EU-LAC Digital Accelerator: Boosting Partnerships Between Start-ups and Corporates

Its focus areas include developing partnerships between large corporations and start-ups or innovative SMEs, supporting business opportunities with tailored services, fostering cross-regional collaboration, and facilitating the creation of proof-of-concepts, roadmaps, business strategies, and scaling plans.

The accelerator functions as a multi-sided platform connecting business opportunities identified by large corporations with solutions proposed by start-ups and innovative SMEs. By supporting partnerships, it aims to jointly address business challenges while providing services valued up to €30,000, or up to €40,000 when Caribbean partners are involved. The programme is structured in four phases: Road mapping, which helps define customized plans and services; Proof-of-concept, to mitigate risks before scaling solutions; Business Case, to develop strategies for building international businesses; and Investment & Scaling, to assess readiness for expansion and investment. Additionally, €10,500 in grants are now available for start-ups to execute their proof-of-concepts with corporate partners.

Eligible participants include start-ups and innovative SMEs with headcounts ranging from 2 to 250 employees, annual turnovers between €50,000 and €50 million, and core businesses focused on the development or integration of digital technologies. Corporates must have more than 50 employees, an annual turnover exceeding €10 million, a digital challenge requiring technological implementation, and the ability to provide resources such as funding, infrastructure, distribution networks, or expert support. Partnerships must involve members from at least two of the eligible geographical regions, which include all 27 EU member states, 33 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, and must declare any pre-existing collaborations.

All applications must be submitted through the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator online platform, adhering to the Open Call Application Guidelines and terms and conditions. Companies can participate in a maximum of two acceleration processes with different partners, and only one application per partnership is allowed. This initiative is led by TECNALIA alongside prominent international institutions including IESE Business School, WAYRA-Telefónica, the European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN), the European Business Angels Network (EBAN), Expertise France, OCTANTIS TECNALIA GROUP, Inter-American Development Bank IDB-Lab, TECNALIA-Colombia, and Caribbean Export.

For more information, visit EC.