyond the implementation period of the call. Proposers must have and must demonstrate deep knowledge of the business angel and general early-stage domain, have proven experience in the field, and significant experience of capacity-building.

The proposal should be linked and contribute to the Horizon 2020 Financial Instrument Pilot on Co-Investments by Business Angels (Action 3.1).

The project should operate for a maximum period of 36 months.

While the number of business angels and other early-stage investors has increased in recent years, more needs to be done to:

  • Increase the number of early-stage investments in Europe.
  • Tap into the unexploited potential of business angels, and attract more individuals, both women and men, with the skills, capacity and potential to become an angel. Encourage and, where appropriate, incentivise more established and experienced business angels to share their expertise and best practices with their less-experienced counterparts.
  • Provide more training, coaching and networking activities to develop the expertise of less experienced early-stage investors (both women and men) and to help professionalise business angels — in particular, regarding their mentoring and advisory role.
  • Raise standards for angel training.
  • Help structure and professionalise business angels' activities, including relationships with other investors and the use of online platforms for investment (including but not limited to crowdfunding platforms).
  • Help develop business angels' cross-border investment activities.
  • Raise awareness and visibility amongst SMEs and other players about the utility of business angels and other early-stage investors.
  • Sustainable, comprehensive strategy for building capacity in early-stage investments across Europe.
  • Higher levels of early-stage expertise in Europe.
  • Increase the number of early-stage investments in Europe, including cross-border.