IN-HABIT is looking for early-stage innovative business ideas and volunteer mentors to join its 4-month online incubation programme taking place in the four IN-HABIT cities and surrounding regions.

Incubation programmes help start-ups and early-stage businesses by providing them with support and resources which they may otherwise find difficult to access.

As part of the IN-HABIT project, IN-HABIT partner Bridge for Billions has set up an incubation programme where all entrepreneurs will be paired with volunteer mentors, getting weekly support to further develop the viability of their idea and create sustainable businesses that generate a positive impact in their respective cities. After the completion of the programme, the entrepreneurs will be able to download an executive summary of their business plan and use it to present it to potential investors or new co-founders. “Our idea is that entrepreneurs leave our programmes fully prepared to enter the market and that they go from having an idea to an economically viable business capable of generating jobs,” explains Pablo Santaeufemia, CEO of Bridge for Billions.

The IN-HABIT incubation programme aims to foster inclusive health and well-being businesses through entrepreneurship. In each of the cities, the programme will take on a slightly different focus, based on the city’s IN-HABIT value and objectives.

In Cordoba, for example, with its rich cultural heritage, the programme will focus on creating social, cultural, digital, technological, and nature-based innovations and developing green, sustainable, and creative areas to drive inclusion in more deprived neighbourhoods.

With Lucca’s focus on fostering human-animal relationships, on the other hand, participants in Lucca, Pisa and the surrounding area will develop business ideas in order to improve the quality of urban life in these cities, better mobilising existing animal resources towards a social innovation process based on transition management methods and the intergenerational open participation of citizens.

Focusing on connecting places and people through a multifunctional corridor integrating environment and art, those taking part in the incubation programme in Nitra will develop their business solutions while involving minority groups of people who have traditionally been under-represented in city planning and development, and enhancing the liveability of these public spaces for them.

Meanwhile, participants in Riga will work towards setting up a multifunctional food hub for sustainably produced and locally sourced food in the area of the Āgenskalns market, serving as a recreational and educational space for all ages and social groups. We are looking for both entrepreneurs and mentors to join this exciting programme. The deadline for applications is the 19^th of February 2023, with selected candidates announced on the 22^nd of February 2023, followed by onboarding and entrepreneur and mentor matching sessions in February before the programme kicks off in full on the 1^st of March 2023. For more information about what you can get out of this experience, the timeline, and the requirements for getting involved, please visit: https://www.inhabit-h2020.eu/incubation-program/