THE IMPACT HUB
About the Growth Program
The Impact Hub is a dedicated space for stakeholders and relevant players in the innovation ecosystem around X2.0: Impact Builders and Corporations. X2.0 Impact Hub 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 Hub 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.
Is the UK eligible to participate in the project as an Impact Builder?
No, Impact Builders from the UK are not able to participate in the project as they are not considered an associated country by the European Commission and can not receive funding.
Could the company be a start-up and impact builder at the same time?
Yes, there is no exclusion and a company can apply as a startup and Impact Builder, taking into account that they will not be able to choose themselves to provide services.
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 Hub 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.
