Objectives
The overarching objective of this call is to boost entrepreneurship and foster a sustainable blue economy in the Atlantic area by increasing the competitiveness and resilience of Atlantic ports.
Specifically, this action aims at supporting:
- The establishment of a network/partnership between at least two EU Atlantic ports in two different EU Member States; and
- The development of a blue accelerator scheme for Atlantic ports to stimulate innovative businesses in an innovation ecosystem to foster a sustainable blue economy in line with the European Green Deal.
Activities
Core activities:
- Establishing a network between Atlantic ports: Applicants should identify in the proposal a list of Atlantic ports in EU territories (minimum two from different countries) which will cooperate and participate in the network.
- Defining the common challenges: The proposed network of Atlantic ports should identify the thematic challenges for blue economy business innovation that they will jointly target, as part of a joint strategy for a blue accelerator scheme.
- Bringing together different stakeholders, including start-ups and SMEs: The action will foster an innovation ecosystem that will provide access for innovative blue economy companies to information, ideas, financing, etc. The ecosystem must include investors, ports, entrepreneurs and the public sector.
- Designing measures to stimulate innovative businesses in the blue economy: The action will design and set in place a blue accelerator scheme to deliver services such as mentorship, bootcamps, investment and public support to help start-ups to grow and/or to scale up innovative businesses.
- Designing measures to support access to finance and funding sources: The action will design tools/services to facilitate access to finance for innovative businesses. This should include supporting the identification of, and linking with, complementary sources of funding at national/regional and transnational/EU levels, and matching innovative start-ups with investors.
- Preparing a business plan: The action will prepare a business plan for the blue accelerator scheme and for the continuity of the Atlantic Ports network. The business plan should include funding, including from the public sector and private investors, to ensure the sustainability of the scheme and the support services for innovative businesses.
Complementary activities:
- Wider networking, awareness-raising and dissemination activities.
- Activities that will increase complementarity and synergies with relevant projects funded under other EU programmes as well as with relevant initiatives and transnational programmes or policies. Existing port accelerator initiatives around Europe could be leveraged to transform Atlantic ports into blue economy hubs. Applicants may consider cooperating with existing initiatives.
- Fundraising activities
Deadline
10 September 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time
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