Ana's (many) projects :)

Idea-making machine on two legs and wheels. Follow me to get the hacks and inspiration for innovation, marketing and public co-funding. Ana, 28, Slovenian, massive MTB fan with a strong fascination over curry.

[idoeurope-blog]

Project Initiation Phase

This phase is an integral phase of project management where we determine scope, return on investment and compatible grant. The process takes vision, fact finding with analysis, strategy and planning. Based on current and desired condition and an outline of the team involved, it should get a clear yes or no answer. Creativity with administration.

[idoeurope-blog]

''Funding: One of the key reasons that many British technology firms said they were against a British exit from the EU was that it would be more difficult for them to secure funding for startups. London's technology industry has been on the rise for the past several years. Britain benefits in large part from funds such as the European Investment Fund, which backs an estimated 41 percent of venture capital investments in Europe. Its majority investor is the European Investment Bank.''

[idoeurope-blog]

Kontaktirajte me za več informacij: 041342078 ali na [email protected]

[idoeurope-blog]

Razpisi.info

Vsi evropski, nacionalni in regionalni razpisi za NVO na enem mestu. Letno objavimo več kot 1000 razpisov in informacij o različnih virih financiranja.

Dragi bralec/bralka mojega super-duper bloga, 

tukaj si najbrž zato, ker:

- ali imaš super idejo in te zanimajo aktualni razpisi, 

- ali te zanimajo aktualni razpisi, idejo pa še iščeš oziroma razvijaš, 

- ali pa iščeš ‘brain food’ za svoje možgančke, spodbudo, da se končno prijaviš na SLO/EU projekt.

Tebi in tebi podobnim naj bo zgornji link najenostavnejša opcija za ažurno spremljanje aktualnih razpisov, za evropske razpise strukturnih skladov (investicije, večji projekti) pa se obrni na ta link: http://www.eu-skladi.si/sl/razpisi?mc_cid=57a1435804&mc_eid=be847cd5d1 . 

Upam, da tebi in tvoji ekipi informacija koristi. Za vprašanja, pogovor ali prijazno besedo pa me lahko kontaktirate na [email protected] ali 041342078. 

Ana :)

[idoeurope-blog]

6 out of 384 winning enterprises - SME Instrument Phase 2

http://www.kiosked.com/

http://www.gigigo.com/app/en/home

http://www.supponor.com/

http://www.bionova.fi/

http://www.pado-elementebau.de/

http://www.lcpaper.net/english/

[idoeurope-blog]

                       WHY IT PAYS OFF TO BE INNOVATIVE IN EU 

Research and innovation contribute to making Europe a better place in which to live and work. They improve Europe’s competitiveness, boost growth and create jobs. Europe’s future is connected to its power to innovate: to turn great ideas into products and services that will bring growth to our economy and create jobs. 

EU is in the state of 'innovation emergency'. Thousands of  best researchers and innovators have moved to countries where conditions are more favourable. Although the EU market is the largest in the world, it’s not innovation-friendly enough and other countries like China and South Korea are catching up fast. That's why it will invest €80 billion in the period 2014–20 to help produce new products and services that are competitive for the international market.

                 COME IN EU FUNDS – THE FAMOUS HORIZON2020

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU research and innovation programme ever. It will lead to more breakthroughs, discoveries and world firsts by taking great ideas to the market. Almost €80 billion of funding is available over 7 years (2014 to 2020), most of it in three pillars: excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. In addition, this investment should attract private and national public investment.

The goal is to ensure Europe produces world-class science and technology that drives economic growth.

But innovation is prerequisition: If  development activities aren't translated into innovation, i.e. value creation from novelty, startups can't take profit from those activities. Great ideas need to be picked up by users, customers and the market, before they can really transform society.

While the Horizon2020 covers 3 big areas, startups are most appropriate for SME Instrument and Fast Track to Innovation Pilot.

SME Instrument gives out between 50.000€ to 2,5 million€. 

Fast Track to Innovation Pilot gives out up to 3 million € per project. 

European Union is creating favourable conditions for innovative startups:

 Improved access to finance

Innovation-friendly rules and regulation

 Accelerated interoperable standard-setting

Cheaper patenting

Innovation supported by the public sector

Innovation Partnerships to give EU businesses a competitive edge

Easier participation in EU research and innovation programmes- Horizon2020

Taken from various EU websites and adapted for this post. 

[idoeurope-blog]

Under Horizon2020, 9billion EUR are going to be invested in projects that accelerate research and innovation to market uptake in 2016. The SME instrument is perfect for young entreprenuers and small start-ups. 

Quoting from EU’s body who NEEDS to GIVE EU funds: As part of the Horizon 2020 programme, the European Commission is hand-picking potentially disruptive businesses to invest and support as part of the SME Instrument. Your business could receive up to €2.5 million in funding, and business coaching.

Startups in ICT sector - attention!

Support will be provided to a large set of high risk innovative Startups and SMEs in the ICT sector. Focus will be on companies proposing disruptive ICT concepts, products and services applying new sets of rules, values and models which ultimately create new markets (e.g. by tackling non consumption) or disrupt existing markets. The objective of the ODI is threefold: 1. Nurture promising innovative and disruptive ideas; 2. Support their prototyping, validation and demonstration in real world conditions; 3. Help for wider deployment or market uptake. Proposed projects should have a potential for disruptive innovation and fast market up-take. In particular it will be interesting for entrepreneurs and young innovative SMEs, including start-ups that are looking for swift support to their innovative ideas.

Who should apply?

They are looking for high growth, highly innovative SMEs with global ambitions that want to disrupt the established value networks and existing markets. You should be driven, actively investing in innovation, and looking to grow. 

It's a good sign if your company is based in an innovation hub, has received grants or venture capital funding, received innovation-related tax benefits, or won an innovation prize in the last 2 years.

[idoeurope-blog]

Got a new crush <3

[idoeurope-blog]

Presenting: crappy spreadsheet. 

But they say don’t judge a book by its covers. This particular one holds my fields of interest (innovation, startup seed money, ngos, culture, youth, environment, nature, sports should be hiding somewhere in those) with € to each. 

FYI:  The EU budget is divided into more than 80 funds and programmes. 

[idoeurope-blog]

Tip #2 of 10 : EU needs to spend its money (again, needs)

2014 - 2020 Financial Framework is set to spend 960€ billion in 7 years. If you break these numbers down you get around 140€ billion for one fiscal year. 

Compared to the last framework, EU is fixated on GROWTH. Since it directly connects growth with economic and social prosperity of its people, it will invest 10 billion for research&innovation in public and private sector and 900 million in Small and Medium Enterprises - just in year 2016. 

Funds for enterprises and certain non-governmental will therefore be a bit more accessible in the next 5 years. 

If your company/organisation had only one goal to follow what would it be? 

[idoeurope-blog]

How To Pack Like A Digital Nomad

Eight Digital Nomads share their ultimate packing tips below. Dig into these great insights on packing light and hopefully it’ll take some of the stress out of your next trip.

Information I will need in about a month from now :)

[idoeurope-blog]

Quick note about 1-on-1 market feedback

Still in the phase of assesing the market needs, I took a day to talk with some members of my primary target group. 

Place: Maribor, Slovenia

Date and time: 1.12.2015, 9am, 11am, 2pm

Who: head of umbrella organisation for social entreprenuership, startup manager, NGO (field of biodiversity protection) manager 

The most decisive conclusion is they don’t need information about upcoming open calls but professional and effective help with writing a project. Though partner match-making and detailed analysis of a fund they found themselves is also quite sought after, they all say basic information of avaliable funds is public, free of charge and circulates around. The biggest problem they face is taking the time out of their business operations to work on project application which can or can not bring results for the efforts invested. An opinion of the socialhub manager that partner match-making is a service rarely being doine by anyone they know of course provoked ambition in me to look further into this since this could be justified means for my business travels. 

All in all, it was a successful day! 

[idoeurope-blog]

Looking to access global markets? This site isn't much but it's a start.

[idoeurope-blog]

EU Budget 2016 - MEPs back more money for refugees, research and Erasmus

The European Parliament accepted the budget that includes increased funding to tackle the refugee crisis and reinforces spending on key areas such as education, research & development and support for SMEs.

In a nutshell:

- more and better financially supported projects in Erasmus+

- more and better financially supported projects in Horizon2020

- more and better financially supported project under COSME

[breathtakingdestinations]

Lava Rocks - Iceland (by Diana Robinson) 

[idoeurope-blog]

Wishlist <3 Iceland

[idoeurope-blog]

Market Research Outcomes As a Business (and personal) Scope Creep Tool

A week later after having the first meeting with my mentor Jure, it took 7 emails and a some learning of Google Forms Technology from my side to finish the research questionnaire together. As this is only the first step, I am really looking forward to see the results and making conclusions which services are feasible (if any) to develop for my future business. Second step now is to send it to relevant organisations. 

So the questionnaire got a bit longer than only 2 questions. A big surprise ha? :) We included organisation’s history about funds aquiring, spenditure, plans, fields and idoEurope concrete offer. It’s now ready to be sent to my targets and in that way seeing the first light of day as a brand. I’m quite anxious about this since it will get semi-public and I’m far from desiring to advertise it. 

Also because meanwhile I’ve been negotiating my work and business in 2016 with existing employers and clients, making research about possible organisational forms, wondering where to set up an account and how to divide my workload (meaning time for work and time for travel). These are all important aspects to consider and they make a rounded whole. Not a single piece should be missing and this makes doing business so much different to having a 9-5 job. You have to think about everything. And then mountain biking comes to my mind and how much I desire to ride those climbs and downhill tracks in 2016. 

Is there such thing as too much freedom? As a grown up coming from a well-set background, supported by friends, my education, many agonising life experiences, teamwork and project-related experiences, I sometimes think I can have it all. Yes, of course I consider myself fortunate but when you’re making such important decisions which will probably influence your next 5 to 10 years, one can also ask themselves if there’s such a thing as too much freedom in shaping your life. Because it’s a no-brainer that it’d be a lot easier to blame somebody or something for the failure or discontentment of the decisions made. If I had by now a boyfriend, husband, credit, a longterm employment contract, sane family or godforbid any children and all of the other commonalities ordinary people stuff in their life, I’d probably be bound by them and learn to surf between them. That’d ofcourse be against my profound nature, so I guess I made it my life’s work to avoid them. The other contrast is then total freedom which can also make you feel uncomfortable when people ask you: ‘But where do you live now?’ and you can’t give them a reasonable answer. 

Conclusion of the day: As with projects, a person should scope its endavorous on personal and business area. Otherwise you’re forced doing it all and you’re doing everything sloppy, carelessly and superficial. And I HATE that. My tool is my very first market research which will determine my future on both levels. Because I live, eat and dream projects. 

If you’re managerial staff at an NGO, startup, small, social, sustainable enterprise, please take a few moments and fill out this form, available at: 

http://goo.gl/forms/UusZeLGdXu

I’d mean the world to me. Literally. 

[idoeurope-blog]

Market Research

You’ve got the drive, the idea and no competition. You’ve got yourself a great business idea and you’re ready to make life changes because you want to jump right to it. But when you want to get that cash in, how will you do it?!?! Market research is, by everyone who has ever been in business, an absolute must before you shift into higher gear. 

So today I’ve sent a draft of my simple research to Jure at StartupMaribor and it goes like this: 

Hello! Im Ana and I'm developing a startup called idoEurope. idoEurope has for its mission to help NGOs, sustainable businesses and startups with locating, matching and aquiring EU funds. Your responses will help me tremendously with setting up my business model and in that way help employ one or more young talents.

In which of the following services would you be most interested in? 

1. Basic research of available EU funds

2. Grant Writing for your project idea: identifying the compatible fund, help in all aspects of grant application writing

3. Loyality program (monthly subscription): looking for suitable EU funds and sending monthly reports, alerting the client of upcoming compatible funds, exclusive availability for Grant Writing

4. idoEurope membership: inclusion in idoEurope database, screening and processing organisational competences. Notifying appropriate idoEurope members when other members are preparing for a new project and are in need of either a partner either a subcontractor.

How much would you be willing to pay for each service?

Response: Thank you so much! With your help we can bring EU funds where they are really needed and make the world a better place!

I’m hoping to get about 20 answers from my target audience and especially hoping to get them from non-Slovenian based startups to see if my venture has European/global potential. Help me out and answer and/or send it to any NGOs or startups you might find interested. 

Thank you!