Submissions open for Zinemaldia Startup Challenge

Zinemaldia Startup Challenge is a European competition promoted by the San Sebastian Film Festival in collaboration with the Basque Government Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, and the SPRI-Business Development Agency of the Basque Government.

As part of the activity ‘Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech’ promoted by the Ministry of Culture, through the the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service, and ICEX Spain Trade and Investment-, a specific competition for Spanish entrepreneurs and startups will be held.

Objectives

• Both competitions seek to foster and recognise new business projects in the field of innovative technology applied to the audiovisual sector. The initiative therefore has the following objectives:
  • To foster new entrepreneurial projects in the audiovisual field.
  • To support the development in the Basque Country of new initiatives by means of providing economic resources and services of expert advice on how to create and manage a business.
  • To promote modernisation of the audiovisual sector by means of incorporating new technologies.

Funding Information

• The winning business projects in the European competition will receive an award of 10,000 euros gross.
• Likewise, the winning business projects in the Spanish competition will receive an award of 10,000 euros gross.
• In addition, a special mention of 3,000 euros gross, recognising the entrepreneurial values of one of the ten selected projects will be awarded.
• Furthermore, the 10 finalist projects will receive the following:
  • Access to the Festival events and activities.
  • Accommodation for 3 nights plus travel costs for one representative per project.
  • Possibility of free access to an incubation space during the first year of their visit, at one of the BICS belonging to the Basque Technology Park Network.
  • Possibility of access to funding of up to 500,000 euros to develop their project (up to €60,000 non-recoverable) thanks to subsidies managed by the Basque BIC Network, and articulated by the Basque Government Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment, through the SPRI, and the Provincial Councils

Eligibility Criteria

• Entrepreneurs
  • Entrepreneurs must:
    • Be older than 18 years on 31/12/2024.
    • Have their legal residence in a European country.
    • Consider developing and setting their project in motion in the Basque Autonomous Community.
• Startups proposing the use of new technologies applied to the audiovisual field
  • Startups must:
    • Have been constituted after 31/12/2019 in a European country.
    • Consider developing and setting their project in motion in the Basque Autonomous Community.

Evaluation Process

• The submitted projects will be evaluated by an expert committee of professionals from the Basque BIC-Business Innovation Centres, Tecnalia and Vicomtech, which will pre-select a maximum of 10 finalist projects: 5 projects will compete at the European competition and 5 at the Spanish one.
• The submissions rejected for the next stage will be informed of the decision by means of the email address provided on the application.
• The 10 finalist projects will be evaluated by a jury, depending on the level in which they compete, made up of professionals of recognised prestige in the audiovisual, technological and business fields during a pitching session.
• The presentations will take place as part of the event Zinemaldia & Technology. The projects can be presented in Spanish, Basque or English.

For more information, visit SSIFF.