S3E Start Program: Bridging the Gap from Lab to Market

S3E is the ultimate program of support for entrepreneurs in Southern Europe developing Deep Tech solutions with social and sustainable impact at their core. Each track is dedicated to three main groups operating within the innovation ecosystem: researchers and TTOs working on a project as a team, startups at their growth stage, and corporates interested in joining forces with scaleups/SMEs.

S3E Start supports research teams and tech transfer offices to bridge the gap from lab to market with a unique and validated Training Program.

S3E Start is also for technology transfer officers that want to learn a thoroughly tested methodology to foster science-based entrepreneurship and technology commercialization.

The starting point of the Program is a technology proposed (in the application form) by each participating research team. Over a period of 18-weeks research teams will have online classes that will help them understand the process required to develop a business case for a product (or service) grounded on the proposed technology (two hours every week), webinars on topics relevant to the development of the business case (one hour every two weeks) and mentoring (hour and a half every two weeks).

In each class a set of deliverables will be provided to the teams that provide the building blocks to assemble the business case. So, overall, S3E Start is a hands-on experience that aims to provide skills to researchers in knowledge commercialization to enable them to:

• link Science & Technology to product and market needs,
• better communicate science to a non-scientific audience,
• evaluate the different paths to move the technology to the market.

What they offer?

S3E Start offers selected researchers and tech transfer offices an 18-weeks hands-on experience that involves:

• Online tutorials, mainly on the topics related to the process used to guide the participating teams in the development of a business case for a product, service, or process grounded on the proposed technology. Note: classes are held every week for one hour and a half.
• Webinars, on diverse topics pertinent to the development of the relevant skills (e.g., intellectual property, financials, business development, venture funding.). Note: a total of eight webinars (one hour long) will be held.
• Mentoring (by industry experts) that will guide the teams on validation of the project and in the development of the business case. The mentors supporting the S3E Start edition are individuals who are somehow connected to the area of deep tech and entrepreneurship, and who are prepared to help teams solve problems that arise throughout the program. Note: meetings with mentors last an hour and a half and are held every two weeks.
• Networking with industry leaders and showcase opportunities at the S3E Open day.
• Deliverables on a weekly basis so research teams can apply the concepts learnt during the online tutorials to their technology. These are expected to require three hours, on average, every week.
• Advisory in the last two weeks of the program to help the research teams fine-tuning their final presentation for the S3E Open Day.
• Pitch Presentations: During the program, the research teams will have three pitches, one at the beginning of the program for them to explain their technology, one in the middle to present the value proposition of the deep tech project and the final pitch at the end of the program at the Open Day.

Outcomes

• The teams will undergo a training program that will have as the visible outcome a business case for a product/service or process concept sustained by the technology proposed.
• The teams will pitch their project, at S3E Open day, to pre-seed stage investors and corporate ventures.

Who can apply?

Research teams are considered eligible for S3E Start Open Call #2 if complying with ALL the following rules:

• Must be organized as a research team (2 to 5 team members), whereby one team member is designated as the Principal Applicant and the others as Co-Applicants. (Note: applications from individual researchers are not eligible).
• The proposed project must envisage to provide an impact in one (or more) SDGs.
• Belonging to R&D organisations from one (or more) of these countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey.
• Technology transfer officers are considered eligible for S3E Start Open Call #2 if complying with ALL the following rules:
  • Must be an individual application supported by a R&D organisation.
  • Have, at least, three years of experience.
  • Belonging to a technology transfer office of a R&D organisation from one of these countries:  Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey.

For more information, visit S3E – Southern European Entrepreneurship Engine Consortium.