"BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

The idea behind CO-WORKING was generated through a multiannual collaboration between the partners that are participating in this proposal. The collaboration was commenced in projects that were implemented under the INTERREG V-A Greece – Bulgaria Territorial Cooperation Programme. Through all these activities, the idea of acceleration early-stage teams to validate the potential of an innovative business idea under real conditions before taking business risk area emerged. The concept was further developed through meetings regarding this proposal and in parallel via their collaboration in other projects as well.

COMMON CHALLENGES TO BE ADDRESSED

The c-b area in both countries, is characterized more or less by difficulties in obtaining business finance, limited access of entrepreneurs to business know-how, weak formal and informal access to general information, lack of support services for developing competitive products/services, inadequate human development and skills and low performance in internationalization.

THE PROJECT IDEA & RATIONALE

CO-WORKING project envisages a set of innovative actions by creating two pre-incubating supporting mechanisms which aim to accelerate early-stage teams to validate the potential of an innovative business idea under real conditions before taking business risk in order to overcome the so-called “death valley”. The project involves among others, training, mentoring, coaching activities as well as boot camps, pitching and demo-day events. The mission of the pre-incubators will be to catalyze an innovation ecosystem in the c-b area, which will bring the local partners together, hence startup founders, industry, academia, investors, and other incubators, aiming to facilitate knowledge and take promising ideas to the next stage, by initiating an holistic approach. On this basis, the project addresses a holistic pre-incubation program in the c-b area. Within the context of Bootcamp weeks, the early-stage teams will have the opportunity to:

(a) Get the basic skills on the Business Model Canvas (BMC),

(b) Launch the fundamentals of the Lean Startup Methodology (LSM) covering the span from the stage in which a team has conceptualized an idea up to the point the startup has been incorporated and has an initial client base,

(c) Validate the assumptions of product/service concept. After the Bootcamp weeks pitching events will be organized in front of evaluation committees. 

Acceleration Phase encompasses intense Masterclass training, followed by coaching and mentoring. Coached support will be pointing to more specialist advice including advice on generic issues, where it is needed and justified by the progress of the hosted team. Also, mentoring services will be granted to areas in which the hosted team operates (or intends to operate). In some cases, the mentor could be a potential client. During this stage, key-milestones have to be delivered by the teams, involving the topics of

(a) competition analysis,

(b) customer segmentation,

(c) market validation.

The pre – incubator’s ecosystem will be organized on the base of CO-WORKING SPACE as well as on the creation of a mobile advisory unit. It will be interconnected with the Universities’ Career Offices and with any other constitution related to innovation and social entrepreneurship. 

The project’s added value is the ‘democratization’ of entrepreneurship offering access to training, coaching and mentoring services virtually to anyone in the program eligible area that is beyond the beneficiary’s areas. THE PARTNERSHIP

The Alexander Innovation Zone S.A.-GR (PB1) has been chosen to lead this project since it holds all the capacity and experience in designing, managing, and coordinating EU-funded projects. 

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki-GR (PB2) and the University of National & World Economy-BL (PB3) demonstrate a high level of scientific expertise in entrepreneurship and have a proven knowledge on the subject.

The National Company Industrial Zone-BL (PB4) holds a strong expertise in assisting investors in the implementation of project. All four partners share a common belief and vision regarding the acceleration of early-stage teams.

TARGET GROUP

The main benefiting target groups are the soon-to-be entrepreneurs, would-be-entrepreneurs, and SMEs. They will benefit from the training activities, from the coaching and mentoring services & the business plan competition rewards.