This action aims to help Greek innovation businesses and start-ups to create innovative business solutions based on Copernicus. The provision of this activity will be mostly in one-on-one level and tailored to the needs of the companies served.

PRAXI will provide business acceleration services to a selected number of 8 companies (5 Greek and 3 companies from abroad), seriously interested and competitive enough to create innovative business solutions based on Copernicus data & services. The companies will be selected according to a set of criteria to be defined in the beginning of the activity and will aligned with: business and technological innovation, impact of the proposed solution, ability and skill of the implementation skills. Each company will submit a 10-page business plan (application) after an open call.

The business plans will be evaluated by PRAXI and NOA. After the evaluation of the proposals the companies will receive a full coaching package of one month, which will include:

• Advanced technical training for the use of Copernicus based on their needs (by NOA)
• Managerial capacity building (by PRAXI Network)
• Knowledge transfer between the research/academic communities and the company (facilitated by PRAXI Network)
• Assessment of the innovation management capacity of the company (by PRAXI Network)
• Consultation for the funding opportunities offered in national & EU level. PRAXI will provide support and assistance of the funding applications suitable to the company. PRAXI and NOA will provide information about the national opportunities and funding tools (national programmes such as ELIDEK, etc).
• Preparation of the company to meet investors (business plan, lessons about the meeting, by PRAXI Network).
• Facilitate R&D activities for the development of innovative commercial downstream applications through the connection with suitable partnerships (PRAXI & NOA)
• Technology transfer with suitable partners (PRAXI)
• Matching skills with user needs, preparation of matching profile (PRAXI)
• Advisory services in all stages of development (PRAXI)
• Business intelligence & information on the market opportunities (PRAXI)
• Lifting administrative & legal barriers by providing proper guidance and consultation (PRAXI)
• Support in IPR. Creation, protection, expansion phases are included (PRAXI)
• Guidance on expansion to new markets (PRAXI)
• Guidance on scale-up/start-up activities (PRAXI)

Outputs and Results

It is expected that among the 8 companies received acceleration services, 2 of them will introduce a solution to the market.