European Project FU-TOURISM Launches Pre-Call for SME Acceleration Programme
The European project opens the pre-call for its “FU-TOURISM Acceleration Programme”. This programme presents an opportunity to boost SMEs from Greece, Poland, Spain, Croatia, Belgium, and Austria through funding, specialized guidance, and business consultancy by industry experts. The programme will select 60 SMEs (10 per participating country) active or willing to engage in sustainable, ecological, and digital tourism, operating within the tourism sector or related sub-sectors. Selected SMEs will benefit from a comprehensive 5-month programme combining funding and learning, with each receiving direct support of 20,000 euros. Additionally, they will gain access to supplementary business consultancy services, including online workshops on business models, mentorship in sustainable tourism development, transnational networking webinars, and other benefits provided by consortium members. This pre-call phase precedes the official call launching next September. We invite all SMEs from Spain, Greece, Poland, Croatia, Belgium, and Austria actively involved or aspiring to lead in sustainable, ecological, and digital tourism to pre-register now to stay informed about launch dates and application requirements. With funding of 4 million euros from the Single Market Programme (formerly COSME), the European project FU-TOURISM aims to support the ecological and digital transition of European tourism SMEs. By establishing a network of business support organizations across six European countries (Croatia, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Poland, and Austria), FU-TOURISM provides funding and specialized knowledge to 102 SME projects aspiring to transform their tourism practices. The “FU-TOURISM Acceleration Programme” is the first of two acceleration programmes planned by the project. The second programme, scheduled for launch in 2025, will provide support to 42 SME consortia, each receiving funding of 30,000 euros. To learn more about FU-TOURISM, subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on social media:
Emprende TVE reports on the upcoming launch of the Acceleration Programme of the European project FU-TOURISM
The CEO of the Finnova Foundation, Juanma Revuelta, reports on TVE about the European project FU-TOURISM, a 4 million euros project to accelerate 62 startups and 40 scaleups, which aims to support innovative SMEs for tourism in Greece, Poland, Spain, Croatia, Belgium and Austria. The aim of the acceleration programme, which will be officially launched on 27 September, is to select and fund the best innovative ideas in sustainability and digitalisation in the tourism sector in these countries through a 5-month blended programme of funding and learning support. The 102 selected SMEs will receive 20,000 euros, together with training and business support services to help them in their sustainability, resilience and innovation, thus contributing to the European Green Pact and the Digital Single Market. The Fu-TOURISM project, funded with 4 million euros by the Single Market Programme (SMP), establishes a support network in six European countries to support a total of 102 SME projects (60 in the first phase and 42 in the second phase) aiming to transform their tourism practices towards sustainability, resilience and innovation. You can watch the video here. If you want more information about this call, sign up to this newsletter which will include all the details.
THE CITIES OF VALENCIA AND POREČ-PARENZO JOIN THE EUROPEAN FU-TOURISM PROJECT CONSORTIUM.
The City Council of Valencia, city that holds this year’s title of Green Capital 2024 –supported by its innovation centre Las Naves- and the Croatian city of Poreč-Parenzo, a UNESCO World Heritage City (inscribed in 1997) have joined the consortium of the European project FU-TOURISM and will be part of the pilot projects of the program. The accession of these cities will help to advance this innovative project that supports European tourism SMEs in their transition towards a green, digital, and inclusive economy, with a focus on the application of the principles of the regenerative economy. Both cities will act as Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and support tourism SMEs, with the support of EUPOLIS, which will integrate the Tourism Impact Model (TIM) and the Digital Readiness Index (DRI) to measure and report on the sustainable and digital transition of SMEs and destinations. Its membership will thus complete a partnership composed of partners from different parts of Europe: Finnova (Belgium), Envolve (Greece), SYNYO (Austria), Vestbee (Poland) and Open Impact (Italy) and led by Eupolis Grupa (Croatia) with CEDRA as an affiliated entity. The entry of the city of Valencia in this project, at the proposal of the Finnova Foundation, will bring great benefits given the enormous capacity of the City Council in entrepreneurship issues through the Las Naves Foundation and the commitment it has in sustainable tourism linked to biodiversity with the Albufera Natural Park and the Dehesa del Saler as examples. Valencia will help devise the innovation accelerator model for the future of tourism with two main axes: digital and sustainability. Valencia’s commitment to digital is evidenced by the numerous events organized by the city, with the Valencia Digital Summit as a global benchmark. Regarding sustainability in tourism, Valencia holds this year the title of European Green Capital of Tourism. The city of Valencia can become the urban laboratory of good practices of innovation in Tourism linked to the double transition (digital and circular economy, water efficiency in tourism, energy, and tourism, etc.) generating a model that can inspire to activate other Hubs of innovation in tourism in other territories. In addition, it will be able to share funding opportunities for this industry through European funds and guidelines for working with public-private partnerships. As for Poreč-Parenzo, Istria’s second largest city, its exceptional geographical position has made it a tourist powerhouse, with impressive cultural and historical monuments, immaculate scenery, cleanliness, a wide range of accommodation and a rich gastronomic and tourist scene, especially in sports and leisure, Poreč-Parenzo is a top destination for travelers exploring Croatia. Its local government is organized into seven administrative departments, responsible for overseeing various aspects, such as housing, urban planning, childcare, social services, health, education, culture, sports, nature conservation, civil protection, and traffic management. These departments actively contribute to the economic, cultural, and social progress of the local community. Poreč has about 16,607 inhabitants and an area of 113.7 km². In particular, it has been recognized for its excellent quality of life, winning the Best City Award for Quality of Life in Croatia in the category of medium-sized cities in 2018, 2019 and again in 2023. Transition of tourism SMEs towards eco-resilience Funded with €4 million by the SMP – former COSME- program and with a duration of 36 months (2023- 2026), the European project FU-TOURISM “Future-Ready Business Support Ecosystem for Tourism SME Transition to Green Resilience” aims to support European tourism SMEs in their transition to a green and inclusive economy, focusing on the application of the principles of the regenerative economy. FU-TOURISM also aims to develop a platform and a network of clusters, with local ecosystems that enable greater cooperation on innovation among tourism SMEs, as well as between SMEs and incubators and accelerators. To achieve this, the project will launch an acceleration program that will identify and support 102 tourism SMEs from six participating European countries: Spain, Greece, Croatia, Belgium, Belgium, Austria, and Poland through support services for sustainability, inclusive business models and direct financial assistance: The project involves seven European countries, six of which offer direct support services to SMEs. This initiative aims to find the most innovative startups that are working to promote the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, underlining the commitment of this Organization to promote innovation and sustainability in the tourism sector. This synergy will also allow a presentation on European funds for the sustainable tourism sector where companies and entrepreneurs can learn how to access more growth opportunities. The FU-TOURISM project, aligned with the objectives of the European Green Pact and the EU Digital Single Market, is presented as a unique opportunity to transform the tourism sector towards a greener, more resilient, and digitized model.
BRUSSELS WILL BECOME THE EPICENTER OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
This Tuesday 9 April, from 10:00 to 12:00 CEST, the Finnova Foundation, from Brussels, will present the online workshop Building Touristic Ecosystems in Belgium, the second workshop organized as part of the European FU-TOURISM project. The event aims to build a local ecosystem and explore the potential and challenges of the Belgian tourism sector, sharing best practices focused on sustainability and digitalization. Under the title “The importance of sustainability and digitalization in tourism”, experts and stakeholders from the Belgian tourism sector will discuss the future of a sector in full rush to innovate, and the dual green and digital transition. They will share their projects and best practices in digitalization and/or sustainability in tourism, highlighting the potential and challenges they face. The presentations will be followed by a round table discussion that will enable all stakeholders to generate a dialogue on the challenges of sustainability and digitization in different tourism sectors. This workshop is part of the European FU-TOURISM project, which supports European tourism SMEs in their transition to a green, digital and inclusive economy, with a focus on applying the principles of the regenerative economy. Funded with 4 million euros from the SMP program (COSME’s predecessor program) and with a duration of 36 months (2023-2026), the European FU-TOURISM project is led by EUPOLIS Group and is composed by a partnership of eight entities from Croatia, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Austria, Poland, and Italy. “One of the objectives of the program is to enable accelerated SMEs to access European funds through programs such as Interreg, LIFE, Digital Europe and Horizon, enabling their project can benefit from additional funding up to 2 million euros through these programs,” explains Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, a partner in the project, from Brussels. LIVING LABS FOR THE TRANSITION OF TOURISM SMES One of the main pillars of the FU-TOURISM project is the development of a platform and network of 4-Helix collaborative clusters, known as Living Labs for the transition of tourism SMEs. These clusters will enable SMEs to be placed at the heart of the tourism ecosystem, adopting a multi-actor approach that considers the broader needs of the destination, visitors and local citizens. “This objective of living labs is strategic, as it aims to generate local actions that can be replicated and have an impact at European and global level,” emphasizes Revuelta.
FU-TOURISM Project participates in Second Anniversary Celebration of the Tourism Transition Pathway in Europe
– On March 15, the European Commission organized a hybrid event to reflect on the past, present and future of the tourism ecosystem. – The Finnova Foundation, partner of the European project FU-TOURISM, attended the event where this project was presented. Last Friday, March 15th, Finnova Foundation was present at the event “2-year anniversary of the Transition Pathway for Tourism”, organized by the Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission (DG GROW). The FU-TOURISM project, in which Finnova Foundation is a partner, was presented at the event. The event was the setting for unveiling some of the projects of the COSME Program for the competitiveness of enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which finances numerous initiatives that help small companies to access new markets. Among them was FU-TOURISM, which seeks to create a supportive environment for small and medium-sized tourism companies, encouraging greater collaboration in innovation between them and the sector’s incubators and accelerators. The Finnova Foundation attended the event with the aim of creating synergies, networking and exchanging ideas that serve to produce future developments within the ecosystem. The event, which celebrated two years of the Transition Pathway for Tourism, brought together stakeholders to reflect on the past, present and future of the tourism ecosystem. Attendees took stock of the progress made since the publication of this document, exchanged best practices and created networks to reflect on the future evolution of the tourism ecosystem. Ecosystem of support for tourism SMEs Funded by the COSME program with 4 million euros and with a duration of 36 months (2023-2026), the European project FU-TOURISM is led by EUPOLIS Group and integrated by a partnership of eight entities from Croatia, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Austria, Poland and Italy. FU-TOURISM will develop a support ecosystem for tourism SMEs, promoting greater cooperation in innovation between these companies and incubators and accelerators in the sector. To this end, it will launch an acceleration program that will identify and support a total of 102 tourism SMEs in the six European countries that are part of the project through support services for sustainability, digitalization, inclusive business models and direct financial assistance. During the acceleration program, 10 SMEs from each country will be selected in a transparent and open manner to receive a 5-month support and a grant of 20,000 euros each. In addition, the Scaling Up program will select 42 SME consortia (7 per-country) to receive a grant of 30,000 euros each and corresponding business support. Living Labs for the transition of SMEs in tourism One of the key pillars of the FU-TOURISM project is the development of a platform and network of collaborative 4-Helix Clusters, known as Tourism SME Transition Living Labs. These clusters will enable SMEs to be placed at the center of the tourism ecosystem, adopting a multi-stakeholder approach that takes into account the broader needs of the destination, visitors and local citizens. Transition Pathway for Tourism In February 2022, the European Commission published the Transition Pathway for Tourism, a strategy created jointly with stakeholders that sets out concrete actions for the coming years. Through an online call for commitments, tourism stakeholders are invited to contribute to this process, supporting the green and digital transition of the tourism ecosystem, ultimately increasing the resilience of the sector. 4 sets of commitments and pledges have been published since then, and the call remains open for a continuous expansion of the stakeholder community.
El proyecto RES4CITY “Renewable energies system for cities» estará presente en la Feria Greencities y S-Moving en FYCMA Málaga
El próximo miércoles 20 de septiembre, se llevará a cabo en la Sala Multiusos 7 de FYCMA Málaga, el evento «Innovación en Ciudades Verdes a través de Fondos Europeos: RES4CITY«, organizado por Finnova. Esta actividad, abierta al público, se enmarca en la Feria Greencities y S-Moving y tiene como objetivo principal fomentar el desarrollo de energías renovables y tecnologías de combustibles en entornos urbanos. El proyecto RES4CITY, financiado por el programa Horizon Europe, se erige como una iniciativa crucial para impulsar la sostenibilidad y la circularidad en el ámbito urbano. Con la implementación de un programa educativo innovador, busca promover el uso de fuentes de energía renovable y tecnologías de combustibles sostenibles en las ciudades. A través de este evento, se busca catalizar un diálogo entre diversos actores reunidos en FYCMA, con el fin de debatir estrategias para una gestión urbana más sostenible, otorgando especial importancia a la movilidad inteligente en el contexto de las Ciudades Verdes. Este evento también marcará el lanzamiento oficial del Programa de Aceleración del proyecto RES4CITY. Su objetivo primordial es fomentar el desarrollo de soluciones innovadoras para los desafíos relacionados con las energías renovables y tecnologías de combustibles en entornos urbanos. El evento será presencial con ENTRADA LIBRE a quienes asistan a la Feria Greencities y S-Moving y contará con Transmisión Online. Más información del proyecto RES4CITY: El proyecto RES4CITY, financiado por Horizonte Europa, tiene como finalidad impulsar el desarrollo de energías renovables sostenibles y tecnologías de combustibles en ciudades. Este objetivo se alcanzará mediante la promoción de la sostenibilidad y la circularidad, así como a través de la implementación de un programa educativo innovador diseñado en colaboración con las partes interesadas. Este programa busca formar profesionales altamente capacitados, permitiendo la replicabilidad de resultados en diversos sistemas educativos. El proyecto está liderado por la Universidad de Maynooth en un consorcio formado por 18 organizaciones de la Unión Europea y Suiza entre los que se encuentre Finnova.
Thirty tourism startups to be accelerated by the European program CulturalDeTour
The CulturalDeTour Program Accelerator will assist a total of 30 small or early-stage cultural tourism businesses from Spain, Slovenia, and Greece. For 6 months, from January to June 2024, the program, will provide participants with the skills needed to thrive in the sustainable cultural tourism industry. A total of thirty emerging or small-sized cultural tourism companies will benefit from the CulturalDeTour Acceleration (CDTA) program, which will begin in January 2024. The selected companies will have the opportunity to strengthen skills critical to the growth and expansion of their businesses in the sector. Of the 71 entries received, a total of 30 companies from Spain, Slovenia and Greece will participate in this initiative. The companies bring diverse approaches and proposals within the field of cultural tourism. From initiatives focused on heritage preservation to innovative proposals in tourism experiences, these companies demonstrate an exceptional commitment to sustainability and innovation. CDTA is a Creative Europe program in the framework of the CulturalDeTour project, a 6-month initiative that will start in January 2024. The accelerator uses the Earth-Centered Design methodology to drive innovation, sustainability, and business creation in the tourism sector through a design-driven process. The program will provide participants with the skills necessary to thrive in the sustainable cultural tourism industry. New business models The program promises to equip participants with the skills needed to thrive in the sustainable cultural tourism industry, with an emphasis on new business models, digitalization, technology, and sustainability through the Earth-Centered Design Methodology. Participants will be able to benefit from a variety of resources to develop their businesses: four national workshops in the language of each participating country, two transnational workshops for cross-border understanding and collaboration, five hours of one-on-one mentoring on sustainability business modeling, access to industry experts for personalized guidance and advice, thematic courses and webinars from partner organizations, and networking to share best practices. Selected companies The Spanish companies that will participate in the CDTA program are: Guía En Lanzarote Baukunst Arquitectura y Patrimônio Virtual SLU Viu els Ports Integra-T Experience Visitas Virtuales S.L. Zwit Project Excapic Experiencias Culturales S.L. Sevilla con aluza EIDOSD DEL VIENTO Y RAICES SL PLAY AND GO EXPERIENCE PEPE SERRA MERCÉ BE CURIOUS SL Cluedux Soca Bio-Art, S.L. The Slovenian companies that will participate in the CDTA program are: Zavod Ad Pontem Hiša vina Andrejc Vakog d.o.o. Zavod Zeleni Žep – Green pocket Institute Bravina d.o.o. Domačija Škvor Somapro d.o.o. Vesela doživetja Tanja Vesel s.p. JFDI d.o.o. UI Turizem, Uršula Sreš s.p. Vesna Merc s.p. The Greek companies that will participate in the CDTA program are:FELEA GOODS LTD Culture Hunters Vedema Ecomuseum Zagori About Cultural DeTour Creative Europe’s CulturalDeTour project, aims to use design-driven innovation and sustainability integration to drive collaboration and entrepreneurship in the cultural tourism sector, and create a strong cross-sector and transnational innovation network to enhance economic resilience during the recovery phase of COVID-19. CulturalDeTour is the product of a unique collaboration between three heterogeneous but complementary partners from across the European Union: Envolve Entrepreneurship (Greece), Finnova (Spain) and Arctur (Slovenia).
Finnova Foundation talks about sustainable development, water management, tourism and European funds at the Sun & Blue Congress on innovation in blue tourism
The congress, held in Almeria from 15 to 17 November, is a pioneering space on the blue economy applied to tourism at European level. Finnova presented the European projects FU-TOURISM, LIFE COSTADAPTA, CulturalDeTour and LIFE ECODigestion 2.0, in which it is a partner. 17/11/2023, Brussels. Today, Friday 17 November, Juanma Revuelta, CEO of the Finnova Foundation, participated in the Sun & Blue Congress, an event held in Almeria focused on innovation in blue tourism. Sustainable development, water management, tourism and European funds were the main topics of his presentation at a congress that aims to position itself as a benchmark meeting at European level in the field of blue tourism, providing an opportunity to learn about successful initiatives in various destinations and with presentations by renowned experts related to tourism and marine conservation. Juanma Revuelta took part in the round table “Smart Blue Islands”, a space in which the speakers discussed issues such as the perspective of islands as smart territories, the problem of insularity, the management of natural disasters and water management in those destinations most prone to suffer it and the use of European funds in island projects. The panel, moderated by Adolfo Borrero, senior advisor of Sun&Blue, also included Robert Tabone, representative of the Ministry of National Heritage, Arts and Local Government of Malta, Gustavo Ventura, secretary of tourism of the municipality of Ushuaia (Argentina), Carlos D. Gutiérrez, coordinator of the Fuerteventura Smart Island Project and Paola Plasencia, CEO of HECANSA. Revuelta took advantage of this space to highlight the Foundation’s commitment to sustainable development, water management, tourism and the promotion of the financing of European projects through European funds such as LIFE, INTERREG, HORIZON and ERASMUS +. The CEO of the Finnova Foundation explained Finnova’s role in projects related to these issues and also those that focus on island territories. He presented the FU-TOURISM project, which supports European tourism SMEs in their transition to a green, digital and inclusive economy. The Consell Insular de Menorca is one of the partners in this project, budgeted at €4 million and funded by the SMP-COSME programme. He also spoke about LIFE COSTAdapta, a project coordinated by the Energy Council of Gran Canaria whose objective focuses on the adaptation of the Gran Canarian coast to sea level rise by means of a Tidal pool-reef construction system. LIFE COSTAdapta is a 7-year project funded through the @LIFE Programme, with a budget of €3.4 million. Another of the projects he explained was CulturaldeTour, which aims to boost collaboration and entrepreneurship in the cultural tourism sector, and has a 6-month Acceleration Programme to help startups and SMEs to expand their business, explore new models and improve sustainability practices. This programme is funded by Creative Europe and has a budget of €200,000. Finally, Revuelta presented the success story of LIFE ECODigestion2.0, which focuses on the production of biogas from slurry, agri-food and organic waste from the HORECA sector. The project, led by Global Omnium, is funded by the LIFE programme and has a budget of €970,000. About Finnova Foundation Finnova is a Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship at EU level. Based in Brussels, it operates through collaborations and partnerships in all EU countries. Finnova’s expertise in leading European project communication and dissemination activities is combined with a strong proven track record in start-ups and business support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and ceremonial event selection and awarding.
Finnova participates in the FU-TOURISM project for the transformation of SMEs towards a green, digital and inclusive economy
Funded with €4 million by the European COSME program and with a duration of 36 months, FU-TOURISM seeks to establish a robust ecosystem that will provide a lasting impact on the tourism sector, promoting its resilience to future challenges and aligning with the objectives of the EU’s European Green Pact An acceleration program will identify and support a total of 102 tourism SMEs from the seven European countries that are part of the project: Croatia, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Austria, Poland and Italy. 13/11/2023 Brussels. Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation, has participated in Split (Croatia), in the official launch (kick off meeting) of the European project FU-TOURISM. This project, funded by the European Commission through the COSME program (Program for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises), aims to support the transition of European tourism SMEs towards a green, digital and inclusive economy. FU-TOURISM has a budget of 4 million euros, has a duration of 36 months (3 years) and involves eight partners from seven European countries. The project is coordinated by Eupolis (Croatia), and has as partners Dubrovnik City (Croatia), Consell Insular de Menorca (Spain), Finnova Foundation (Belgium), Envolve (Greece), SYNYO (Austria), Vestbee (Poland) and Open Impact (Italy). The circular economy and sustainable tourism are a priority for the Finnova Foundation, as explained by the CEO of the entity. “This project is a recognition of the public-private partnership methodology promoted by Finnova to achieve sustainability in the tourism sector,” said Revuelta. Finnova has extensive experience working on innovative solutions to achieve environmental sustainability in tourism. The Foundation has promoted projects such as LIFE ECOBUS, focused on the reuse of oils from the horeca sector for use in transport in Valencia (European Green Capital 2024), an initiative that, more than 20 years after its launch, is still ongoing. Finnova has also been part of other tourism projects such as the Interreg POCTEP NAPOCTEP (to convert the heritage of the French invasion period into a quality and sustainable tourism product that can create wealth and employment in areas of Castilla-Leon and central Portugal threatened by depopulation and aging), and currently participates in CulturalDeTour, to promote innovation, sustainability and business creation in the tourism sector through a design-driven process. FU-TOURISM is the second project belonging to the COSME program in which Finnova participates. It has recently been a partner in the CircularInnoBooster Fashion and Textile (F&T) project, a project aimed at transforming textile and fashion companies into sustainable, circular and regenerative enterprises. STARTUP EUROPE ACCELERATION PROGRAMME FU-TOURISM supports European tourism SMEs in their transition towards a green, digital and inclusive economy, with a focus on applying the principles of the regenerative economy. FU-TOURISM will develop a supportive ecosystem for tourism SMEs, promoting greater cooperation on innovation between these companies and incubators and accelerators in the sector. To this end, it will launch an acceleration program that will identify and support a total of 102 tourism SMEs from the six European countries that are part of the project through support services for sustainability, digitalization, inclusive business models and direct financial assistance. During the acceleration program, 10 SMEs from each country will be selected in a transparent and open manner to receive a 5-month support and a grant of €20,000. In addition, the Scaling Up program will select 42 SME consortia (7 per country) to receive a grant of 30,000 euros and corresponding business support. LIVING LABS FOR TOURISM SME TRANSITION In the context of the European Union, the COSME Program has proven to be an engine of development for businesses and SMEs in Europe. FU-TOURISM is part of the list of projects funded by COSME between 2021 and 2027, standing out as a joint effort to boost economic growth, job creation and foster business competitiveness on the continent. One of the key pillars of the FU-TOURISM project is the development of a platform and network of collaborative 4-Helix Clusters, known as Tourism SME Transition Living Labs. These clusters will enable SMEs to be placed at the center of the tourism ecosystem, adopting a multi-stakeholder approach that takes into account the broader needs of the destination, visitors and local citizens. UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM THE TOURISM SECTOR FU-TOURISM not only represents an opportunity for European tourism SMEs, but also for the unique UNESCO tourist destinations; the city of DUBROVNIK, UNESCO Heritage City (inscribed in 1979), and the island of MENORCA, Biosphere Reserve (inscribed in 1993); which will be part of the pilot projects of the program. These destinations will test the overall Destination Management Organizations (DMO) strategy and support for tourism SMEs, with the help of EUPOLIS, which will integrate the Tourism Impact Model (TIM) and the Digital Readiness Index (DRI) to measure and report on the sustainable and digital transition of SMEs and destinations. The FU-TOURISM project, aligned with the objectives of the European Green Pact and the EU Digital Single Market, is presented as a unique opportunity to transform the tourism sector towards a greener, more resilient and digitized model. PARTNERS: About EUPOLIS GROUP LTD. Eupolis Group is an innovation co-creation advisory, training, and development company. We promote wise, agile, integrated, collaborative design, investment, ecosystems, programs, projects, products and services that create value for people, economy and the planet. Our partners are businesses, public and civic organizations, innovators, experts, leaders and change makers passionate to explore disruptively innovative, regenerative, shared wealth business and governance models and value chains. About ENVOLVE Envolve Entrepreneurship is a business support organization that has been at the forefront of global entrepreneurial support since its establishment in 2012. The organization champions founders and ignites innovation through an open startup ecosystem founded on efficiency, transparency, and growth. Envolve acts as a talent and knowledge hub, offering cutting-edge upskilling, valuable resources, support for founders, and impactful services and programs to the global community. Nurturing the next generation of global disruptors, Envolve re-introduces its flagship program, Envolve Accelerator, building upon the proven track record of the former Envolve Awards, in Greece and in the USA. In Greece, the program has
CulturalDeTour extends the deadline to apply for its Acceleration Program until November 19, 2023
This extension is an opportunity for those entrepreneurs who have not yet been able to apply The program will help selected startups get off the ground, scale their business, explore new models and improve sustainability practices starting in January 2024 02/11/2023, Brussels. The CulturalDeTour project is extending the application deadline to be part of the CulturalDeTour Acceleration Program (CDTA), aimed at small or early-stage sustainable cultural tourism companies in Greece, Spain or Slovenia to scale and thrive in a constantly evolving market. The new deadline to participate in the program runs until Sunday, November 19, and interested parties can register through this link. Europa Creativa presents this Program in the framework of the CulturalDeTour project, a 6-month initiative that will start in January 2024. The objective is to provide an opportunity for sustainable cultural tourism businesses to gain valuable insights and develop essential skills to grow and expand their businesses through digitization, technology and sustainability using the Earth-Centered Design Methodology. The CDTA Program seeks to drive innovation, sustainability and business creation in the tourism sector through a design-driven process. To this end, it will select 30 innovative teams, SMEs and early-stage sustainable cultural tourism companies based in Greece, Spain and Slovenia, operating within the cultural tourism sector, to grow and learn, expand their business, explore new models and improve sustainability practices. Emphasizing new business models, the program will provide participants with the necessary competencies to thrive in the sustainable cultural tourism industry. Resources, guidance, networking Between January and June 2024, participants will be able to benefit from four national workshops in the language of each participating country, two transnational workshops for cross-border understanding and collaboration; five hours of one-on-one mentoring on sustainability business modeling, access to industry experts for customized guidance and advice, thematic courses and webinars from partner organizations, and networking opportunities to share best practices. During the 6-month duration of the CulturalDeTour Acceleration Program, those selected will have benefits such as: Four national workshops in the language of each participating country and two transnational workshops. Five hours of one-on-one mentoring on sustainable business models. Access to industry experts Thematic courses and webinars Networking to share best practices Who can apply? The CulturalDeTour Accelerator Program welcomes startups, SMEs or early stage companies based in Spain, Greece or Slovenia, operating within the cultural tourism sector. Program schedule and phases of support: The CulturalDeTour Accelerator Program offers an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable cultural tourism businesses to gain valuable knowledge, develop critical skills and form strategic partnerships. Together, let’s revolutionize the future of cultural tourism. Scope and Selection: September 2023 Application period: September 2023 – November 19, 2023 Selection of 30 companies Announcement to applicants: December 10, 2023 Launch of CDT Accelerator Program: January 2024 End of CDT Acceleration Program: June 2024 Link to the project call on the website: https://www.culturaldetour.eu/en/take-part/culturaldetour-accelerator/ About Cultural DeTour: Creative Europe’s CulturalDeTour project, aims to use design-driven innovation and sustainability integration to drive collaboration and entrepreneurship in the cultural tourism sector, and create a strong cross-sector and transnational innovation network to enhance economic resilience during the recovery phase of COVID-19. CulturalDeTour is the product of a unique collaboration between three heterogeneous but complementary partners from across the European Union – Envolve Entrepreneurship (Greece), Finnova (Spain) and Arctur (Slovenia). About Finnova: Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian foundation based in Brussels and Spain (headquartered in Valencia), working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.