Ten teams of young entrepreneurs took part in a customized support programme which started last December 2019, in the framework of INCUBA project. With a € 900,000 funding under the Interreg V-A Greece-Italy Programme 2014-2020, INCUBA is aimed at strengthening agri-food business incubators to support creation, competitiveness, and internationalization of start-ups and small and medium enterprises
in Puglia and Greece.
The project is carried out by the Region of Western Greece, the lead partner, the Chamber of Ilia, the Chamber of Commerce of Bari and ARTI – Apulia Region Agency for Technology and Innovation. The Chamber of Commerce of Achaia and Puglia Region – Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environmental Protection are associated partners.
The support programme driven by Ciheam Bari, and managed by the INCUBA project team within MEDAB (a business incubator located in the Institute headquarters), was developed in four steps: selection, mainly based on expectations and needs; customized in-person training, totalling 56 hours; one-to-one dedicated mentoring lasting one month; one month and half of theoretical-practical Worklab, managed by LVenture, business accelerator of LuissEnlab, which adopted market validation and “go to market”methodologies and approaches.
On 10 September at 3.00 p.m., ten start-ups, supported by INCUBA project, will present their business models at Ciheam Bari, illustrating the progress achieved since the project launch.
The 10 teams participating in the incubation process, each represented on average by 3 young entrepreneurs working in the agri-food sector or in closely related areas, have already received a grant under PIN, a measure set out by Puglia Region’s Youth Policies in support of entrepreneurship and run by ARTI, a partner of INCUBA project. Close synergy with ARTI was encouraged by Ciheam Bari to optimize the skills of these young Apulian entrepreneurs, already in a position to express a great potential to scale
up their business model.
On 10 September, an Evaluation Committee, including the INCUBA project coordination team and the delegates of LegaCoop, Puglia Sviluppo, NaturaSi and LVenture, will select the three best start-ups from the ten participants, which will be awarded each a € 5000 voucher in services.
The Evaluation Committee will assess advances of the Business Model Canvas since the process start, strategy and brand identity, team organization in terms of skills and time management, improvements in product/service validation on the market, go-to-market
and a further goal that could be achieved with the € 5,000 voucher. The meeting will be opened by Ciheam Bari’s director Maurizio Raeli. The presentation session will be chaired by Damiano Petruzzella and moderated by Francesca Volpe, both from Ciheam Bari.
