THE IMPACT ARENA
About the Growth Program
The Impact Arena is a dedicated space for stakeholders and relevant players in the innovation ecosystem around X2.0: Impact Builders and Corporations. X2.0 Impact Arena will bring together 350 validated impact builders (external service providers) able to deliver cross border services to startups and 75 corporations seeking partnerships with startups.
Through this portal, a categorized overview of leading corporations & impact builders which will include contacts, use cases and best practices of open innovation will be available.
Benefits for the Impact Builders
Economic benefits for the provision of required services (reimbursed services).
Establishment of business relationships with 50 promising companies in different fields with potential to lead Europe.
Attendance to events, seminars and meetings organized by the consortium.
Ability to promote your company and activities on the project’s website and social networks.
Participation in a startup support program financed by the European Commission.
Be part of the X2.0 community with networking opportunities with other relevant stakeholders through a dedicated communication channel
I want to join as an Impact Builder!
FAQs
What are the services X2.0 is looking for from my company?
We are looking for startup supporting services that generate impact and scaling up , from finance seeking to communication and promotion services, including internationalisation activities as well as deeptech needs, business development & scaling up and commercialization & legal needs.
How can I apply as a services provider (Impact builder) ?
You can apply by filling the EoI, in which you could add your company details, the services you can offer to our startups and other essential information for these startups to choose the option that best fits their needs.
What are the benefits for my company from participating in the project ?
The participation in this project could bring your company with very attractive benefits, such as :
- Economic benefits for the provision of required services (reimbursed services).
- Establishment of business relationships with 50 promising companies in different fields with potential to lead Europe.
- Participation in a startup support program financed by the European Commission.
- Attendance to events, seminars and meetings organized by the consortium.
- Promotion of your company and activities on the project’s website (Impact Arena Editorial) and social networks.
- Be part of the X2.0 community with networking opportunities with other relevant stakeholders through a dedicated communication channel
When is it expected to start the service provision activities ?
The Impact Builders are expected to start the provision of services to the selected startups one month after the call closure.
1st call: Manufacturing & circular economy – April – September 2023
2nd call: Agritech – July – December 2023
3rd call: HealthTech & BioTech – October 2023 – March 2024
4th call: Smart Cities and Sustainability – January – June 2024 5th call: DATA & AI – April – September 2024
You can find other information regarding the call schedule in the guidelines document.
How and how much will I charge for the services offered?
The selected startups will receive a voucher up to €30k to pay for your services. Once the service has been provided successfully, the Impact Builder (service provider) must deliver Service Delivery Reports in order to receive the payment. Specific requirements of these reports can be found in the guidelines document.
What are the eligible conditions to apply as an Impact Builder?
Only applicants legally established/resident in any of the following countries are eligible:
- The Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), including their outermost regions
- The Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) linked to the Member States;
- Horizon Europe associated countries
For further information regarding eligibility, submission processes, negotiation terms and award criteria check guidelines document.
Could the company be a start-up and Impact Builder at the same time?
Yes and no. There is no exclusion for a start-up to be in a program and also an Impact Builder, however, not for the same one. In other words, a start-up can participate in one program and enter into a different program as an Impact Builder.
Do you have access to the technology or information on the specific service agreed between the start-up and the IB?
X2.0 will only have access to the compulsory reports that the IB has to deliver to us in order to correctly verify that the services are being provided, but we will not participate in the service provision information, meetings or communications between IB-Startup.
Will you accept several impact builders offering the exact same service?
Yes, different Impact Builders could offer the same services, but the startups will be the ones taking the last decision under their own criteria (price, quality..), so we encourage you to be the most competitive IB.
If we would like to provide services for all 5 topics, how many times do we have to apply?
When submitting your EoI, if you choose the five calls you will be included in our database for all of them and therefore you will not need to apply again.
What will be the benefits of being part of the ecosystem once the project is over?
You will be able to continue with the relationships that you probably made during the project. During the 2 years project, all of the stakeholders (Startups, Impact Builders, Corporates) will be continuously in touch through our communication channel, will appear on our website and social media and you therefore will be able to establish attractive relationships that could lead to further projects/activities/services together. Moreover, you will be included in our Impact Arena Editorial on the web, gaining visibility for your company and yourself as a qualified service provider.
Is there any instrument to assure payment by startups (in case they end up in business troubles-bankruptcy for example? Is there a template of commercial agreement?
There is no template for a commercial agreement. Each Impact Builder could use one of their own or create a new one along with the start-up. We recommend including a clause to prevent no payment issues. Moreover, we will transfer the money to the startups in three rounds depending on the reports that you have to deliver to the X2.0 consortium.
How can I promote my services to the startups?
Impact Builders services are promoted on the X2.0 website through the Impact Builder Catalogue in which there is an option tor search different IBs and their services. On the website there is also Impact Arena Editorial – a section dedicated to articles written by IBs, in which they promote their services in the form of success stories. We organize events, seminars, and meetings on various topics.
Additionally, we use Slack channel as a platform for communication and networking between all members of the X2.0 ecosystem.
Additionally, you can promote the open call for startups among startups in your network and they can indicate the interest in a collaboration with you in the application form. It will be taken into consideration by the X2.0 consortium.
What does it mean to be a shortlisted Impact Builder?
After the needs assessment with the startup is done and the areas for improvement are targeted, we provide them with a report in which there is a list of up to 3 Impact Builders for each of the selected service categories from the Innovation Matrix. This means you are proposed by the consortium to be a service provider for the selected category, but doesn’t necessarily mean the startup will choose you as their Impact Builder or Mentor.
That is why it’s important to use all the resources available to promote your services, as well as get in touch with the matched startup in order to present your services in the best possible way.
How should we set the workplan and KPIs?
We will provide a report template in which the workplan and KPIs should be presented. The file is available to the Impact Builder, startup and the X2.0 team. It is a live editable file used to store and keep track of the progress during the whole programme.
For additional information you can look into the guidelines.
Can one Impact Builder provide 1 on 1 mentorship and a service to one startup?
The program is designed to have as many service providers as possible, preferably from different countries. However, we will not make an issue if the same service provider is chosen for a service and for a mentorship.
Is there a limit for the number of services provided by an Impact Builder to one startup?
One Impact Builder can provide a maximum of two services to the same startup. It can also be a combination of one service and 1 on 1 mentorship.
What template should we use for the service agreement with the startup?
Impact builders sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the X2.0 consortium. However, the commercial agreement between Impact Builder and startup for the provision of a specific service will be the responsibility of the two parties (Impact Builder and startup). It is recommended that the Impact Builder uses its usual model template for provision of services. As an example, X2.0 consortium makes available the following template.
How do startups & impact builders approach VAT when it comes to invoicing?
It is assumed by X2.0 that VAT does not influence on the transactions that are supposed to be made during X2.0 Programme between Beneficiaries (startups) and Impact Builders.
Impact Builders should charge Beneficiaries using the reverse charge mechanism, which is a special provision within the European Union’s VAT system that shifts the responsibility for reporting and remitting VAT from the supplier (Impact Builder) to the customer (beneficiary/startup). The reverse charge mechanism effectively transfers the obligation to account for VAT from the supplier to the customer. In such cases the customer is required to self-assess and declare the VAT on the transaction in their VAT return instead of the supplier charging VAT on the invoice.
Beneficiaries should ensure that they are eligible to benefit from the reverse charge mechanism. Startups can check on the VIES page if they are eligible for the reverse charge mechanism. This mechanism is generally not applicable to individuals or consumer transactions, but the exact scope and implementation of the reverse charge mechanism may vary across countries, so it is essential to consult the relevant VAT regulations and seek professional advice when dealing with cross-border transactions within the European Union.
Reverse charge is only applicable when the client and supplier are both within the EU but NOT based in the same EU state.
X2.0. Project. Funded by the European Union under GA No101073781. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.