StartUp Europe Awards is an initiative of the European Commission, together with Finnova Foundation, which presents a methodology to encourage open innovation and collaboration between the different actors of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In addition, “it aims to accelerate startups with funds from the European Union (SME instrument up to 2.5 million euros), as well as offering legal advice, networking, international communication, among other benefits” states Juanma Revuelta CEO of Finnova Foundation. StartUp Europe Awards is also a tool to improve the awareness and communication of entrepreneurship values.

StartUp Europe Awards is promoted by the European Commission and supported by the President of the Committee of the Regions, several members of the European Parliament as Ambassador and it is implemented by Finnova Foundation in collaboration with StartUp Europe.

However, StartUp Europe Awards Country Managers are as important as other pieces in this puzzle. At this moment, StartUp Europe Awards has 18 country Manager:

 

Digital African Woman is the responsible for Belgium. They are a social enterprise dedicated to the innovation and support for female-led tech business ideation. The Digital African Woman provides our best Master trainers to help startups develop their product and identify investor. We provide the opportunities for these women-led businesses to move from pitching their ideas to pitching a product.

Cleantech Bulgaria supports sustainable development, introduction and integration of clean technologies and innovative products, service and solutions in the businesses. The organization is active in different social and economic fields, including business, education, science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

In Croacia, Bussiness School PAR is the Croatian Country Manager. They desire to make a change, education as an answer to a need for knowledge and care for the future generations. PAR has become known as an innovative international educational center, professional conference on leadership, the first higher education institution with an entrepreneurial incubator for students and the first sports academy, etc.

SockSeed is the responsible for Cyprus, they journey start from the very beginning of the idea development stage all the way you the idea launching strategies stage. Their platform is checkpoints pushes you to constantly test your theories with your potential customers an correct them according to your market need. SockSeed platform automatically generates all the essential documents and materials needed for a startup; material like presentation decks and scripts, interview templates, experimental landing pages, online surveys and many more.

In Greece, iED is the country manager, they begun by managing projects in the “Youth in Action” and “Leonardo da Vinci” frameworks and since then, we have been planning, submitting and materializing a great deal of projects in the following programmes as Erasmus +, Interreg or Europe for Citizens. The vision of iED is the facilitation of all the necessary precondition required for the creation of an environment that will cultivate entrepreneurship and subsequently, social and economic cohesion and development.

StarBoost in Italy is responsible of discovering, supporting and valorising potential entrepreneurs of diverse professional skills with the aim of creating team works capable of forming new online global and scalable businesses.

The Innovation Centre Kosovo (ICK) is a centre whose aim is to connect research and development component of scientific field with the business sector, focusing on creating new job opportunities oriented towards the future, based on knowledge and new technology. ICK was founded to support entrepreneurship, innovation and commercially based business development, with a focus on information and communication technology. The centre supports both start-ups and existing companies with the potential for growth.

Latvia counts with the Digital Communication Network, an international association connecting professionals of the digital age from a variety of backgrounds, in order to generate ideas, tools and products for media outlets, civil society organizations, businesses and public authorities.

Startup Grind in Luxembourg is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring and connecting 1.000.000 entrepreneurs in over 250 cities. It nurtures startup ecosystems in 105 countries through events, media and partnerships with organisations like Google for entrepreneurs. This global community holds monthly events featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share lessons learned on the road to building great companies.

In November 2009, the Macedonian National Centre for Development of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Learning (NCRIPU) was established with the financial support of Austria Development Cooperation (ADC). The centre is being developed by the recommendations of the South-European Cooperation project for Innovation and Finance Agencies. They strive to strengthen the capacities for the effective performance of innovative, technological, and financial support to micro, small and medium companies.

NCRIPU is designed and centre open to innovative ideas, based on technology and profit oriented. Their mission is the promotion, support and development of innovations and entrepreneurial learning to reduce the unemployment trough the creation of innovative business and strengthen the SME sector in The Republic of Macedonia.

The Foundation for the Nations in Poland is an initiative by the Youth for Christ to draw together suitable YFC projects from around the world to with those who have to financial capacity to make them happen.  The motto is “Wealth into Worth for the World”, to make informed decisions about safe giving destinations for their hard-earned money.

Fábrica de Startups the Portuguese country manager´s mission is to help people become successful entrepreneurs. Using their methodology they help them identifying business ideas, creating teams, designing their business model, finding customers and in the launching of the company.

For Startup Ireland, the country manager in Ireland, the challenge is that Ireland needs more people with the ambition, drive and skills to found and grow innovative, high potential startups. Their startups and scaleups need more: skilled employees; senior managers with experience of driving young companies to very significant scale, mentors and advisors.

For Spain, Finnova is the responsable. Finnova is the European Foundation for founding of innovation in entreprises, regions and municipalities. Its main objetives are sustainable development, the environment, renewable energy, information technology and tourism.

Risky Business is the responsable for Rumania. They don’t just invest and help build startups, they build entrepreneurs. Their program is a life-changing learning experience that challenges you to go beyond what you believed was possible. An entrepreneur isn’t somebody who just makes money, it is someone who wakes up every day and says.