CROWDSTREAM ACHIEVEMENTS

REGIONAL PROFILES

TRAINING MATERIALS

The training materials are offered in the form of training courses for final beneficiaries and business support organisations (BSO) and are available online under the following Moodle platform: https://pbn-elearning.hu/login/index.php

Each module includes a presentation with main aspects of the module, which can be used for trainings, and a test for self-check of the acquired knowledge.

The platform will be hosted by project partner Pannon Business Network Association for at least 5 years after the project end

TRAININGS FOR FINAL BENEFICIARIES AND Bso

All partner regions implemented at least two trainings.

In total, 20 trainings for final beneficiaries across the Danube region were carried out and 272 local entrepreneurs took part in them. While some trainings involved participants such as young entrepreneurs (some with technical background), SMEs, university students, start-ups, others addressed social enterprises and local bottom-up initiatives. Trainings were based on the developed curricula on how to conduct successful CF campaigns. Local specifics were reflected and integrated in the trainings as well.

In total, 19 trainings for BSOs across the Danube region were carried out and 143 participants from business support organisation (BSOs) took part in them. This training activity focused on the development of support services for start-ups and social enterprises seeking finance via alternative financing channels.

PILOT ACTIONS

Partners started implementing Pilot Action based on previously selected crowdfunding models according to the specifics and demand of their regions. Pilot Actions were either focused on start-ups & SMEs or on business support organisations.

Six regions chose the Incubator model in combination with innovation fund model or crowd selection model, while two other focused on preparatory public interventions to prepare BSO services for local target groups. Results from the Pilot Actions directly fed into the final version of the Regional Action Plans.

In the first group of Pilot Actions, following an open call applicants were chosen in accordance with the call criteria. Trainings or mentoring concerning management of CF campaign on a general level and concerning a certain campaign were provided before the presentation and pitching phase. CF projects/ campaign ideas were then evaluated by a transnational jury (which typically involved project partner representatives). Top-ranked CF projects received support services for the preparation phase of their CF campaign (e.g. production of video promotional material / pitching videos, preparation of promotional video scripts, mentoring).

Other regions in the framework of CrowdStream focused on institutionalization of CF-related BSO services within the institutional networks of regional innovation systems. On the following pages you can find an overview of the Pilot Actions in all project regions.

FIELD MISSIONS

As a transnational learning interaction, the field missions provided CrowdStream project partners and key stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss the implementation of ongoing regional pilot actions and strategies to improve access to alternative finance for local SMEs and start-ups.

Each region organised a field missions and all partners attended to at least two field missions organised by other partners.

Partners relied as well on synergies with existing initiatives, for example:

• Montenegro: as part of the International Conference „Western Balkan Startup Forum“
• Czech republic: cooperation with Crowd-Fund-Port
• Slovenia: within the Conference SeeMeet Slovenia 2018
• Slovakia: co-operation with Crowd-Fund-Port
• Bulgaria: co-operation with ICT cluster – Burgas

Such co-operations supported learning opportunities and know-how exchange even beyond the project partnership and enhance the transferability and impact of CrowdStream results across the Danube regions.

CrowdStream QUALITY TOOLS

label granting procedure & Quality label logo

The goal of the quality tool is to ensure high quality crowdfunding service providers for companies seeking finance through crowdfunding channels in order to maximize success of crowdfunding campaigns.

For this reason and for the purpose of granting a quality label, CrowdStream project partners developed quality monitoring tool in a form of web application that will enable service providers to obtain quality label and crowdfunding newcomers to find quality service providers.

Project partners first identified quality criteria relevant to the crowdfunding newcomers, categorised and prioritised them, and, finally, developed functional and technical specifications of the online monitoring tool. The tool is filled with criteria on quality of CF services and it enables the quality check of CF services. It is available online:

http://www.cf-qualitylabel.com/

REGIONAL ACTION PLANS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Each partner region has implemented a process of analysis of local conditions, stakeholder involvement and definition of long-term targets on Crowdfunding.

These activities lead to the formulation of the Regional Action Plan (RAP)

The Regional Action Plan provides concrete measures for improving the access to alternative finance for innovative businesses and social enterprises. A peer review process was established to discuss and improve the proposed innovation support measures at transnational level among project partners for developing the final version of the Action Plans. RAPs are linked to the Pilot Actions that were organized at partner region level in order to showcase solutions how public business support organisations can support CF campaigns of start-ups and social enterprises.

Inputs from the Regional Action Plans of all Danube area partner regions and the other project thematic activities fed into a set of Transnational Policy recommendations for the whole Danube programme area aiming at improving the access to alternative finance for innovative businesses incl. social and creative entrepreneurs. Main recommendations of the CrowdStream partnership suggest the following improvements within the Danube area innovation system:

1. Development of a legal framework regulating the implementation of alternative finance mechanisms, specifically crowd-funding and crowd-investing, at national and transnational level in line with related initiatives to create a Europe-wide regulatory framework
2. Introduction of trainings on crowdfunding in the innovation support system for innovative SMEs, start-ups, social enterprises, but also in general education programmes to raise the awareness and capacities of local target groups and public audiences
3. Establishment of local knowledge hubs on crowdfunding at regional level as an additional service of business and innovation support organisations to provide information, continuous capacity building and support for potential crowd-campaigners at local level

Regional Action Plans, as well as Transnational Recommendations are available online:

http://dtp.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/crowdstream

pitching video

The project consortium prepared a pitching video summarising impressions from trainings and field missions!

https://youtu.be/uVvxS5oSK8U

crowdstream final CONFERENCE in bulgaria

The international conference, hosted by the Bulgarian partner - Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities (UBBSLA) was held in Varna on 28.05.2019. Planned as a project final event, the conference was the meeting place of many European and local experts and stakeholders in the field of crowdfunding.

In front of a wide audience of representatives of local business associations, Varna University of Economics, Varna District Administration, Municipality of Varna and Municipality of Devnya, Varna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Scientific and Technical Union - Varna and many young people interested in business development with the help of crowdfunding, the project partners shared their experience and achievements in the frame of CrowdStream.

Find us On Social Media

                         @Crowdstream

                         @ crowd_stream

                         www.linkedin.com/in/crowdstream-crowdstream-03736b148