Apply Now – SOUTH3E

S3E REVERSE FOR SOLVERS

Apply via F6S before 15 May 2023

Download here the Open Call Documents

Open call text and Guidelines for Applicants

About S3E REVERSE

S3E Reserve is designed to help scaling start-ups and more mature SMEs, gain market traction through a pan-European brokerage program, that will connect them with corporates and public organisations with certain challenges and problems, which they can work together to solve.

The program started inviting larger companies, corporations, and public organisations (Challenge Organisations) to submit a challenge through our Open Call Mechanism. Our experts and independent technology brokers (selected through an open Expression of Interest) have reviewed the submitted challenges and have selected 15 with the highest degree of potential, impact and innovation and feasibility.

The challenges are published here.

The Open Call for Solvers to address these challenges will stay open till May 15 but it will work on a first come-first served basis, so if our experts and technology brokers identify a good match between a challenge organisation and a solution provider they will start the brokerage, bringing together the 2 parties and establishing a collaboration.

Who can apply to S3E REVERSE?

Scaling Start-ups and SMEs with deep tech projects and solutions from all Southern Europe, meeting the following criteria:

Is established in any country of the Southern European science-based innovation ecosystem is eligible for the Horizon Europe program including associated countries*.
Is capable of addressing a challenge that has been submitted as part of the conducted open call for Challenges and which is related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Can justify the development and / or deployment of a Deep Tech solution.

(*For the scope of S3E, Southern European countries include the following European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. And the following Associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Turkey.)

What we offer?

Scaling Start-ups and SMEs with deep tech projects and solutions from all Southern Europe

A fully customized programme that can contain one or more of the following services based on the needs of the company. This programme will provide the scope and the effort that will be offered to the company.

Mentoring (Business & Innovation experts) based on an Assessment of the company that will help the scale-up identify any weak points of problems in their growth scale. The mentors supporting the S3E Reserve edition are individuals who are somehow connected to the area of deep tech and entrepreneurship, and who are prepared to help the scale-ups solve problems that arise throughout the program. You can see an updated list of mentors on the S3E website (https://south3e.eu).
Coaching (Sustainability experts) will support the company in identifying business cases and potential applications based on their portfolio that could provide solutions to address sustainability challenges related to the UN SDG of the call.
Training in public procurement, including Pre-Commercial Procurement and Public Procurement for Innovative solutions (PPIs) that will help scale-ups access bigger projects and clients
Masterclasses with established experts in their field in topics such as ESG compliance, leadership, onboarding new personnel, customer acquisition, company culture).
Networking with industry leaders and showcase opportunities at the S3E Open day.
Technology Brokerage: our technology brokers will help the SMEs and startups prepare their technical offer and match them with the challenge organisations in need.
Innovation Readiness Assessment: a Self-assessment of the solver that will help the company identify weak points or problems in their growth. Our Technology brokers can then suggest specific actions that can help the solver improve their operations.

It is important to note that the approach used in the programme will be highly iterative and customised; in the sense that as the tech brokers amass information from the challenge organisations, they will iterate back to the challenge solvers to formulate and adapt their offerings. The role of the tech brokers is crucial in this iterative process in forcing the scaling startups to consider additions, adaptations or even pivots to their portfolio of solutions. At the end of the programme there will be an Open Day on the 20th of July 2023.

Timeline

Open call for Solvers: 14th of March 2023, 12.00 pm CET.

Call for Solvers closed: 15 May 2023 at 5:00 pm CET

As already mentioned, the matching process between the challenge organisations and solution providers will be on a first come – first serve basis, so the faster you submit your proposal the more chances you have to be selected for a suitable match.

The solution proposals from scale-ups and SMEs will be evaluated by independent experts and the selected companies will be invited for an interview by our deep tech technology brokers.

Following the final selection interview the technology brokers will work with the selected scale-ups and SMEs to match the submitted challenges with the proposed solutions.

How to apply?

The Solver Organisation will be invited to submit a simple and quick application to present the proposed solution to any of the submitted challenges of the previous phase. The application will be submitted through the F6S platform and is available at: https://www.f6s.com/s3e-reverse-for-solvers/apply

Read carefully the following document before submitting your application:

Guidelines for Applicants (download PDF)

F6S application form

Helpdesk

Check the FAQs page to see if your questions have been already answered. If not, contact us using this Helpdesk

During the Open Call period, S3E project will host several webinars to inform about the possibilities to participate in the S3E START, S3E CHARGE and S3E REVERSE programs and solve all existing doubts that applicants may have during the submission process.

If you are planning to APPLY to any of our OPEN CALLS, do not hesitate to join our next webinar!

S3E REVERSE Info Session

To be announced.

S3E REVERSE FOR CHALLENGE ORGANISATIONS

Application CLOSED the 10^th February at 17.00 CET

Stay tuned for the Open Call #2, after summer 2023!

S3E REVERSE for Challengers

Download here the Open Call Documents

Open call text and Guidelines for Applicants

About S3E REVERSE

S3E Reserve is designed to help scaling start-ups and more mature SMEs, gain market traction through a pan-European brokerage program, that will connect them with corporates with certain challenges and problems, which they can work together to solve.

The program, will start with inviting larger companies, corporations, and public organisations (Challenge Organisations) to submit a challenge through our Open Call Mechanism. The procedure is easy and straightforward and will not take more than a few minutes. Our experts and independent technology brokers (selected through an open Expression of Interest) will review the submitted challenges and select those with the highest degree of potential, impact and innovation and feasibility.

The challenges will be published to our website and an Open Call for scaling mature startups will be announced to select the most innovative and promising SMEs that will work closely with the big companies to address these challenges.

During the program, selected experts and technology brokers will facilitate the process and support both the Challenge Organisations to define their specifications and frame their requirements and the solvers. The SMEs and scaling start-ups that will design solutions to address these challenges.

The starting point of the Reverse Program are challenges and problems that Challenge Organisations face in complying with the UN SDG and creating a more sustainable business. Our Technology Brokers will formulate these challenges into specific problems, translating the requirements of the corporates into precise specifications with which the scale-ups can work.

In addition, the selected SMEs and Scale-ups (The Solvers) can benefit from our online training programme designed specifically for them and the coaching and technology brokerage services they will receive.

Who can apply to S3E START?

Challenge Organisations

Big companies, SMEs, corporates and public organisations that have one or more challenges to contribute.

Any kind of public or private organisation can participate as long as it meets the following criteria:

Is established in any country eligible for the Horizon Europe program including associated countries.
Facing a challenge related to the economic and social impact Sustainable Development Goals.

Scaling Start-ups with deep tech projects from all Southern Europe

The call for Challenge Solvers (Sclae-ups and SMEs will be published in 2023.

With at least 2 years of operations.
Established in any country eligible for the Horizon Europe program including associated countries.

For the scope of S3E, Southern European countries include the following European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. And the following Associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Turkey.)

What we offer?

Challenge Organisations

Direct access to innovative companies that could potentially help them address their problems and challenges
Technology Brokerage: One-to-one Technology brokerage sessions with a tech broker that will evaluate the challenges identified and match them with one or more scale-ups to work on the challenge. Our Tech brokers will support this process helping the organisations formulate their problems and linking them with scale-ups that could provide a solution.
Training in public procurement, including Pre-Commercial Procurement and Public Procurement for Innovative solutions (PPIs) that will introduce them to innovation procurement principles

Scaling Start-ups and SMEs with deep tech projects and solutions from all Southern Europe

A fully customized programme that can contain one or more of the following services based on the needs of the company. This programme will provide the scope and the effort that will be offered to the company.

Mentoring (Business & Innovation experts) based on an Assessment of the company that will help the scale-up identify any weak points of problems in their growth scale. The mentors supporting the S3E Reserve edition are individuals who are somehow connected to the area of deep tech and entrepreneurship, and who are prepared to help the scale-ups solve problems that arise throughout the program. You can see an updated list of mentors on the S3E website (https://south3e.eu).
Coaching (Sustainability experts) will support the company in identifying business cases and potential applications based on their portfolio that could provide solutions to address sustainability challenges related to the UN SDG of the call.
Training in public procurement, including Pre-Commercial Procurement and Public Procurement for Innovative solutions (PPIs) that will help scale-ups access bigger projects and clients
Masterclasses with established experts in their field in topics such as ESG compliance, leadership, onboarding new personnel, customer acquisition, company culture).
Networking with industry leaders and showcase opportunities at the S3E Open day.
Technology Brokerage: our technology brokers will help the SMEs and startups prepare their technical offer and match them with the challenge organisations in need.

It is important to note that the approach used in the programme will be highly iterative and customised; in the sense that as the tech brokers amass information from the challenge organisations, they will iterate back to the challenge solvers to formulate and adapt their offerings. The role of the tech brokers is crucial in this iterative process in forcing the scaling startups to consider additions, adaptations or even pivots to their portfolio of solutions. At the end of the programme there will be an Open Day on the 20th of July 2023.

Timeline

Open call for Challenge Organisations: 7th of November 2022 (12:00 CET)

Call for Challenge Organisations closed: 10th of February 2023 (17:00 CET)

Evaluation committee: 13/02/2023 – 7/03/2023

Open call for Challenge Solvers (start-ups): 14th of March 2023 (12:00 CET)

Call for Challenge Solvers closed: 15th of May 2023 (17:00 CET)

Start of Brokerage Programme Delivery: 1st of June 2023

How to apply?

For the proposal preparation, the applicants are requested to apply online in the F6S platform and answer to all mandatory questions.

Be concrete and concise. Please examine all the Open Call documents and attend the various events promoted by the S3E project, that will be made available at https://south3e.eu/apply-now

Read carefully the following document before submitting your application:

Open call text and Guidelines for Applicants (download PDF)

Helpdesk

Check the FAQs page to see if your questions have been already answered. If not, contact us using this Helpdesk

S3E CHARGE FOR GROWTH START-UPS

Application CLOSED the 10^th February at 17.00 CET

Stay tuned for the Open Call #2, after summer 2023!

S3E CHARGE for growth start-ups

Download here the Open Call Documents

Open call text and Guidelines for Applicants

About S3E CHARGE

S3E Charge is designed for growth start-ups with deep tech products, services, or process concepts, grounded in a scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation and at a growth development stage, that are already in the market.

S3E Start is a 14-week tailor-made mentoring and networking program that aims to provide skills to growth start-ups to enable them to:

link the product/service/process product with market needs,
better communicate their offerings to potential clients and investors,
become market ready to pitch, persuade and readapt the business offerings to different audiences, depending on market needs
connect to ‘Innovation Leaders’ and ‘Strong Innovators’ Ecosystems
better understand to protect IP
prepare an investment ready business plan
get access to funds and funding

S3E Charge will facilitate growth start-ups to be better aligned with Horizon Europe’s goals, namely by better positioning them to apply for public or private funding and programs, assisting them in linking their business offerings to market needs and becoming market ready to pitch and attract investments whilst having validated and honed their business plan and value proposition.

The participating teams in S3E Start will be supported in the development of:

a business plan for a product, service or process and
an investment-ready pitch presentation of the product (or service) concept that enables to quickly communicate the business case.

Who can apply to S3E START?

Growth start-ups with deep tech products, services, or process concepts, grounded in a scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation and at a growth development stage, that are already in the market, from all Southern Europe.

For the scope of S3E, Southern European countries include the following European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. And the following Associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Turkey.

What we offer?

S3E CHARGE offers a 14-week tailor-made mentoring and networking program that involves:

Mentoring (by pan-European industry experts) that will guide each growth start-up through the validation of the project, the development of the investment-ready business plan and the investment process. The mentors supporting the S3E Charge edition are individuals who are connected to deep tech and entrepreneurship, and who are prepared to help start-ups solve problems that arise throughout the program. You can see an updated list of mentors on the S3E website (https://south3e.eu). Note: meetings with mentors last 1,5 hours and are held every two weeks (7 meetings in total).
Networking with industry leaders and investors and showcase opportunities at the S3E Open day in which the teams will give a 7-minute pitch followed by a 10-minute Q&A period to investors. Post Open Day the project will have a mechanism to facilitate one-on-one meetings between investors and start-ups.

It is also important to mention that:

The teams will undergo a mentoring program that will have as the visible outcome an investment ready business plan
The teams will pitch their project, at S3E Open day, to investors and corporate ventures.
Non-dilutable funding opportunities (both national and / or European) will be permanently scouted and posted on the project web site and mentors will also provide support for the start-ups to apply to these

Timeline

Open call: 7th of November 2022 (12:00 CET)

Call closed: 10th of February 2023 (17:00 CET)

Roadshow rollout: 07/11/2022 – 07/02/2023

Evaluation committee interviews: 13/02/2023 – 24/02/2023

Screening results announcement: 24th of March /2023

Training delivery: 10/04/2023 – 19/07/2023

Open Day: 20th of July 2023

How to apply?

For the proposal preparation, the applicants are requested to apply online in the F6S platform and answer to all mandatory questions.

Be concrete and concise. Please examine all the Open Call documents and attend the various events promoted by the S3E project, that will be made available at https://south3e.eu/apply-now

Read carefully the following document before submitting your application:

Open call text and Guidelines for Applicants (download PDF)

Helpdesk

Check the FAQs page to see if your questions have been already answered. If not, contact us using this Helpdesk

S3E START FOR RESEARCH TEAMS AND TECH TRANSFER OFFICES

Application CLOSED the 10^th February at 17.00 CET

Stay tuned for the Open Call #2, after summer 2023!

S3E START for researchers
S3E START for tech transfer offices

Open Call Documents

Open call text and Guidelines for Applicants

About S3E START

S3E Start is for research teams with deep tech projects, grounded in a scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation and in any stage of development, that want to explore the path from the lab to the market.

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.

Technology transfer officers will participate by joining a team and will learn the Program methodology through the same hands-on approach.

Who can apply to S3E START?

Research teams are considered eligible for S3E Start Open Call #1 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).
Have a deep tech project from the following science fields: agricultural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, and natural sciences. Please check the full categories here.
The proposed project must envisage to provide an impact in one (or more) SDGs.
Belonging to R&D organization from one (or more) of these countries: Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Kosovo and Albania.

Technology transfer officers are considered eligible for S3E Start Open Call #1 if complying with ALL the following rules:

Must be an individual application supported by a R&D organisation.
Belong to a technology transfer office of a R&D organization from one of these countries: Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Albania.

What we offer?

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

Online classes, 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.
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 six webinars (one hours long) will be held.
Mentoring (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. You can see an updated list of mentors on the S3E website (https://south3e.eu). Note: meetings with mentors last 1,5 hours and are held every two weeks.
Networking with industry leaders and showcase opportunities at the S3E 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.

Timeline

Call opening: 7th of November 2022 (12:00 CET)

Call deadline: 10th of February 2023 (17:00 CET)

Roadshow rollout: 07/11/2022 – 07/02/2023

Evaluation committee interviews: 13/02/2023 – 27/02/2023

Results announcement: 7th of March 2023

Program starting day: 21th of March 2023

Program closing day / Open Day: 20th of July 2023

How to apply?

For the proposal preparation, the applicants are requested to apply online in the F6S platform and answer to all mandatory questions.

Be concrete and concise. Please examine all the Open Call documents and attend the various events promoted by the S3E project, that will be made available at https://south3e.eu/apply-now

Read carefully the following document before submitting your application:

Open call text and Guidelines for Applicants (download PDF)

Helpdesk

Check the FAQs page to see if your questions have been already answered. If not, contact us using this Helpdesk

The open call for scale-ups and SMEs to solve the Challenges identified by corporates and public entities will be available on 14th of March 2023 (12:00 CET).

Click here to keep up to date.

WE ARE LOOKINGFOR YOU

open call #1 will close in

OPEN CALL #1 for SOLVERS is available!

Check our challenges and submit your deep tech solution!

Are you a researcher, start-up, scale-up or SME from a southern European country?Do you have a deep tech idea and want to bridge the gap from lab to market?

Target countries

Open Call Topic

WHO CAN APPLY?

What’s in it for you?

25 available spots for research teams and 20 for Tech Transfer Offices

Application Kit

What’s in it for you?

30 available spots for growth startups

Application Kit

What’s in it for you?

15 corporate challenges and 60 available spots for scaleups

Application Kit

APPLY NOW!

S3e startfor researchers

S3e startfor tech transfer offices

S3e chargefor start-ups

S3e reversefor solvers(Scaleups & SMEs)

S3e reversefor corporates and public entities

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

S3E HELPDESK

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The team behind the idea

Subscribe to our newsletter