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INFODAY: Opening of the call for the European accelerator CirCoAX, which will scale SMEs in the fashion and textile industry that favour the circular economy in the sector

The application form will be open from Wednesday, 21st July at 17h CET.

The selected applications will receive a financial support of 12,000 EUR. 

Proposals must favour the sustainable transition of the sector, through the circular economy but also social innovation. 

Interested candidates will have until October 13th to send in their applications.

Registration link to the infodays: http://registration.nextextilgeneration.eu/

On Wednesday 21st of July at 17h CET and next Wednesday, 28th of July, the CircularInnoBooster project is holding two Infoday sessions regarding the opening of the call for proposals for interested SMEs, startups and entrepreneurs from the fashion and textile sector to apply to be part of its CirCoAX accelerator. 

The application form will be available to potential candidates from Wednesday 21st of July and the call will close the 13th October 2021.

CircularInnoBooster Fashion and Textile (F&T) is a project of the COSME programme of the European Union, with an initial duration of two years and a budget of €1,128,000.  It is 75% co-financed by the European Commission. Led by the IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), together with the Finnova Foundation, Texfor, Circulab and The Circular Project with HumanNation, it aims to transform the highly polluting fashion and textile industries through innovation, fostering entrepreneurship to generate business models based on the circular economy, turning SMEs and start-ups into sustainable and circular companies. Through the regenerative economy model, the project aims to become a benchmark for the total transformation of the industry, from raw materials to the end of life of the garments, providing a solution to the structural problems of conventional industry. 

In addition, the project has an important social perspective, favouring the creation of value-added jobs at all levels of production, contributing to the achievement of several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as the end of poverty, zero hunger and gender equality.  

To achieve these objectives, the CirCoAX accelerator has been created to provide SMEs with both financial and business support to enable them to scale their proposals. The business model of the applications must favour the circular economy, being able to focus on any of the areas of the Fashion Design and making, Textile Industry, Education & Research, Dissemination and Communities & Platforms. Likewise, applications that provide social innovation will be positively assessed.

In the presentation of the call, which will be led by Sharam Yalda, founder of HumanNation and project manager of CircularInnoBooster, the representatives of the different partners of the project will introduce the key points that candidates must meet to be selected. 

Following the submission of applications, which will close on 13 October 2021, the 30 most disruptive candidates selected will receive a €12,000 grant to scale their innovative ideas. In addition, thanks to the team of industry experts that make up the project, the beneficiaries will have access to mentoring, as well as training and workshops in which best practices to be implemented throughout the value chain will be shared. In addition, marketing knowledge and business plans will be offered to ensure the success and sustainability of the projects once the programme has ended. 

Participation in this accelerator not only helps to receive support at various levels to implement new business models in line with an ecological and circular transition of fashion and textiles, but also gives them the opportunity to set themselves up as benchmark projects on a European scale.

About COSME

COSME is the program for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises (EASME) of the European Commission.

Through this program, assistance is offered to SMEs to develop their business models, access financing and internationalize. Likewise, support is offered to public administrations to improve the business environment and facilitate economic growth in the European Union. During the 2014-2020 funding period, this program allocated 2.3 billion euros to support SMEs.

About IED 

The Istituto Europeo di Design is an academic institution that operates in the fields of education, training, and research in the disciplines of design, fashion, visual communication, and management, covering professional, vocational, and business design training. IED has branches across Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Italy (Milan, Rome, and 5 other cities), and Brazil (São Paolo, Rio de Janeiro). It operates across several EU and COSME countries through collaborations and agreements with institutions, business support organizations, professors, experts, and mentors with whom it has established relationships. IED draws on a broad network of connections in the F&T sector specifically for this project, drawing on R&D in the areas of fashion design, product design, interior design, visual arts, communications, and management.

https://iedmadrid.com/

 

About Finnova

FINNOVA is a foundation that works for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at the EU level. With headquarters in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships across EU countries. FINNOVA expertise in leading communication and dissemination activities for EU projects is coupled with strong proven experience in setting up businesses and entrepreneurial support programmes, like accelerators, incubators and selection and award/ceremonial events.

https://web.finnovaregio.org/

 

About Texfor

TEXFOR is the reference textile association in Spain with 400 members. Founded in November 2010 and located in Catalonia, it groups companies of the whole textile value chain, from yarns to fabrics including accessories, finishing processes, printing and dying for the apparel industry, home textiles, and technical/industrial applications. Texfor has specialization and experience, having worked on important EU-level expert committees: University and Vocational Training, Financial capacity building, Cross-Sectoral collaboration, R+D+I promotion, specialized services, and sustainability leadership focused on the circular economy.

https://www.texfor.es/

 

About Circulab

CIRCULAB is a business design lab and studio specialised in developing transformation methodology, tools and programmes to help businesses develop circular and sustainable business models. CIRCULAB has designed a toolkit for implementing Circularity in businesses and operates across +23 countries (9 EU countries), supporting projects through +60 certified independent CE consultants, applying the Circ methodology and tools.

https://circulab.com/ 

 

About The Circular Project co-designed with HumanNation

TCP (The Circular Project) favours and promotes a circular and sustainable fashion in different areas, offering the fashion industry a communication strategy based on a cross-cutting and systemic approach of the circular economy. TCP combines social, ethical, environmental and economic aspects, and has a strong presence and connections in the sustainable fashion world. TCP has promoted the Circular Sustainable Fashion Week Madrid, a one-of-a-kind event, and also serves as HQ for the Spanish Association for the Sustainability, Innovation and Circularity in the Fashion Industry. TCP is also an ambassador of Sannas (Triple Bottom Line Business Association) and has collaborated in a wide array of Spanish, European and Latin American institutions and enterprises.

For this project, The Circular Project works with HumanNation for the co-design and development of the project. HumanNation is a consulting firm specialised in the development of transformative and disruptive ecosystems of innovation and business: the ‘New Economy’. Based on the Fourth Economic Sector, systemic thinking and co-creation, it promotes awareness within organizations and ecosystems to respect planetary boundaries and social fabric, creating resilient economies at the local level, with a global perspective.

https://thecircularproject.com/

https://humannation.earth

 

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Belgian grants to participate in the latest Horizon Europe call for proposals: you haven’t heard of them yet?

Brussels, 01.04.2021-. Finnova Foundation and Startup Europe Awards wanted to lend a hand to all those entrepreneurs with disruptive ideas who wish to participate in the latest Horizon Europe call for proposals, and to do so they have searched for the different grants that Belgium offer for this purpose. But first of all, for those who might not know it… What is Horizon Europe?

Horizon Europe is a €95.5 billion financial instrument (including €5.4 billion Next Generation EU fund) implemented by the European Union in favour of innovation and research and whose aim is to ensure Europe’s global competitiveness. Besides, Horizon Europe is seen as a powerful tool to boost economic growth and job creation and has the political support of European leaders and Members of the Parliament who state that “research and innovation are an investment in our future!

By combining research and innovation, Horizon Europe promotes business growth and employment in a smart, sustainable and inclusive approach, underscoring excellent science, industrial leadership and the social challenges we currently face.

The aim is to ensure that the European Union develop world-class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sector to work together to generate innovation.

Moreover, thanks to its simple structure with reduced bureaucracy, Horizon Europe is open to all and allows participants to concentrate on what is really important, ensuring that new projects get off the ground quickly and achieve results faster.

And now, entrepreneurs, do you want to know what grants Belgium offers SMEs when applying for Horizon Europe?

  1. EIC Accelerator

EIC Accelerator is addressed to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups that are developing disruptive innovation projects and are looking for additional financial support to complete their research and development from the prototype phase to a full commercial product.

This programme aims to identify and support cutting-edge technologies and innovations capable of international scalability. It is open to companies from any EU Member State or an associated country. Projects must have a duration of between 12 and 24 months.

The EIC Accelerator supports SMEs (<250 employees and <50M turnover) through a non-repayable grant of 0.5 to 2.5 million at 70% for the development of their innovative projects, and optionally and additionally, up to 15 million euros of capital investment through the EIC Fund to expand your innovative idea and take it to the international market.

  1. NCP Wallonie – The Horizon Europe subsidy

NCP Wallonie is an incentive for SMEs, universities, colleges and approved research centres located in the Walloon Region to submit European projects. What does it do? It covers the costs linked to the preparation, presentation and negotiation of the project.

The amount changes depending on whether they are SMEs (€3,500) or universities, colleges and research centres (€1,750).

  1. Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship helps, encourages and supports business innovation in Flanders in collaboration with other local actors and with the support of international commitments such as EUREKA, Entreprise European Network and Horizon Europe.

Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship supports companies through grants so they continue to grow, transform and innovate as well as to promote networking among SMEs. There are three types of grants: the growth grant, the innovation grant and the R&D projects grant, all of which addressed to SMEs.

  1. InnovFin – EU Finance for innovators

InnovFin – EU Finance for innovators  is an international Belgium grant to all the member states of the European Union and associates countries to provide funding instruments of research and innovation projects in small and medium businesses.

It offers loans, guarantees and financing from a joint initiative launched by the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund in cooperation with the European Commission. Its main objectives? To facilitate and accelerate access to finance for innovative companies and organisations in the European Union.

  1. Sowalfin

Sowalfin is a grant for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the Walloon Region from which you can access grants and guarantees to cover bank financing, playing a complementary role to the banks and in collaboration with various partners, such as Walloon Invests.

What are you waiting for to apply?

 

About Finnova Foundation

European Foundation for innovation funding. It is a European foundation based in Brussels whose objectives are to promote public-private cooperation through innovation to address social challenges such as employment, training, entrepreneurship, the United Nations SDGs, the circular economy, etc. Finnova organises the Startup Europe Awards, an initiative of the European Commission and the Finnova Foundation, to recognise the best European startups in the social field.

For more information: www.finnova.eu

About Startup Europe Awards

It is a methodology of the European Commission’s DG CONNECT, implemented by the Finnova Foundation since 2016. The SEUAs are an open innovation tool for identifying disruptive startups that promotes public-private collaboration and raises awareness of the importance of self-entrepreneurship as a driver of employment. In addition to generating alliances that help to meet the SDGs of the United Nations and the actions of the European Green Deal, thus contributing to the circular economy, the fight against climate change and sustainable tourism.

For more information: www.startupeuropeawards.eu/seua/

 

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The seventh edition of the Ateneo Startup Europe Accelerator Awards will be presented in #EUGreenWeek

Brussels, 21.10.2020 – Once again, and for the seventh consecutive year, the ‘Ateneo Club de Innovación y Empresa’, thanks to the collaboration with the ‘Fundación Finnova’, the sponsorship of “Caixa Popular” and with the media support of the European Union and Valencia Activa, presents the ‘Ateneo StartUp Europe Accelerator 2020’ award, which will allow a young entrepreneur to promote his or her company in the heart of Europe, and access opportunities for financing, networking, mobility, international communication, and much more!

The StartUp Europe Accelerator 2020 is the first Spanish accelerator developed in the European Union. Its aim is to provide tools to young Spanish people, with a technology-based project in the field of ICT, tourism, renewable energy, water, health or the environment, to learn how to use the resources provided by the EU.

The Ateneo Mercantil of Valencia, through its collaboration agreement with the Finnova Foundation and the organisational coordination work carried out by the Ateneo Club de Innovación y Empresa, a committee belonging to the Ateneo Mercantil of Valencia, will be holding a presentation ceremony of the award this Thursday 22 October at 4.30 pm in the Salón Sorolla, both In-person and online by Zoom.

During the event, a seminar will be held in which various speakers from all over Spain will talk about the “Challenges of industrial ecodesign, rice straw and the circular economy” and where the Finnova Foundation will present the second edition of the Accelerathon Rice Straw.

The Accelerathon is an open innovation programme promoted by the Finnova Foundation within the framework of the European Commission’s Startup Europe Awards, which encourages public-private partnerships and the application of a multidisciplinary approach to the challenges set out in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDAs). This methodology of the Finnova Foundation combines the Hackaton with the principle of acceleration aims to find solutions and European funding through an online system of applied open innovation that brings together different actors in the innovation ecosystem. To this end, a competition is established by teams which are trained to present projects to European Union programmes. The Accelerathon is oriented towards the European Commission’s LIFE Programme and other programmes that support innovation in order to obtain real funding to implement the projects.

During the Accelerathon programme, participants receive training in EU programmes through the Eu Training Platform, the assistance of specialised mentors and the winners are eligible for a Startup Europe Accelerator European Ticket, as well as participation in the Startup Europe Awards.

Startup Europe is an initiative of the European Commission to connect high-tech startups, scaleups, investors, accelerators, corporate networks, universities and media.

The President of the Ateneo Mercantil of Valencia, Carmen De Rosa Torner, will be in charge of opening the event. Afterwards, Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, will speak, followed by the Vice President of the Ateneo Mercantil of Valencia and head of the Ateneo Club de Innovación y Empresa, Ignacio Carrau, who will briefly explain the European Accelerator Awards, their history, content and development details with the deadline and form of project presentation.

The event will be closed by Vicente Gomar, member of the Ateneo Club de Innovación y Empresa, who will thank the speakers and participants, on behalf of the Ateneo Club de Innovación y Empresa and the Ateneo Mercantil of Valencia, by delegation of its President, making a new mention to the expected success of the European Accelerator Award, encouraging the entrepreneurial ecosystem to participate.

European Green Week 2020:

EU Green Week 2020 will take place from 19 to 22 October 2020 and will focus on nature and biodiversity. Following the adoption of a new EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 in May, Green Week will emphasise the contribution that biodiversity can make to society and the economy, and the role it can play in supporting and stimulating global recovery from the pandemic, creating jobs and sustainable development. European Green Week is an event convened by the European Commission’s Directorate-General.

Accelerathon:

Accelerathon is an innovative project acceleration programme promoted by the Finnova Foundation. This methodology of the Finnova Foundation aims to find solutions and funding, through an applied open innovation online system that brings together the innovative ecosystem in the environmental sector, in which the European Commission works in the framework of the LIFE programme.

This will involve training, mentoring, judging and very special prizes including the possibility of the winning project being eligible for validation under the LIFE programme: a project of up to 2 million over three years.

Ateneo Mercantil of Valencia:

The Ateneo Mercantil of Valencia is a cultural institution founded on 23 March 1879 by Estanislao García Monfort. The institution was born to “attend to the cultural and training needs, in his profession, of the employees of the trade”. In its 139 years of life, it has consolidated itself as one of the reference institutions of the Valencian civil society, in cultural, commercial and leisure matters.

Finnova Foundation:

European Foundation for the Financing of Innovation. Based in Brussels, Madrid, Catalonia, the Basque Country, Valencia, Andalusia and the Canary Islands, its objectives are to promote public-private cooperation through innovation to address social challenges such as employment, training, entrepreneurship, the United Nations’ ODS, water, waste, firefighting, the circular economy, etc. 

 

https://form.jotform.com/202895268723364

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LIFE PROGRAMME, CLIMATE ACTION SUB-PROGRAMME​ €74.1 MILLION FOR THE 2020 CALL​ DEADLINE: 6 OCTOBER 2020

For traditional large-scale projects that contribute to the fight against climate change in the areas of mitigation, adaptation and governance and information.

LIFE ClimateAction sub-programme aims specifically to fulfil the following objectives of LIFE programme

  • To contributeto the shift towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy; 
  • To improve the development, implementation and enforcement of Union climate policy and legislation; 
  • To act as a catalystfor, and promote, the integration and mainstreaming of climate objectives into other Union policies and public and private sector practice.

The LIFE Climate Action call for proposals will close on 6 October 2020. Of the €3.4 billion allocated to the LIFE programme, the Climate Action sub-programme has been endowed with a total of €864 million, of which €413 million have been allocated for the 2018-2020 period. 

The LIFE 2020 call for the Climate Action sub-programme has €74.1 million

The co-financing percentage for traditional projects is 55%.

Certain projects or specific actions could directly or indirectly target problems linked with the management of COVID-19 pandemic.

The LIFE Climate Action sub-program encompasses three priority areas:

  • Mitigation of climate change (€35.9 million): renewable energies, energy efficiency, farming, land use, and peatland management.
  • Adaptation to climate change (€30.2 million): resilience to water scarcity, droughts, forest fires or floods, adaptive technologies for economic sectors, and safeguarding natural resources.
  • Governance and information (€8 million): awareness raising, training and capacity building, law compliance and enforcement, knowledge development and stakeholder participation.

Should be used eProposal web application to build and submit the application.

Among the beneficiaries of these funds there are:

  • Public bodies operating under a national government’s authority (e.g. local authorities, national administrations, etc.),
  • Private commercial organisations,
  • Private non-commercial organisations (NGOs etc.).

Important to note, UK applicants and beneficiaries remain eligible to receive LIFE fundsThis applies to existing grants, ongoing procedures and calls for proposals published in 2020 even if the grant is signed after 31 December 2020. 

For more information:

Cristina Tavío | Project Manager at Finnova Foundation

cristina.tavio@finnova.be proptech@finnova.eu 

Tel: +32 492 41 53 39

www.finnovaregio.eu

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Fast track to innovation programme: ACTIONS GRANTS 2020​ €300 MILLION (2018-2020), deadline 27 October 2020

For public bodies or non-profit organisations with legal personality established in a participating country.

Fast Track to Innovation provides funding for bottom-up proposals for close-to-market innovation activities in any area of technology or application. This thematic openness – combined with the possibility for all kinds of innovation actors to work together and deliver innovation onto the market and/or into society – is set to nurture trans – disciplinary and cross – sectoral cooperation.  

The programme has the following objectives:

  • To reduce time from idea to market.
  • To stimulate the participation of first-time applicants to EU research and innovation funding.
  • To increase private sector investment in research and innovation. 

The Programme 2018-2020 has a total budget of €300 million and is derived from the Horizon 2020 priority “Societal Challenges” and the specific objective “Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies (LEITs)”. 

The call will be opened until 27 October 2020. 

As for other innovation actions, EU funding levels are fixed at 70% of the eligible costs. The maximum EU contribution per action amounts to €3 million. Time-to-grant for participants is targeted to be six months at most. 

Proposals must be created and submitted by a representative/contact person of the coordinating organisation.  The proposal itself consists of 2 main parts:

  • Administrative forms (structured information of the basic administrative data, declarations of partners, organisations and contact persons, etc.). 
  • Technical annex, which is the detailed description of the planned research and innovation project outlining work packages, costs, etc.

Actions are to be ‘business-driven’ because they are intended to give breakthrough innovation ideas the last push before shaking up the market. Substantial industry involvement in FTI actions is mandatory to ensure quick market take-up (‘quick’ meaning within a three-year period after the start of the FTI-action). 

For Proposals for funding must be submitted by consortia comprising between three and five legal entities established in at least three different EU Member States or countries associated to Horizon 2020. 

This industry involvement implies, either the allocation of at least 60% of the budget to industry participants in the consortium, or the presence of a minimum number of two industry participants in a consortium of three or four partners, or of three industry participants in a consortium of five partners.

For more information:

Cristina Tavío, Project Manager at Finnova Foundation

cristina.tavio@finnova.be proptech@finnova.eu 

Tel: +32 492 41 53 39

www.finnovaregio.eu 

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Registration is now open for Side Events in the framework of the European Week of the Regions and Cities 2020 (#EURegionsWeek 2020)

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual event in which cities and regions show their ability to créate growth, to implement the cohesion policy of the European Union and to demonstrate the importance of a good European governance at a local and regional level.

Side Events are closely linked to the European Week of the Regions and Cities 2020 due to their proximity in topics, in time (5-9 October 2020, 12- 16 October 2020, 19-22 October 2020) and in formats (digital). Nevertheless, Side Events are not part of the official programme of the European Week of the Regions and Cities

This year, Side Events are going to be distributed among three different periods of time according to their thematic priority:

• 5-9 October 2020: Empowering Citizens.

• 12-16 October 2020: Cohesion and cooperation.

• 19-22 October 2020: Green Europe, in cooperation with the Green Week.

The application form should be filled before 2 September 2020.

How to apply:

Applications must be completed and submitted online in due time. The link between your Side Event and the thematic priority 2020 of your choice must be specified in the application form, so the attractiveness of the event for participants of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 is demonstrated. Submitted applications will be assessed and only a limited number of Side Events will be selected.

Please contact the Finnova Foundation for further information:

  • Lola Bordás, CMO at Finnova cmo@finnova.eu
  • Beatriz Martínez, EU Project Officer and CommunicationOfficer at Finnova beatriz.martinez@finnova.eu

 

 

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FIRST 2020 CALL FOR LARGE SCALE PROJECTS (€450 MILLION)

FIRST DEADLINE: 29 OCTOBER 2020.

SECOND DEADLINE: 23 JUNE 2021.

For large-scale projects requiring more than 7,5 million EUROS.

The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies.  The Innovation Fund is endowed with 450 million euros to which the unallocated funds from the NER 300 Programme will be added. Thus, for the period 2020-2030, the fund could amount to some €10 billion depending on the carbon price.

Applications for the large-scale projects call are divided into two stages: the first is until 29 October 2020 and will be made through the Funding and Tenders Portal; the second one, until 23 June 2021.

The Innovation

Fund aims to finance a varied project pipeline achieving an optimal balance of a wide range of innovative technologies. Among the main objectives of the Innovation Fund are the following:

– To create clean and renewable energy projects in intensive industries.

–  To share economic risks: this grant covers up to 60% of capital and operating costs.

–   To provide support in a flexible way.

–   To simplify the selection process application.

–   To strengthen collaboration with other European projects.

Two informative webinars have been planned. In the first one, held on 14 July 2020the first stage of the application (step by step) was discussed. The second will be held on 15 September 2020 and will deal with GHG emissions avoidance and FAQs.

This call is aimed at large-scale projects (over €7,5 million) in the following sectors:

  • Renewable energies
  • Energy intensive industries, including carbon capture, storage and use (CCU and CSS)
  • Energy storage
  • Substitute products and cross-cutting projects

For more information, please contact The Finnova Foundation:

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Rice Straw Startup Europe Accelerathon will announce its winner on June 30

Rice Straw Startup Europe Accelerathon will announce its winner on June 30

The winning team will choose a grant of up to 2 million euros to develop their project through the Life program of the European Commission.

Brussels, June 26, 2020 – Next Tuesday, June 30 at 5:00 pm, the final and virtual award ceremony of the Rice Straw Startup Europe Accelerathon will take place, organized by the Finnova Foundation and the City Council of Coria del Rio (Seville). The objective of this project is to find innovative solutions that focus the treatment of rice by-products as a resource and not as waste, thus promoting the circular economy.

Throughout these weeks, the five finalist teams have been working and training online on Life+ projects thanks to the experts from the Finnova Foundation. The most innovative ideas have been the following:

  • Rice straw for sustainable construction material;
  • Rice straw for electric power generation;
  • Rice straw as additive for packaging and paper;
  • Rice straw for gas and bioethanol production;
  • Innovative uses of rice husk. 

During the awards ceremony, each team will present their project with an elevator pitch, which will be evaluated by a jury of experts (80%) and also by the public (20%). After the jury’s verdict, the winning team will obtain a European acceleration ticket awarded by Startup Europe Accelerator to present the project on July 14 to the Life program of the DG ENVIRONMENT of the European Commission. Subsequently, the winning project will participate in the Startup Europe Awards and will also be present at the Smart Agrifood Summit to be held in Malaga on September 24 and 25. The latter constitutes an industry leading event for the creation of innovative ecosystems within the European agri-food sector.

Rice Straw Startup Europe Accelerathon has been the first open innovation competition on the circular economy of rice straw. It has been promoted by the Finnova Foundation and the City of Coria del Río (Seville). This initiative is supported by Startup Europe Awards and the DG CONNECT of the European Commission, which allows the winning project to qualify for a grant of up to 2 million euros through the Life program.

Coria del Río

Coria del Río is a town located 12 km from the capital of Seville, located on the banks of the Guadalquivir. With thousands of years of history, this riverside municipality keeps under its streets the remains of important civilizations that settled there, such as the Tartessos, the Romans and the Arabs, who made Coria del Río a place to promote culture, the social development and the economy through services such as livestock, agriculture, and fishing. Over the years, the Corians developed new techniques, promoting riverside carpentry or sturgeon fishing, and it became the only place in Western Europe to have a caviar factory. It is also worth noting the close relationship that this town has with Japan since 1614, when the Keicho Embassy led by the Samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga landed here, which united both cultures and left a legacy that more than 400 years later continues in more than 700 Corians who they have inherited the surname “Japan” from this expedition. Currently, Coria del Río has more than 30,000 inhabitants and a tourist offer that makes thousands of visitors travel to the municipality every year. Tourists are attracted by its gastronomy, its rich landscapes, its history, its festivals, and its peculiar relationship with Japan.

What is the Accelerathon?

Accelerathon is an open innovation program promoted by the Finnova Foundation within the framework of the Startup Europe Awards of the European Commission that encourages public-private collaboration and the application of a multidisciplinary approach to the challenges set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. This methodology of the Finnova Foundation combines the hackathon with the principle of acceleration; It seeks to find solutions and European financing through an online system of applied open innovation that brings together different actors in the innovative ecosystem. The Accelerathon is oriented to the LIFE Program of the European Commission and supports programs that are linked to the fight against COVID-19, legionella, among other common problems.

What is Startup Europe Awards (SEUA)?

It is an initiative of the DG CONNECT of the European Commission implemented by the Finnova Foundation and supported by the European Parliament. The SEUA present a methodology for startup awards at local, regional, national and European level that encourages open innovation and collaboration between the different actors in the European ecosystem through public-private partnership to support entrepreneurs.

Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the European foundation for financing innovation. Its objectives are to promote public-private cooperation by transferring the best low-cost technology solutions available. Its objective is to tackle social challenges such as employment, entrepreneurship, the United Nations SDGs, the circular economy, the recovery of waste, sustainable tourism and the fight against climate change.

The Finnova Foundation promotes green employment, economic recovery and training and youth employment.  http://finnova.eu/

What is Startup Europe Accelerator?

It is a European accelerator specialized in supporting incubation programs for regional, national, and vertical / sector entrepreneurship so that startups have access to the resources offered by the European Union to internationalize their project. Thanks to Startup Europe Accelerator, they can access the market, internationalize, carry out European projects, have mentoring, networks, and have legal defense, legal advice and international communication..

Information of Interest:

www.accelerathon.eu

-Registration to the final web: https://bit.ly/3dBZ5zI

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Vilamarxant launches the first EU open innovation Accelerathon about waste-to-energy

Brussels, 19 June 2020 | A total number of 33 speakers from Panama, Mexico, Greece, Belgium and Spain have participated in the opening session of the Accelerathon Waste-2-Energy. This informative webinar was held on Thursday, 18 June at 17:00 (CEST). It is the first digital open innovation competition on waste-to-energy celebrated in the framework of the Startup Europe.

During this first briefing, we had 44 registered participants who participated live from Spain, Colombia, Italy, Belgium and the United States. The webinar has been reproduced a total of 754 times through Facebook Live and shared 16 times through this platform. So far, it has reached more than 2,000 people.

After the opening webinar, the competition among the various multidisciplinary teams will start. They will rely on experts in LIFE from Finnova who will act as mentors and they will also have online training in LIFE projects. After the final, the selected winner will be eligible for a European acceleration ticket from the Startup Europe Accelerator that will let the team present its project to the LIFE Programme on Environment by July 14.

This is a unique opportunity to access funding of up to €2 million in order to develop a project on waste-to-energy. This programme counts with the institutional support of the European Commission’s DG CONNECT within the framework of Startup Europe and is aimed at officials and policy makers from municipalities, enterprises and public corporations, business associations, institutes of technology, universities and innovative companies with patents. The Accelerathon Waste-2-Energy seeks environmental challenges that can be addressed with the financial and technological boost of the LIFE Programme.

¿Por qué es importante el reto Waste-2-Energy?

Our society is living a transition period towards a greener, more carbon-neutral, circular economy. Although efforts have been made at a national and European level, waste generation is not decreasing. According to the New Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Union, the whole set of economic activities generates up to 2,500 million tons of waste each year.

This is the reason why the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations includes Sustainable Development Goal 7 and 11 that address the issue of waste-to-energy. These SDGs are focused on sustainable consumption and production patterns based on the transformation of non-recyclable waste into energy, such as electricity, steam or hot water, for domestic or industrial purposes.

This joint initiative of Finnova Foundation and the Municipality of Vilamarxant (Valencia) aims to find innovative solutions to transform waste into energy and find innovative solutions focused on significantly limiting the generation of waste. The final objective is to promote the principle of circular economy and to contribute to the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.

Visit our webpage http://accelerathon.eu/waste2energy to find out more information about the Accelerathon Waste-2-Energy and to watch the opening session again. You will also find in the Accelerathon waste-2-energy webpage the registration form. It will be opened until June 23.

About

Accelerathon

The Accelerathon is an open innovation programme promoted by Finnova Foundation within the framework of the European Commission’s Startup Europe Awards that promotes public-private cooperation and the application of a multidisciplinary approach to the challenges set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This methodology from Finnova combines the concept of hackathon with the principle of acceleration. It aims to find European solutions and funding through an applied, online open innovation system that brings together the different actors of the innovative ecosystem. The Accelerathon is oriented to the European Commission’s LIFE Programme and supports programmes linked to the fight against COVID-19 and legionella, among other common problems.

What is Startup Europe Awards (SEUA)?

It is an initiative of DG CONNECT of the European Commission implemented by the Finnova Foundation and supported by the European Parliament. The SEUA presents a methodology of awards for startups at local, regional, national and European level that promotes open innovation and collaboration between the different actors of the European ecosystem through a public-private partnership to support entrepreneurs.

What is Startup Europe Accelerator?

It is a European accelerator specialised in supporting regional, national and vertical/sectorial incubation programmes, so that startups access the resources offered by the European Union to internationalise their projects. Thanks to Startup Europe Accelerator, they can access the market, go international, carry out European projects, have mentoring, do network and lobbying, receive legal advice and develop international communication.

Ajuntament de Vilamarxant

The municipality of Vilamarxant, in collaboration with the Centre d’Emprenedoria i Innovació del Túria (CEI Túria), provides users with access to services and information, like the ones related to the Accelerathon Waste-2-energy.

It has a global perspective concerning projects, institutions and different types of entities that work in the same domain all over the world.

Alongside CEI Túria, Vilamarxant’s main objectives are to support innovation, to extend new technologies to society and to become a regional and international leader in this domain.

http://www.vilamarxant.es

Centre d’Emprenedoria i Innovació del Túria (CEI Túria)

The CEI Túria aims to enhance entrepreneurship and new technologies at a regional and international level. Its main objective is to materialize and experience new ways of living, working, learning and interacting through entrepreneurship and innovation.

· It promotes entrepreneurship, the creation of startups and employment generation.

· It promotes new lines of business activities connected with innovation, new technologies and emerging sectors.

· It creates a community of entrepreneurs where projects and experiences can be shared, and where synergies and alliances with other municipalities can be established for the development of collaborative projects.

· It helps organizations and projects to develop business plans and look for public, private or European funding.

· It contributes to the revitalization of the productive fabric in Vilamarxant, the region of Camp de Túria and neighbouring areas.

El CEI Túria represents an open innovation model where entrepreneurs, creators, the civil society and organizations cooperate in order to create wealth, employment and knowledge for the combat of this new ecosystem’s challenges.

http://ceituria.com

Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the European foundation for innovation funding. Its main goal is to promote the cooperation between public and private sectors through the best low-cost, technological solutions, in order to address social challenges such as employment, entrepreneurship, the SDG of the United Nations, circular economy, waste recovery, sustainable tourism, and the fight against climate change.

Finnova Foundation promotes green employment, economic recovery, and training and employment for the youth. http://finnova.eu/

Contact:

– For any questions, please contact:

Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation. Email: info@finnova.eu.Telephone: +32 475 97 42 77

– Press Head contact details:

Lola Bordás, Head of Communication and Marketing at Finnova Foundation. Email: cmo@finnova.eu. Telephone: +34 619 11 02 66

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Coria del Río opens the first Accelerathon of open innovation regarding circular economy on rice straw

Circular Economy Startup Europe Awards

More than 20 experts have participated in in the opening session of the Rice Accelerathon that started last Tuesday, 16 of June at 17:00 (CEST). This is the first open innovation competition about circular economy on rice straw promoted by the Municipality of Coria del Río (Seville). Its main objective is to find innovative solutions that approeaches the treatment of rice by-products as a resource and not as a waste. This first briefing has brought together about 250 participants live from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Ukraine, Mexico, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Russia and. So far, it has reached more than 5,300 people on social networks with more than 2,200 deferred reproductions. 

According to Modesto González, de Coria del Río: “This way we will be able to turn a problem into an opportunity for environmental and business improvements, and job creation. In addition, thanks to this initiative our locality remains at the forefront of the European Union’s projects related to the dissemination of sustainable activities, allowing us to generate more economy in our municipality.”

The winners of the Rice Accelerathon, organised by Startup Europe Accelerator of Finnova Foundation, will receive an acceleration ticket in order to access funding from the call for proposals of the European Commission’s LIFE 2020 programme. Around €2 million will be allocated per project. The winners will also be present and have visibility at the Smart Agrifood Summit to be held in Malaga on September 24 and 25. This is a leading event in the industry for the creation of innovative ecosystems within the European agri-food sector.

If you want to watch the opening session again, please click on the following link to access the video: https://youtu.be/exuFgU40DGk.

This programme counts with the institutional support of the European Commission DG CONNECT. It is addressed to officials and policy makers of municipalities, companies and public corporations, business associations, institutes of technology, universities, innovative companies with patents or corporations, with environmental challenges that can be solved with the financial and technological boost of the LIFE Programme.

All those who are interested in participating in the Accelerathon can now register filling the following form: https://bit.ly/3dcmZBz.

As an example, in 2019 more than 788,000 tons of rice, as well as rice straw and rice husk, were produced in Spain. When in contact with water, rice straw provokes a decrease of oxygen, rot and it can cause the death of birds and fishes. This is the reason why farmers burn rice straw, releasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Rice husk is also considered as waste that should be eliminated because if not, it tends to accumulate due to its low level of degradability. As a general rule, producers get rid of it thanks to a controlled combustion process that generates as a subproduct rice husk ash. These ashes represent a high percentage of silica that makes it apt for its use in sectors such as the cement industry.

About

Accelerathon

Accelerathon is an acceleration programme for innovative projects fostered by Finnova Foundation. It is also a methodology designed by Finnova that consists of looking for solutions and funding through an applied, online open innovation system that binds together all the actors from the innovative ecosystem.

The Accelerathon also works under the methodology of the LIFE Programme of the European Commission. The challenge follows the SDG of the United Nations and brings support to other programmes related to the fight against COVID-19 and legionella, among others.

What is Startup Europe Awards?

It is an initiative of the DG CONNECT at the European Commission implemented by Finnova Foundation. It counts with the support of the European Parliament, some members of the European Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee.

What is Startup Europe Accelerator?

It consists of a European, second-level acceleration programme specialized in the support of incubation programmes linked to regional and national entrepreneurship. The aim is to help startups access EU resources in order to internationalise their project, and break into the market through European projects, mentoring, networking, lobbying, legal advice and international communication.

Coria del Río

Coria del Río is a city 12 km away from Seville and strategically located besides the Guadalquivir river. This riverside town with thousands of years of history keeps under its streets the remains of important civilizations that settled here, such as Tartessos, Romans and Arabs, who turned Coria del Río into an ideal place for the promotion of culture, social development and economy through services such as livestock farming, agriculture and fishing. Over the years, the Corians had developed new techniques, and boosted riverside carpentry and sturgeon fishery, some things that made it the only place in Western Europe to have a caviar factory. It is also worth noting the close relationship that this town has had with Japan since 1614, when the Keicho Embassy led by the Samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga landed here and united both cultures. He left a legacy that more than 400 years later is still alive in more than 700 Corians who have inherited the surname “Japan” from that expedition. Nowadays, Coria del Río has more than 30,000 inhabitants and a tourist offer that makes thousands of visitors come to the town every year, attracted by its gastronomy, its rich landscape, its history, its festivities or its peculiar relationship with Japan.

Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the European foundation for innovation funding. Its main goal is to promote the cooperation between public and private sectors through the best low-cost, technological solutions, in order to address social challenges such as employment, entrepreneurship, the SDG of the United Nations, circular economy, waste recovery, sustainable tourism, and the fight against climate change.

Contact:

  • For any questions, please contact:

Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation.

Email: info@finnova.eu.Telephone: +32 475 97 42 77

  • Press Head contact details:

Lola Bordás, Head of Communication and Marketing at Finnova Foundation. Email: cmo@finnova.eu. Telephone: +34 619 11 02 66

  • Contact in the Municipality of Coria del Río:

Francisco Javier Sosa, Head of Communication (Municipality of Coria del Río).

Email: comunicacion@coriadelrio.es. Telephone: +34 682 07 27 87

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