Eastern Business Accelerator 2

Project title: Eastern Business Accelerator 2

European Funds for Eastern Poland 2021-2027

Priority FEPW.01 Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Action: Startup Platforms for New Ideas

Component I: Incubation – development of a new business idea

Agreement number: FEPW.01.01-IP.01-0007/23

Project implementation period: 01.01.2024 - 31.05.2027

Leader: Puławski Park Naukowo-Technologiczny Sp. z o.o. 

Partner: Lublin University of Technology

Project value: 25 204 670,00 PLN

Funds granted for Lublin University of Technology: 4 087 484,09 PLN

Abstract: The aim of the project is to incubate 200 startups through a comprehensive support program aimed at transforming business ideas into products, adapting them to market conditions and developing profitable business models. Incubation will be based on the Lean Startup and Design Thinking methods, ensuring the creation of products based on real, confirmed customer needs and continuous testing of business hypotheses in Build-Measure-Learn loops. The project will result in an increase in the number of innovative enterprises, building and promoting a startup ecosystem. The Puławy Science and Technology Park will be responsible for managing the platform (as Animator) with the support of 7 partner entities, including the Lublin University of Technology. The ecosystem will be created by entities such as: universities, capital funds, business environment institutions and enterprises. The entities will take actions to spread the culture of entrepreneurship and support entrepreneurs. A special role of ecosystem companies is to cooperate with startups in testing value propositions and MVPs.

Lublin University of Technology, as a project partner, will be involved in the formal and final assessment of start-up applications. The university will provide specialized consulting services in the areas of: sales strategy, pricing strategy, innovation and competitor analysis, elements of marketing strategy, technology consultations, laboratory services/tests/research, marketing research, needs research with segmentation, testing of value propositions - development of test methodology , protection of intellectual property, research on customer needs - consultations on research tools (discipline of management and quality science) and, as needed, provide technological consultations in the following disciplines: mechanical engineering, automation, electronics, electrical engineering and space technologies, technical information technology and telecommunications , architecture and urban planning, civil engineering, geodesy and transport, environmental engineering, mining and energy.

During the incubation program lasting a maximum of 6 months, startups will develop a business model and MVP using a wide package of basic services (including work space, accounting services, legal and tax services and basic marketing support), specialized (including refining business models, research and experiments regarding idea verification, financing possibilities) and using funds from the grant. The implementation of the launch platform will have a positive impact on increasing the level of knowledge among enterprising people in the area of the process of building and developing their own, innovative company. It will allow them to gain knowledge about the investment process and establish valuable contacts that may result in business cooperation in the future.