Background
In order to reduce the gap and encourage the development of startups based on information technologies, the Republic of Moldova aligns with international trends and implements programs dedicated to growing and supporting startup businesses.
Based on the strategic plan, one of the objectives is ensuring expertise to ecosystem actors.
Considering the intended mentorship programs and the planned support to companies to identify experts and form their future teams using the platform, based on the PwC Report related to developing the strategy of the startup ecosystem, one of the recommendations for the Start-up IT Moldova Programme is to establish a Talent Pool of experts (Mentors), which could serve as an available source of expertise both for companies’ future teams, but also for the mentorship programs as trainers/mentors. The mentors could be local, but also international.
Additionally, the existing academic R&D incubators have available professors to ensure mentorship, in order to explore students’ innovative ideas in tech-related areas (fintech, agrotech, healthtech), however, the main problem remains in the remuneration, which is limited at this moment. As such the future Start-up program could consider the possibility for a closer collaboration with the academic incubators, considering the availability of tech-related mentorship.
Building a pool of mentors with varied backgrounds and experiences is of paramount importance to create a holistic environment for startups. This pool should essentially comprise college/university alumni, experts from the relevant sectors and other industry experts, corporates with experience in the field, individuals with manufacturing and product experience, individuals with a technology background, individuals with strong legal and regulation footage, people from the financial sector with funding experience and successful entrepreneurs, who have done it all.
Building the mentor network is one of the biggest challenges most incubators and accelerators face. Thus they are unable to build a large enough pool for the access of the startups housed in the incubator as they lack the connection and do not reach out to associations, forums and other private bodies for support.
We are launching the call to stakeholders to provide a pool of mentors from different areas and with different domains of expertise to partner with our team to boost non-tech industries assimilation of technological innovation and support cross-industry collaboration based on vertical synergies such as FinTech, WineTech, AgTech, MedTech, Lifestyle, Data sciences, IoT, e-Commerce, to develop a matching system of connections between startups and other startups, experts and investors and ensure a startup club to exchange experiences and contacts with International exposure
Because mentors and mentees interact in a variety of different ways that go beyond subject expertise, so it is vital that the pool is wide enough to provide a good match.
The awarding will be conducted through an open selection procedure in two stages (Pre-application and Full Application). The selection process is designed according to the principles of merit, transparency, equality and rational use of funds, by launching at least two calls, one each year.
For additional information on the eligible and non-eligible expenses, application process and Project Application Documentation, please access the Digital IMPACT: Innovation Challenge Awards Manual. See manual.
The Awarding will be conducted through an open selection procedure in two stages (Pre-application and Full Application). The selection process is designed according to the principles of merit, transparency, equality, and rational use of funds, by launching at least two calls, one each year.
The applications should be submitted at the following link until November 19:
https://forms.gle/28bRbGVcptvnuKRz5
Contact person: Irina Covriga, Ecosystem builder Manager, Startup Moldova community@startupmoldova.digital and Cristina Bocsanean, Project Assistant, Startup Moldova, office@startupmoldova.digital .