- The Foundation for Knowledge madri+d launches the call for the ESA BIC Comunidad de Madrid project, co-financed by the European Space Agency and the Ministry of Economy, Employment and Finance of the Community of Madrid
- The Madrid Science Park participates as a partner in the initiative through its innovative business incubator
The European Space Agency (ESA), as a tool of its technology transfer and commercialization policy, has a network of incubators in Europe called ESA BICs (Business Incubator Centers) whose objective is to provide entrepreneurs with technical and business support to grow their projects. The main requirement is that they use space technologies or information to create products or services not related to space.
ESA has incubators in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Portugal that support more than one hundred companies each year. To date, more than three hundred start-ups have received this type of support. In Spain, the Community of Madrid joins with a network of incubators that add to the existing one in Barcelona.
ESA BIC COMMUNITY OF MADRID
The Community of Madrid considers participation in this initiative an excellent opportunity, given the possibilities of promoting employment and competitiveness through the creation of scientific and technological-based companies linked to space technologies.
Following the first partners’ meeting held on July 9, the call for ESA BIC Community of Madrid is now open. Interested parties can submit applications at any time, with three project selection processes throughout the year. The first one has a deadline for submission of documentation on October 21, 2015.
REQUIREMENTS, SELECTION PROCESS AND INCENTIVES
To be selected, in addition to using space technologies or information for non-space related applications, entrepreneurs must be incorporated as a company or have a maximum age of five years and, if selected, be installed in one of the incubators linked to the program. To apply for a call, you must contact the manager of the chosen ESA BIC, download the documentation, complete the registration forms and send them signed.
After the selection process, in which a committee of experts from different institutions will participate, the chosen companies must be located for a period of two years in one of the four incubators of ESA BIC Community of Madrid: Montegancedo Entrepreneurs Center of the Polytechnic University of Madrid; Madrid Science Park; Business Nursery of the Science Park of Carlos III University or Business Nursery of Móstoles of Rey Juan Carlos University.
During these two years, the selected projects will receive both technical support (through incubators and technological partners) as well as business and financial support (coordinated by the Foundation for Knowledge madri+d), in addition to an economic incentive of 50,000 euros, half of which must be allocated to job creation and the other to prototypes, software, etc. In both cases, expenses must be clearly linked to these developments.
PARTNERS OF ESA BIC COMMUNITY OF MADRID
The Foundation for Knowledge madri+d coordinates and directs this call co-financed 50% by ESA and by the Community of Madrid, through its Ministry of Economy, Employment and Finance. Funding via ESA has been guaranteed through the Spanish delegation to ESA, integrated by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism through its General Secretariat of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, and by the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI).
Other project partners, in addition to the Madrid Science Park, are Madrid Aerospace Cluster, the Official College of Telecommunication Engineers, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Carlos III University of Madrid and Rey Juan Carlos University. Additionally, the National Institute of Aerospace Technology, the National Innovation Company (ENISA) and the European Space Astronomy Centre of ESA participate, as well as the Ministries of Education, Youth and Sports and of Presidency, Justice and Spokesperson of the Government of the Community of Madrid. Its headquarters is located at the Entrepreneurs Center of the Community of Madrid, in Getafe.
More information about the call
