Call for technology entrepreneurs interested in applying to participate
In the Emek Hefer Innovation Center Acceleration Program
(Cycle 4)
Partners
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The Innovation Center's acceleration program is an exclusive program that lasts for approximately 4-6 months.
Participants in the program will be entitled to receive:
Participation in joint panels initiated by the center, among others, together with partners in one or more of the following areas: municipal, legal, technology, academia, etc.
Access to data and databases that the center decides to make available to entrepreneurs.
Access to various officials from the council or company who will be integrated into the program, various professionals from the center, the center's partners, and other companies.
Accompanying professionals in the fields listed on the HIC website (may vary from cycle to cycle)
Mentor participation in one or more of the following areas (may vary from cycle to cycle): municipal, big data, legal, business development, fundraising, negotiation management, and more.
Factors from among the center's partners on technical and business issues, including the feasibility of continuing joint activities through the center's partner units.
The partners may offer the projects participating in the program, at their discretion and subject to proof of the project's ability, to integrate into various other projects.
Possibility of holding a proof-of-feasibility project with the partners, subject to and with the consent of the relevant partners.
The center's partners have exclusive discretion in choosing the technology, contacting the graduates of the class, and extending the period of use in accordance with agreements that will be formulated throughout the program.
Entrepreneurs will be able to benefit from possible future cooperation with the council on issues of the center, as part of the "Twin Cities Alliance" project (in planning).
At the end of the cycle, a publicized demo day will be held for investors and industry decision-makers.
As part of the cycle, the possibility of entrepreneurs entering into an agreement with the economic company will be examined, subject to its procedures and at its sole discretion.
Cycle 4
In cycle 4 of the acceleration track, we will focus on the following areas:
Industry and supply chains
+ Monitoring, control systems, management, robotics and efficiency systems for industrial plants.
+ Technologies for managing, streamlining, collecting and shipping supply chains and logistics centers .
+ Solutions for management, optimization and transportation for supply chains in the fields of renewable energies.
Municipal
+ Solutions for the Emek Hefer Council's service center with an emphasis on the resident experience.
+ Additional topics at the discretion of the center.
Admission conditions
1. Admission to the program is personal/individual and is not transferable.
2. Acceptance into the program is conditional on the entrepreneur meeting the conditions specified in the regulations as detailed on the HIC website.
3. Entrepreneurs wishing to apply must fill out the digital registration form on the HIC website no later than the date published in this regard at the center.
Threshold conditions
An entrepreneur wishing to apply must meet at least all of the following conditions ("threshold conditions"):
The technological venture that the entrepreneur seeks to promote within the framework of the program is legal and ethical ("the venture");
The project is suitable for the needs of the program;
At the time of application for the program, the entrepreneur (or his representative) is at least 18 years old;
To the extent that the applicant submits an application on behalf of a corporation, he undertakes that he is acting with authority and that he is entitled to bind the corporation with his signature regarding this application.
The entrepreneur undertakes to attend all program meetings, invest his time and energy in the project, and that he will treat its promotion within the center with due seriousness;
During the program, a participant on behalf of the entrepreneur will be present at the center for at least 1 full working day per week, during the center's operating hours, or alternatively in online meetings, according to the needs of the program.
As a condition of participation, an entrepreneur will be required to pay a sum of 500 NIS per month per participant for participation fees in the program and basic office services to be provided during the program (the "User Fee"). The User Fee will be paid at least 14 days before the start of the activity period and the User Fee will not be refunded even in the event of cancellation of membership during the program.
The entrepreneur declares that he is not aware of any prohibition, restriction or impediment to this engagement.
The entrepreneur declares that he has not been convicted of criminal offenses (except for offenses under the Traffic Ordinance) in the last 7 years.
A contract agreement will be signed with the entrepreneur in the form accepted by the center.
The entrepreneur undertakes that he will not exploit membership in the center to carry out activities that are inconsistent with the values of the center, and that he is not aware of any prohibition or restriction or impediment on his part to participation in the program.
In the case where the entrepreneur consists of a group of people, each member of the group must meet the threshold conditions.
By submitting the candidacy, the entrepreneur declares that he meets all the threshold conditions set forth in the regulations and in the application, as detailed above.
Application submission, selection process and eligibility criteria
Screening Stage 1 - Application
Entrepreneurs engaged in the fields detailed in the "Call for Proposals", who meet the threshold conditions established in relation to the program, are invited to submit their candidacy for the purpose of participating in the program and promoting a technological venture ("Technological Entrepreneur" or "venture").
Application for the program will be submitted online, by filling out the digital registration form found on the HIC website only.
The center, through its inspection team, will check compliance with the established threshold conditions.
An entrepreneur who meets the threshold conditions will proceed to the second selection stage.
The center may complete details at any time as part of the selection process.
Of the 2nd classification - examination of suitability for the program.
Proposals that advance to the second screening stage will be reviewed by the HIC review committee.
The composition of the examination committee will be determined by the Center, and various parties from the Emek Hefer Regional Council and/or the Emek Hefer Economic Company and/or representatives of the partners and other parties will participate, as determined by the Center.
The examination committee will review applications that meet the threshold conditions, among other things, according to the following criteria:
Examination of the project and the solution proposed within it (50 points)
The degree of relevance of the project and its suitability to the innovation areas of the program partners
Impressions of the venture's business model and its suitability for the program's needs
The level of innovation of the project and the uniqueness of the proposed solution
Adapting the solution/product/technology for piloting
General impression
Project/Entrepreneur Team Exam (50 points)
Impressions from the project/entrepreneur team for the implementation of technological and business goals
The entrepreneur's previous experience, ability, skills, etc.
The degree of familiarity and professionalism of the project team in relation to the target market they are aiming for.
Checking the motivation and readiness of the project team to cooperate with the program partners.
The financial viability of the venture under market conditions without guaranteed financing and under conditions of uncertainty.
Recommendations from recommenders about the entrepreneur (if any).
General impression.
In this cycle, the examination committee will select up to 20 entrepreneurs from among the candidates who met the threshold conditions, and who received the best weighted score among the various proposals.
Screening Stage 3 – In-depth Interview
After an initial review of applications, the examination committee will schedule the suitable projects for a face-to-face interview, which includes a presentation of the project and questions.
The committee may complete any materials they may need to become familiar with the project and its capabilities.
At the end of the examination, the examination committee will rank the suitable projects according to uniform parameters and will make a decision together with the relevant partners regarding the most suitable entrepreneur or project.
In this round, only up to 10 projects will be accepted as members of the center, which will receive the highest rating among the proposals.
Summary and decision
At the end of the screening, a final examination will be conducted by the examination committee, at the end of which the proposals will be scored and the entrepreneurs who will be integrated into the program will be selected.
An entrepreneur wishing to take part in the program is required to meet all the conditions stated in this document and fill out the digital registration form.
Furthermore, it is known and agreed upon by the entrepreneur that if he is accepted into the program, a condition for participation in the program will be the entrepreneur's agreement and commitment to the rules and regulations of the Innovation Center, as well as a commitment to maintain confidentiality.
Submitting an application for this program constitutes agreement to all of the aforementioned terms.