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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The GarageGenius program aims to provide comprehensive mentoring and expert support to individual innovators or teams of individuals. Its core objective is to help them verify, develop, and commercialize innovative business ideas, ultimately transforming these ideas into profitable ventures and preparing them for market entry. - Target recipient type and size: Individual innovators or teams of natural persons (pre-startup/early idea stage). - SECTOR-AGNOSTIC: The program supports innovative business ideas across various fields. - Geographic scope and location requirements: The project must be realized in and have territorial scope within Poland. - Key filtering criteria: Applicant must be an individual or team of individuals with an innovative business idea, owning the rights to their idea. - Grant frequency and program context: This is a recurring program with multiple recruitment rounds, part of the broader 'European Funds for Modern Economy (FENG), Action 2.27 Innovator's Lab' initiative.

Financial Structure

Cost to Participants: Participation in the GarageGenius program is completely free of charge.
No Direct Funding: The program does not provide direct financial grants to individual participants.
No Equity or Commission: The program operator does not take equity in the participant's startup nor does it charge commission on future sales.
Program Funding Source: The program is co-financed by the European Union under the 'European Funds for Modern Economy', Priority II, Action 2.27 'Innovator's Lab'.
Total Program Value: The total value of the program is 4818027.32 PLN.
Total Co-financing Amount: The total co-financing amount for the program is 4432560.98 PLN.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility

Eligible Applicant Type: Individual persons (Osoby fizyczne) or teams of natural persons.
Definition of Innovator: An individual innovator is a natural person (or team of natural persons) applying with an innovative business idea, who owns the rights to the submitted business idea and does not infringe on third-party rights.
Geographic Location: The project's realization and territorial scope must be within Poland.
Idea Ownership: The applicant must own the rights to the innovative business idea submitted and ensure it does not infringe on third-party intellectual property rights.
Program Stage: The program is designed for ideas at an early stage of development, where uncertainty is high and funds for concept verification are limited.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Application Start Date: 2024-09-16
Application End Date (Latest): 2026-06-15
Program Duration for Participants: Approximately 3 months for the mentoring phase.

Application Procedure

Submission Platform: Applications are submitted online via the program operator's website: https://garagegenius.investin.pl/.
Initial Step: Applicants are encouraged to fill out a form before starting a conversation with a virtual consultant on the PARP help center.

Required Documentation

Application Form: 'Formularz zgłoszeniowy' (Application form) is a required document, available for download as 'Załącznik 4 do regulaminu'.
Supporting Documents: Applicants are encouraged to review the program regulations ('Regulamin Garage Genius') and evaluation criteria ('Kryteria oceny') before applying, available on the operator's website.

Types of Support Offered

Mentorship: Individualized mentoring from experienced practitioners, serial entrepreneurs, and VC investors.
Business Advisory: Comprehensive business, legal, and financial advice.
Prototyping Support: Resources and guidance for prototyping.
Expert Support: Access to experts in various fields relevant to innovation and commercialization.
Training/Workshops: Opportunities to learn from experts and through methodologies.
Networking: Opportunities to connect with mentors and potentially partners.

Post-Award Requirements and Compliance

Project Implementation: The program supports the verification and development of business ideas, from concept to market readiness.
Remote Participation: The program can be completed remotely and in terms convenient for the participant.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria for the GarageGenius program are detailed in the 'Załącznik 1 do regulaminu – Kryteria oceny' (Appendix 1 to the regulations – Evaluation criteria) document, which is available for download on the program's website. General Evaluation Focus (based on program description):

Market Potential of Idea: Assessment of whether the idea has a chance in the market and will be profitable.
Risk and Competition Analysis: Understanding of identified risks and competitive landscape.
Scaling Potential: For developed projects, evaluation of strategies for scaling.
Innovation Level: The novelty and uniqueness of the business idea.
Business Idea Quality: The overall feasibility and coherence of the proposed business concept.
Team Potential: While not explicitly detailed, the capacity of the individual or team to develop and implement the idea is implicitly considered through the mentoring process.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Intellectual Property Policies

Idea Ownership: Applicants must affirm that they own the rights to the submitted business idea and that it does not infringe upon third-party rights.

Financial Structure & Benefits

No Equity Taken: A unique aspect is that the program operator explicitly states they do not take any equity in the participant's future startup.
No Commission: They also do not charge any commission on future sales generated from the developed idea.
Free Participation: Participation in the mentoring program is completely free of charge for the innovator.

Strategic Alignment Opportunities

Early Stage Focus: The program specifically targets innovative ideas at their initial development stage, providing critical support when uncertainty is high and resources are limited.
Expert Network: Access to a broad network of experienced mentors, including venture capitalists, industry authorities, and serial entrepreneurs, can provide significant strategic advantages.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Innovation: Core to the program, focusing on transforming innovative ideas into market-ready solutions.

Contextual Considerations

EU Co-financing: The program is co-financed by European Union funds, implying adherence to relevant EU regulations and reporting standards on the operator's side, though not directly imposing them on individual participants for this non-financial support.

Grant Details