FAQ Aspire Grow | Social Tides

FAQ

1. What is your definition of a social entrepreneur?

At INCO, we believe that a person working towards solving today’s biggest challenges with drive, dedication, and discipline can become a successful entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur is an impact-driven individual providing solutions connected to the goals set forth by the Sustainable Development Goals. These individuals are willing to take on the risk and effort to create positive changes in their communities by starting a business and achieving sustainable social, economic and environmental developments.

2. Who is the program for?

The Aspire Track is designed for those who have an idea for a social enterprise and would like to develop it and design an MVP (minimum viable product).

3. What is the geographical scope of the program?

The program will run in 8 European countries: France, Spain, Poland, Slovenia, Germany, Greece, Netherlands and Italy. The dates of respective tracks will be announced on the website.

4. Do you have to be a citizen of one of the 6 countries or a permit of residence is enough?

You need to be a resident of the country you’re applying from.

5. Is the grant limited to sectors only aligned to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Yes. You can find more information about SDGs here.

6. How will you decide on the exact amount of the grant?

It will depend on the nature of the project and the grant request breakdown that will be provided at the submission of the application, of up to 10,000 Euros. Once the independent jury has selected the finalists, the allocated grant will be communicated to each participant and a contract will be signed.

7. What are the conditions to get the grant?

To get the grant, the minimum requirement for each participant is to successfully finish the program. We expect you to fully invest at least 80% of the curriculum time to the program, complete the assigned weekly tasks and to participate in the live sessions but of course we do understand that sometimes there are unexpected events that may prevent you from joining a class. The grant will be transferred after the completion of the course.

8. What can the cash grant be spent on?

The cash grant must be spent on anything related to the project the Grantee represented in the program. The specific use of the cash grants will be agreed between INCO and the Grantee.

9. In order to be accepted to the program, what documents do I need to provide?

At the time of the application, please be prepared to submit the following documents at a later stage if shortlisted:

You will need to submit a copy of your ID or Passport

Certificate of RIB (IBAN + BIC codes)

10. If I am accepted to the program, will we sign a contract?

Yes, before starting the track, a signed contract will be mandatory in order to secure the grant payment at the end of the program.

11. How much time do I need for this program each week?

The program will take 8 weeks with a minimum of six hours per week to attend or go through all workshop materials.

12. Is the program self-paced or are there live sessions that everyone has to participate in?

It is a blended learning experience paired with live sessions in which you need to take part in. There will also be group projects with other participants.

13. Will I be able to participate in the program if I work full time?

It depends on the nature of your work and commitments.

14. What happens if I cannot finish the program?

Every case is unique and will be assessed individually but you will not be eligible for the grant.

15. What is the course language?

The course is run in the native language of the country where the track takes place (i.e. respectively French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Greek, Dutch) but a communicative level of English is necessary as post graduation content and correspondences with the INCO admin team will be in English.

16. What are the technical requirements to participate in the program?

The course is online so you need to have a computer with an Internet connection. You need to have a camera and headphones in order to participate in video conferences.

17. Why did I receive a smaller grant than the one I have asked for?

When awarding grants, we take into consideration the quality of the idea, its feasibility and the requested amount for the project needs, for the near future. All the applications are rated on these criteria: 1) the innovative character and scalability of the idea, 2) relevance and urgency of solving the chosen societal problem related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 3) skills and talent of the aspiring entrepreneurs, their educational/professional/project background, 4) motivation (actions taken towards learning/expanding on the business idea). We also take the independent jury’s rating of every application.

18. Still have questions?

If you have more questions, please send an email to socialtides@inco-group.co

1. What is a social enterprise?

2. What types of business entities do you accept in the program?

We accept all registered business entities in Europe.

3. Who is the program for?

The Grow Track is designed for those who have an existing social enterprise/company with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and would like to further develop it to reach Product/Market Fit (PMF) and/or beyond.

4. What is the geographical scope of the program?

The program is pan-European so everyone holding EU residency can participate. Priority will be given to residents of France, Spain, Poland, Slovenia, Germany and Italy.

5. Do you have to be an EU citizen or have a permit of residence in the EU?

Both EU citizens and EU residents are welcome as long as you run a social enterprise in Europe.

6. Is the grant limited to sectors only aligned to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Yes. You can find more information about SDGs here.

7. How will you decide on the exact amount of the grant?

It will depend on the nature of the project and the grant request breakdown that will be provided at the submission of the application, up to 100,000 Euros. Once the independent jury has selected the finalists, the allocated grant will be communicated to each participant and a contract will be signed.

8. What are the conditions to get the grant?

9. If I am accepted to the program, will we sign a contract?

Yes, before starting the track, a signed contract will be mandatory in order to secure the grant payment at the end of the program.

10. How long does the track take?

It is an 8-month course.

11. Is the program self-paced or are there live sessions that everyone has to participate in?

It is a blended learning experience paired with live sessions in which you need to take part in. There will also be group projects with other participants.

12. Will I be able to participate in the program if I work full time?

It depends on the nature of your work and commitments.

13. What happens if I cannot finish the program?

Every case is unique and will be assessed individually but you will not be eligible for the grant.

14. What is the course language?

The course is run in English.

15. What are the technical requirements to participate in the program?

The course is online so you need to have a computer with an Internet connection. You need to have a camera and headphones in order to participate in video conferences.

16. Why did I receive a smaller grant than the one I have asked for?

17. Do you have a list of expenses that we can spend the grant on?

The grant should only be spent on project related activities, we do not have limits on the type of expense as long as it helps you scale your impact and be able to justify it.

18. How long do I have to use the Grant?

You will have up to a year to spend the grant on the expenses relevant to your Social Enterprise.

19. If my project is not selected in the first cohort, can I apply for the second one?

Yes, you can apply for the second cohort in 2023. We are looking forward to receiving your application!

20. Can our team participate in the different training meetings with different staff persons selected according to the topic of the training? Or should there be one representative per start-up?

In general, it is best to have one representative per company to follow the accelerator program. However, we do understand that you may have other engagements so it is acceptable to send another team member. Please note that we can accept up to 3 people per team in the live sessions, we need this communicated beforehand once you choose which colleagues will be attending the sessions depending on their field of expertise.

21. Still have questions?

If you have more questions, please send an email to socialtides@inco-group.co