Poland has joined the ESA Business Incubation Centre as the 26th member of the network. The objective of the ESA BIC Poland is to create and strengthen the community of successful space-related start-ups in Poland by supporting 35 incubates over 5 years under the ESA BIC scheme.
The ESA BIC Poland will be implemented by the Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu SA and supported regionally by both Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego as well as Fundacja Przedsiębiorczości Technologicznej. The ESA BIC Poland will be based in two locations – Warsaw and Rzeszow. The branch in Warsaw will support 5 start-ups per year and the branch in Rzeszow 2 start-ups per year.
In general, the ESA Business Incubation Centres are the largest network of space incubators in Europe aimed at supporting entrepreneurs with a space-based business idea as well as creating and growing clusters of space-related start-ups across Europe. All the ESA BICs are managed by local champions who connect the ESA BICs to their local industries, universities, research organizations, semi-governments, and investor communities. This makes the ESA BICs very well embedded in the local communities as well as the place of choice for all space-related innovation and business.
The package of services offered through the ESA BIC Incubation to startups during the first two years is the following:
- incentive Funding up to 50 000 EURO for product development and IPR
- technical support up to 80h expert advice
- business development support & mentoring by experts up to 50h
- financial and Administrative support (office space)
- legal consulting up to 10h
- the right to use the ESA BIC brand
- access to the international network of the ESA BICs community.
To be accepted for incubation in the ESA BIC, the applicant must present a business idea with a valid space connection. The principle for assessment is based on the main characteristics of a valid space connection. The principle should work for the majority of business ideas expected to be proposed to an ESA BIC. However, as innovations tend to lead to new types of technologies and applications that fall outside the range of commonly proposed ideas, more information can be needed at a later stage. Details on the space connection assessment can be found in the Permanent Open Call Package.
More information about the OPEN CALL soon will be available on the website www.esabic.pl.
For more information, please contact the ESA BIC Poland office:
e-mail: office@esabic.pl,
+48 885 608 260,
+48 22 695 3674.