The countdown is on until the second open call for Data Pitch, when up to 32 more startups will have the opportunity to join our groundbreaking accelerator programme. We have exciting new challenges, big name data providers and a wealth of practical support, plus funding and investment opportunities to offer to the selected startups who can propose solutions to specific sector-based problems using shared data.
Full details will be announced by the beginning of July, but in the meantime we thought we would share a few guidelines for applicants – and some tips and encouragement from our current cohort of companies.
First of all, who is eligible for Data Pitch? Well, you need to be legally established and working in one of the EU-28 or Horizon 2020 associated countries, and registered with the European Commission as an SME at the time of application. Additionally, you must apply as an individual company – no consortia will be considered.
You also must show how you plan to solve a challenge using shared data. One of the key aims of Data Pitch is to encourage the flow of data between organisations and explore the commercial opportunities created by unlocking and sharing data. To qualify for entry, you must demonstrate that you have access to data which is provided by another party, either by license or another type of agreement. Open data alone, or data which you own yourself, will not be considered sufficient. In addition, if you are applying for a data provider led challenge, you must also show how you will use the data they are willing to share, which will be described in the open call.
And finally – pay attention to detail! By far the most frequent reasons why applications were rejected in the first round was that they were not completed – with key information such as PIC numbers or pitch decks omitted. Make sure also that you meet the application deadline! Our process is open for three months, so no consideration will be given to late entries.
Having said that, we received an enthusiastic response from our current Data Pitch startups when we asked them for their top tips for companies applying for the next round. Read their tips here:
“The data pitch application process is very entrepreneur-friendly and – regardless of the application outcome – a very useful thought-structuring process, which allows to structure and question your business model. If you work with data in an innovative way, you should definitely apply!”
Neils Reinhard, Predrepair
“Be genuine about your goals, aspirations but also questions and weaknesses during the application process – the programme is there to add value where it is mostly needed.”
Adomas Malaiska, Next Question
“For a data provider challenge, read between the lines and put yourself in the provider’s shoes: what is the real outcome they expect from Data Pitch?”
Daniel Vila Suero, Recogn.ai
“Believe in your project, it will reflect your motivation and especially be clear on your business objectives to demonstrate commercial viability on a short cycle”
Jerome Berlioz, Data Moove
“Don’t waste any time and just apply! Any questions, ask the team – they’re super helpful!”
Rula Awad, A.I Poli
The next call opens on Monday 2 July and closes on Monday 2 October. Keep checking the website for details, and good luck with your applications.