Objective
The project represents a follow-up of the successful FORUM programme contract to organise the TechForum Programme of Work, and is proposed by the following Partners -Europe Unlimited (Belgium) (Co-ordinator), IESE Business School (Spain), Thomson Stanley Publishers Ltd. (UK) and VIP Park CZ (Czech Republic -representing First Tuesday Czech Republic). TechForum Overview: The TechForum Programme seeks to BUILD on the Achievements of the Forum Programme , in particular the establishment of the European Investment Forum (EIF) as a leading pan-European Investment Forum for early-stage technology companies seeking finance The Forum programme's key objectives included to present 200 companies to investors over 5 editions of the EIF and raise a combined total of Euro 100 million already 200 have presented during the first four For a and Euro 165 million has been raised from investors. This represents an almost 25% success rate among presenting companies.
TechForum's Key Objectives are to:
- Continue to support IST Companies Seeking to Raise Finance, through the European Investment Forum (EIF);
- Provide coaching for companies seeking to raise Venture Capital (Venture Academy);
- Develop Strategic Knowledge and Intelligence on significant European technologies and sectors (through the organisation of Sector Summits);
- Publish and Disseminate this Strategic Knowledge (through Sector Briefings);
- Proactively Recruit IST;
- Supported Projects to increase the number of IST projects being assisted by TechForum- Proactively Recruit companies in the New Accession States;
- Seek Commercial Sustainability and Market Acceptance for selected TechForum initiatives (in addition to EIF);
- Leverage Media Visibility for the IST Programme and TechForum;
- Maximise Synergies with other relevant IST and EU Initiatives.
Work description:
The following describes, in a non-exhaustive manner, the key axes of the proposed TechForum Work Programme:
1. Support for IST Companies Seeking to Raise Finance (EIF): Stage 3 European Investment Foray in Western Europe during a period of 2 years (on a self-sustaining basis), with a fourth Forum being held in Central Europe. Therefore, a forum being held approximately every 6 months, and over the 2 year period, it is therefore intended that 120-160 companies are selected to present to investors at the EIF, while over 600 specialised participants are recruited to attend the For a. Each Forum will be promoted to at least 5,000 pre-selected promising IST companies - the IST ventures participating in European or national R&TD programmes will in particular be targeted;
2. Company Coaching (Venture Academy): Stage 4 European Venture Academies during a period of 2 years, with one Academy being held approximately every 6 months. Over the 2-year period, it is intended that 60 companies receive coaching at the VA;
3. Organise Sector Summits (Strategic Knowledge Development): Stage 12 Sector Summits during the 2-year programme. Two Sector Summits will run in parallel on the day before the EIF. Therefore 8 Sector Summits will be held in conjunction with the EIF, and two further summits will be held with another event each year;
4. Publish and Disseminate Sector Briefings (Strategic Knowledge Publishing and Dissemination): The Sector Briefings will follow from the Sector Summits and will focus on maximising the value of the intelligence on key tech sectors developed during the Summits by publishing this content in an attractive format and disseminating to multiple networks of companies, intermediaries and policy actors, both within and around the IST Programme Universe;
5. Proactive Recruitment of IST-Supported Projects: A key part of the TechForum is devoting increased effort to proactive recruitment of IST projects. Key measurable objectives include recruiting Central European technology companies and the EU Investor and Advisory Community.
Milestones:
Key Milestones will be the staging of the TechForum Events Every six months:
- European Investment Forum- Venture Academy- Sector Summits- EIF IST Sector Workshop - The Quantified and Measurable - Results of TechForum are set out beside each of the TechForum work axes described in the previous section.
More broadly, we believe that achieving these results will lead to: - Increased investment in early stage technology companies (due to the better management of the existing risks) - A significant improvement in the investment facilitation structures in Europe to facilitate the entrepreneurs that will build Europe's global winners - the policy need for Europe to develop the accelerator infrastructure for High Growth European tech companies, in order to offset Europe's competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis the USA- increased exposure of the IST Programme projects to, and interaction with, with Europe's technology investors, resulting in part on a greater commercial and investment awareness among IST project promoters- Increased levels of specialist knowledge among many investors on new technologies, their applications, and on the market segments where they are being applied;- Increased profile of the IST Programme towards Europe's Investors, and an increased reputation as a market-oriented and results-oriented programme and source of commercially interesting technologies and investment deals.
This will be reflected in increased IST project participation at the EIF and in increased commercialisation levels among IST projects- Significant increase in market knowledge regarding early stage technology investment in Central Europe, and a greater level of participation of NAS tech companies in the IST programme, as well as improved access to international markets for NAS technology firms- stimulation of private investment across Central Europe in new and developing ventures nominated from these regions, and increased business linkages and partnerships.
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
ACM - Preparatory, accompanying and support measuresCoordinator
1050 IXELLES - BRUXELLES
Belgium