This year, we are offering finalists the opportunity to join us during linktoStart Summer Weekend, where you will enjoy a variety of dynamic sessions: with professors from la Salle University specialized in marketing, sales and communications, experts from top companies in the technology sector, and entrepreneurs who will give you key advice so that your business is a success. Also, if you’re a finalist you’ll take part in group activities such as team building sessions, networking, dinner and much more…!
Work hard on your business plan and become a finalist - it will be worth it!
Good luck to all!
INLEA Foundation, Cisco and MicroBank are proud to present linktoStart; much more than an award for business ideas in the ITC sector.
If you have completed, or are receiving technology training, and...
By simply registering online for free, linktoStart offers you:
The Technical Committee will judge the business plans to determine who will move on to the final round. If you are chosen as a finalist you will receive, free of charge:
And finally, if the linktoStart Jury declares you as one of the WINNERS, you will receive the following assistance, valued at 18,000€:
And you will be able to start your own business project with CONFIDENCE.
The linktoStart 2009 Call for Projects was open from March 25 to July 15, 2009. Nearly 2,000 people showed interest in participating in the initiative, 80 entrepreneurs submitted 62 ideas; of which 20 candidates (32% of the ideas submitted) were nominated to earn an award.
It is worth noting that in this technological environment, 17% of the ideas presented were from women. The majority of the ideas presented came from Andalusia, Madrid Community, Valencia Community, and Catalonia.
On July 23, 2009 the INLEA Foundation organized an Expert Technical Committee, who decided that 12 of the nominees were to be considered finalist ideas.
Following four months of market testing, the finalist ideas were presented to the linktoStart 2009 Jury. The Jury was made up of members from a combination of industry experts, sponsors, and members of prestigious academic institutions. On November 5, 2009 the Jury selected the following winners:
Winning Project: ServiHora
Internet Portal that acts as intermediary in B2C services for SMEs in the services sector with current or potential clients, providing a self-managed calendar via the Internet by customers themselves and also sends appointment alerts, helping the client to focus on his or her business.
This service should permit the liberal professional or small business to show the public his or her services, business hours, and hourly rates / service. The user that is in need of these services can access the professional calendar at any time of the day (365x24), choose the service and time slot based on their needs and reserve an appointment in only three clicks. All appointments or changes in the calendar will be announced through messaging services (email or SMS)
The Jury considered the immediate usability and usefulness of this project an important factor in their selection as winner. Qualified training in new technologies and experience in the IT sector, especially in Web applications, together with the personal understanding of the difficulties of small business or liberal professional (specifically in the health sector), was also beneficial to understand the maturity of the project.
Winning Project: e-inclusión
The development of a business line within an existing consultancy, aimed at social improvement through ICT solutions bye-inclusion, especially the elimination of the digital divide that affects the elderly, dependents and women.
The Jury found the project to be innovative, and that it represented the creation of a new business line which complimented the rest of its existing activities, therefore made sense and had a good approach. It is also important to note that the Jury considered the development of a project led by two women and the social focus of the initiative, which may allow the creation of an entire business unit for the good of the community, a positive aspect in the selection.
If you have a technical background or you are studying technology, develop your business idea with us.
Introductory course in Entrepreneurship for ALL PARTICIPANTS in which we will evaluate entrepreneurial ability, feasibility of idea, and the use of technology.
Concise, practical training sessions on business management related topics, led by expert consultants via Cisco Webex.
Starting a Business online training to enable NOMINEES to complete a well constructed business plan.
During the 9 online training sessions, the FINALISTS will have received technical validation for their business idea in order to analyze its position in the market, as well as initial economic supportto test their idea in the market.
And on top of that, if you’re a FINALIST you have the opportunity to enjoy linktoStart Summer Weekend. An expense paid trip to Barcelona where you’ll have activities, speakers , networking and training to help you move forward with your idea.
| 26 Nov 2009 | Opening of the Call for Projects 2010 |
|---|---|
| 22 Jan 2010 | Online Entrepreneurship training begins |
| 1 Feb 2010 | linktoStart Business Management sessions begin |
| 25 Mar 2010 | NOMINEES announced |
| 12 Apr 2010 | Starting a Business training begins for Nominees |
| 19 Apr 2010 | Deadline to submit business ideas, Starting a Business training begins for NOMINEES |
| 21 July 2010 | Technical Committee Meeting to select FINALISTS |
| 4-5 Sep 2010 | linktoStart Summer Weekend for FINALISTS |
| 6 Sep 2010 | Starting a Business training begins for FINALISTS |
| 30 Nov 2010 | Jury Meeting and WINNERS Announced |
| 19 Jan 2011 | linktoStart DAY |
From this day forward, the WINNERS will begin to formalize their business plan, creating an action plan with expert assistance from INLEA and Cisco, and financing from MicroBank
linktoStart is much more than an award for entrepreneurs.
The linktoStart team has created a unique system to help entrepreneurs called TAF (Technology – Assistance – Financing).
linktoStart offers expert engineers from Cisco and relevant university professors to review the use of new technologies in your business idea. Moreover, technology is the base of communication and collaboration between you and the entire linktoStart team.
Simply by presenting your business idea, linktoStart rewards you with expert assistance to help you in the development of your plan.
With support from MicroBank, linktoStart adapts the needs of your business plan in order to select the most appropriate financing, with preferential conditions.
linktoStart rewards your business idea with expert assistance simply for presenting it. Nothing more. And you will have access to our free training for entrepreneurs.
You have to be the owner of your business and of your destiny, but you can’t move forward alone. Let linktoStart help you.
At linktoStart we know that entrepreneurs tend to feel alone, and this is not an ideal condition for you to professionally analyze a business project. For this reason, we will help you from the first day...
linktoStart offers professional assessment thanks to a unique methodology that helps remove the weak points of an entrepreneurial idea and teaches you how to make decisions for your new business. Our teaching is structured so that you:
linktoStart adapts the needs of your business plan in order to select the more appropriate financing for your business idea, with preferential conditions.
linktoStart provides technical endorsement for projects, which allows for guaranteed financingfor investments and working capital.
Thanks to the agreement signed between INLEA Foundation and MicroBank, MicroBank has created a line of financing for projects submitted. They will review the applications, and for those who have been approved, will direct them to the most appropriate line of financing.
linktoStart looks for new uses for technology adapted to business in your project, because it is an innovation hub, and guarantees the success of new businesses.
linktoStart provides well known university professors in the technology field and expert engineers from Cisco to review the use of use of new technologies in your project.
linktoStart is a good example, as it uses technology as an innovation hub. We use a combination of communication and collaboration tools provided by Cisco and INLEA Foundation, which allows you to be in touch with us when needed, and receive adequate training.
INLEA Foundation is an international organization that provides solutions for educational and ITC professionals, and experts in business management. Their objectives are to improve the professional lives of individuals by providing solid ITC training, assisting entrepreneurs with the use of ITC, supporting SMEs to develop in an ITC environment and working with large corporations to promote social responsibility.
INLEA collaborates with public organizations, businesses and NGOs to develop programs which promote ICT training, support entrepreneur growth, and encourage Corporate Social Responsibility. INLEA offers complete solutions which include: human resources, budget management, training coordination, content development, marketing, and event coordination. For more information call 902 996 271 or email info@inlea.org
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, transforming the way people connect, communicate and collaborate. For more information, including press releases, visit http://newsroom.cisco.com.
The Cisco Networking Academy provides online courses, interactive tools, and hands-on learning activities to help individuals prepare for ICT and networking careers in virtually every type of industry. Over 800,000 students participate in about 10,000 institutions in more than 165 countries each year.
MicroBank, the social bank of "la Caixa", opened in September 2007 and is directed towards people with limited economic resources with an aim to encourage productive activity, personal development and job creation.
During their first two years in existence, the bank financed over 50,000 projects through the provision of micro credits to entrepreneurs. The social and financial micro credits make up half of their portfolio; 60% of which have been used to launch a business project, while the other 40% have served to expand an existing one.
Apart from the 5,500 branches of "la Caixa" that participate in the process of granting micro credits, other entities also collaborate by providing knowledge about the people who have been granted loans, as well as advising and tracking the performance of the projects. To date, MicroBank has signed agreements with over 400 partner institutesacross Spain, ensuring the viability of the projects financed. For more information: www.microbanklacaixa.es
The Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, through its "Plan Avanza" Training, aid projects and general training in telecommunications and information technologies. These trainings enable small and medium businesses to gradually incorporate information technology and communications in their business processes in order to help increase their competitiveness and improve productivity. For more information: www.mityc.es
Soares & Avila is a legal "boutique", specializing in intellectual property and information technology. Services offered include software protection and licensing, trademarks and designs (trade dress), entertainment and internet related matters. They render litigation in the previously mentioned areas, as well as unfair competition issues and contracts on both national and international levels. For more information, visit www.soaresavila.com
Microsoft BizSpark is a new comprehensive program for early-stage entrepreneurs with less than three years of activity and less than $1 million annual turnover. It is aimed at private companies and offers:
Software: Tools for design and development teams and production licenses to run your business in the "saas" model.
Support: Professional Technical Support from Microsoft, Access to MSDN Premium, and Support from the BizSpark Community Partner Network.
Visibility: Opportunity to gain global visibility
For more information visit www.microsoft.com/bizspark
La Salle Technova Barcelona offers integrated support to all entrepreneurs who wish to focus their business activity in the world of new technologies and propose innovative projects.
Among their services, Technova Barcelona has the ability to offer support to develop a business plan, define the most appropriate funding possibilities, obtain public funding for the company as well as developing R & D, private investor or Venture Capital funding, market connection through networking activities and technological development of the business idea. The public finance team has one of the highest success rates, due to the preparation and support it provides to the projects submitted.
Technova Barcelona uses their Tech Market Research unit to help define the product roadmaps, detect signs of change in the market or identify new business opportunities.
Since 2001 Technova Barcelona has supported over 100 projects to the market, creating ideal conditions to raise finance, enter the market or connect with other partners.
For more information visit: www.technovabarcelona.org
If you have any questions, please send us your first and last name, along with your email address and we will respond to you within 72 hours.
It is an award for entrepreneurs which offers a complete set of tools for your business ideas to succeed in the marketplace. These tools include: support from a group of technical and financial experts, business training sessions, access to financing, and professional assistance during the first year of business.
It is the open invitation for anyone with a technological background who has a business idea to obtain validation and technical support. In order to be accepted, proposed business ideas must introduce new uses of technology to improve business productivity and provide a general overview of the project from the Entrepreneur or Entrepreneurs.
The linktoStart 2010 call for projects officially opens on November 26, 2009. New business ideas will be accepted until April 19, 2010. Starting on January 22, 2010, new weekly training sessions will be held to help entrepreneurs develop their business plan. The Technical Committee will meet on July 21 and finalists will participate in linktoStart Summer Weekend on September 4-5. Finally, the Jury will meet on November 30, to determine the winners. The awards ceremony will take place during linktoStart DAY on January 19, 2011, marking the close of linktoStart 2010, and officially opening the 2011 Call for Projects.
Yes. linktoStart is an annual program, which allows participants to present their business idea when it is mature.
The winners will be announced on November 30, 2010, and the awards ceremony will take place during linktoStart DAY on January 19, 2011 in Madrid.
The members of the Committee are invited to participate by the INLEA Foundation. Members are unbiased, and bound by a confidentiality clause which restricts them from disclosing information and making profit from the business ideas presented. The Committee is made up of individuals from leading companies in the IT industry, sponsors, and prestigious academic institutions
If you are 18 years of age or older, have Spanish nationality or legal residence in Spain, can provide proof that you have a technical academic background and show a strong motivation to create your own business then you are eligible to participate.
Entry is not open to employees of INLEA Foundation, INLEA Corporation or INLEA International; the employees or vendors of Cisco Systems Inc. or any of their subsidiary companies; the people involved at any stage of the implementation and administration of this Competition, their immediate families (father, mother, brother, sister, spouse or children); family members of employees of INLEA Foundation, INLEA Corporation, INLEA International, Cisco Systems Inc., any of the previously mentioned companies’ subsidiaries or any of the people participating in any stage of the administration and implementation of this Competition.
If you have submitted an idea and it has been accepted, you will not be eligible to submit another business idea during the same call for projects. However you may participate in future linktoStart initiatives.
Yes, it is open to students and alumni from the Networking Academy as long as they meet the general requirements.
Yes, as long as you are 18 years of age or older, have Spanish nationality or residency in Spain, and are studying in the technology field.
Business ideas can be presented in linktoStart for local, international or global initiatives.
Yes. LinktoStart is an annual program, which allows participants to present their business idea when they consider it mature.
Yes, linktStart will keep your file during one year for you to use in the next call for projects.
Yes, you can present a business idea where part of the process or part of the team is from outside of Spain, provided that at least one of the members is Spanish or has Spanish residency.
An individual presentation is one in which the business will have only one partner. It refers only to the partner, not to number of employees in the business.
A group presentation is for applications in which the business will have more than one partner. Up to five partners are permitted per application.
If there is a specific project that you are interested in, please send us an email at candidaturas@linktostart.com and we will present you to the team.
No. You are allowed to present a project with candidates from other locations.
© 2009. linktoStart is a program from the INLEA Foundation which facilitates assistance and financing for startups. All rights reserved. Terms and conditions
The linktoStart project has been co-financed by the "Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and Commerce", within the national plan of scientific investigation, development and technological innovation 2008-2011 and by the European Social Fund. Project tsi-010200.2009-400
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