Regions’ Alliances for Interconnected Startup Ecosystems

Project Information

RAISE

Grant agreement ID: 101070749

DOI

10.3030/101070749

Project closed

EC signature date 24 May 2022

Start date 1 June 2022

End date 31 May 2024

Funded under

• European innovation ecosystems

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 498 625,00

Coordinated by

STARTUP EUROPE REGIONS NETWORK
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RAISE (Regions’ Alliances for Interconnected Startup Ecosystems)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The vision of an interconnected EU startup ecosystem has been largely developed through the combined efforts of European
associations, complementing the scope of the actions of national or regional agencies in the different countries, which offers a first
opportunity for a more global perspective on the different aspects of startup support.

However, in spite of several cooperation initiatives between these organisations, there is still a lack of integration between their
action plans, which creates gaps in startup support at EU level.

The main goal of RAISE is to contribute to the development of a new and sustainable integrated support framework to foster startup
growth and scale-up within and across Europe in all its dimensions, from initial funding, research support to public incentives and
internationalization. This will result in promoting competitive business models, unconventional collaborations and solutions from all,
in all over Europe, and contributing to a true EU startup ecosystem, not based on a single city or region, but
linking all of them together.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Outcome of the Exchange of Experience and Co-creation sessions - Finalized and delivered.
Organized co-creation sessions to exchange experiences and gather valuable insights.
Engaged with startup founders to enhance understanding of business models and partnerships.
Gathered practical solutions for improving business models and partnerships.

Start-ups Coaching Sessions:
Each partner organized coaching sessions based on specific themes.
Partners chose appropriate experts to benefit the startups.
SERN and EURADA organized a joint session to optimize budget allocation.

RAISE Open Forum:
Established an active online forum using LinkedIn Group tools.
Encouraged engagement from consortium organizations and stakeholders.
Platform for ongoing discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking.

RAISE created a Regional Steering Group composed of 13 high-level policy experts from different regions. The RAISE consortium successfully achieved extensive European geographical representation through its group of 13 experts, providing coverage of central, southern, eastern, western, and island regions across the continent and representing very differentiated regional ecosystems.

The Start-up Friendly Interactive Map accompanied by the Guide on “How to use Structural Funds for Startup Support” and delivered in M23 provides guidance for start-ups looking for funds to scale-up their activities.

The Common Action Plan developed by the project provided an overview of the needs and expectations of the startup sector and enabled us to provide recommendations for startup-friendly measures at local, regional, and European levels. The development of the RAISE CAP was enriched by the feedback given by the two working groups of the Regional Steering Group who coordinated the prioritisation and clustering of the activities presented in D2.1. The Common Action Plan provides details on how the lessons learned and pilots carried out by the partners can be exploited and it takes into account thematic areas and challenges to be tackled as well as the 8-axis outlined in the Startup Nations Standard Declaration. The RAISE Consortium finally selected 12 key actions for start-up success.

The RAISE project culminated with the RAISE final conference, held as a special session of the EU Startup Summit 2024 in Malta, where the key results were presented. The final event at the EU Startups Summit 2024 in Malta gathered more than 60 participants.

Outcomes:
Enhanced understanding of business models and partnership actions among startups.
Valuable insights and practical solutions from co-creation and coaching sessions.
Increased engagement through the active RAISE Open Forum.
Increased regional collaboration with experts and policymakers to improve start-up friendly policies
Guidance for start-ups aiming to access Structural Funds
Policy recommendations based on RAISE research and feedback provided by the Regional Steering Group
These achievements contribute to the project's technical and scientific aspects by fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of effective strategies to support startups.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

RAISE has fostered a more interconnected European innovation market. The Open Forum supports startups, scale-ups, and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem through workshops, matchmaking events, investor speed dating, acceleration programs, and business mentoring.
RAISE established interdisciplinary bridges and connected with key Levant stakeholders, offering capacity-building initiatives. The Regional Steering Group enhanced research and dissemination capabilities, and the final event provided networking opportunities for over 60 participants.
These outcomes have improved business models, fostered collaboration, and empowered startups. Addressing needs like research, market access, finance, commercialization, IPR, internationalization, and regulatory frameworks, along with continued collaboration with the Regional Steering Group, is crucial for scaling up lessons learned.