Connect & Experience UK

29 September-4 October 2024
Connecting tech leaders from the EU innovation ecosystem to key stakeholders in the strategic UK ecosystem to build collaborations that will lead to impact, drive EU innovation and support startup growth.

Training Programme for European Innovation Ecosystem Leaders

We invite you to join the European-UK community that offers a platform for peer learning and deep collaboration, aimed at enhancing EU start-up growth through collaboration opportunities, access to market and funding opportunities in the UK, and educating EU ecosystem leaders on best practices from the UK to support and develop your own ecosystem.

Your journey starts here - join an exclusive pan-European and UK network of ecosystem leaders

What is Connect & Experience?

1. Professional Training in the UK (29 September - 4 October 2024)

2. Follow up conference in Europe - the C&E Playground

3. Full access to the C&E innovation community network

Why Apply?

A leading ecosystem building programme with a high calibre of participants and expert facilitators designed to boost your impact and deliver long-lasting collaboration.

Gain tools to become a leader in your field by learning best practices of ecosystem management, including community building, tech tools, network leveraging and more.

Experience the start-up journey in the UK, and learn effective tools to increase your impact in supporting it, including access to funding and access to markets, developed exclusively for the 2024 cohort.

Get immersed and build sustainable partnerships that will lead to concrete collaborations in one of the most dynamic start-up ecosystems in the world.

Become a part of an exclusive community network of strategic players in ecosystem building, get ongoing support, access to events and matchmaking from the EIT Hub UK.

Timeline

Application Opens

Application Closes

SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

ONBOARDING WEBINAR (FOR ACCEPTED PARTICIPANTS)

VISIT TO the uk

Follow up conference - the European "Playground"

Who should apply?

Assessment Criteria

Who should apply?

Assessment Criteria

finance

The full cost of the programme is 4.000 EUR, however EIT Hub UK can offer partial funding of the programmes and/or Travel & Accommodation reimbursement based on the following categories:

Participant Category	Eligible KICs	Eligibility for Programme Funding	Eligibility for Travel and Accommodation Reimbursement
KIC Partners	6 KICs: EIT Health, EIT Climate- KIC, EIT Manufacturing, EIT Food, EIT Culture and Creativity and EIT Digital	Fully funded	Reimbursement up to €1,500 per participant per module
KIC Staff	6 KICs: EIT Health, EIT Climate- KIC, EIT Manufacturing, EIT Food, EIT Culture and Creativity and EIT Digital	Fully funded	Financed by the KIC’s own resources
Partner/Staff from other KICs	EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Raw Materials and EIT Urban Mobility	75% Funded; Price: €1.000	Financed by participant’s own resources
Ecosystem Manager (Non EIT)	Any individual professional can apply.	50% Funded; Price: €2.000	Financed by participant’s own resources

Draft Agenda for the Connect & Experience Bootcamp in the UK

*The below agenda is subject to change

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Day 5

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Day 5

Programme outcomes

Organic EU-IL follow up activities, initiated by the participants themselves

Mindset shift and openness to new ideas

Joint hackathons, demo days and webinars

98% overall satisfaction rate

Active community engagement & network expansion

Testimonials

Neil Walmsley

“Having worked mostly with the European innovation ecosystem, this program was an excellent opportunity to understand the world of Silicon Valley, the differences in approaches and how to effectively work with the Silicon Valley innovation community and investors. We had the opportunity to visit a range of different accelerators, innovation hubs and investors, getting a chance to understand their approaches and what they are looking for when working with innovators. It was a great opportunity to both develop a deeper understanding of the different cultures and build networks with counterparts in California. This has proven immensely valuable to me and my organisation.”

Dóra Marosvölgyi

“Connect and Experience in Silicon Valley, I attended in 2019 with fellow European innovation leaders, proved transformative as it enabled us to engage with influential stakeholders from Plug and Play, Berkley Skydeck, New Energy Nexus, among others, fostering a profound comprehension of Silicon Valley’s driving forces as a leading start-up support scene and sparking promising new collaborations.”

Adi Barel

“Connect & Experience Silicon Valley expended my network and provided me with the relevant connections and tools to work with the top ecosystem in the world. It’s been 4 years since I’ve participated, and I still utilize these connections every day.”

Anca del Rio

“Great learning experience from all standpoints: venture & business, investment, cultural shifts, ecosystem development. Made very good connections and got a deep dive in the innovation ecosystem; could not have been better!”

Bram Pauwels

Connect & Experience provided me with the unique opportunity to establish long lasting connections with global peers and experts, enabling me to take my work at EBN to the next level, and enhance our impact in the start up and innovation space”

Meet the Connect & Experience Team

Adi Barel

Director EIT Global Outreach

MAAYAN SHARON

Innovation & Business Creation Manager

Tal Caspi

Operations & Project Manager

FAQ

Does the programme require me to phsyically attend the week in the UK?

Yes, participation physically in the UK is required, and it is the core Connect & Experience event that provides you with professional training, and builds the community. You will have the chance to explore London and Cambridge, meet UK peers and learn from one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems.

Who will we meet during the programme?

The cohort will be comprised of ecosystem leaders from all over Europe that were carefully selected to join the programme. You will meet peers and ecosystem leaders from the UK, top speakers and lecturers on a number of different topics, executives from global companies active in the UK, and many more.

Who is considered an ecosystem leader?

An ecosystem leader is an experienced senior professional, at management/decision-making level, in an organisation boosting European start-up growth, and significantly impacting the European ecosystem. They should deal with innovation or business creation in industry, academia, government (for example, VCs, TTOs, heads of accelerators, innovation agencies, labs, incubators, or other business creation activities from academia, industry and government).

What topics will be covered during the bootcamp in the UK?

The programme encompasses a wide variety of subjects, including an overview of the UK ecosystem and meetings with leading figures from the industry. You will have the chance to get your hands ‘dirty’ and delve into an ecosystem building workshop in Shoreditch, visit academic and industry hotspot Cambridge and top accelerators, meet with VCs and many others at the Sifted Summit, and be inspired by the cultural and innovation landscape of the UK.

How much does the programme cost?

This depends on a financial category that varies from participant to participant. Check out the finance section for more information.

What does the selection processs look like?

The applicants will be ranked according to the criteria noted here and the final decision as to the participants will be made by the EIT Hub UK steering committee. Applicants will receive responses by 16 August 2024.

If you wish to query or appeal the outcome of your application, please email [email protected] by Friday 24 August 2024. Please explain your query or grounds for appeal as clearly as possible.

What can I expect as an outcome to the programme?

Past participants have increased the impact of their work with start-ups and established long-standing collaborations with both experts they met on the programme and members of the programme cohort. You can expect to be left with a change of mindset that will enable you to approach your day-to-day activities with a new found sense of purpose, as well as concrete collaboration opportunities; a tangible toolkit to establish the best practices you were exposed to; and up-to-date knowledge of the best ways to access the UK market and finance opportunities for your start-ups. The Connect & Experience community is extremely active with ventures taking place on a regular basis, so you can expect to expand your network and be part of a supportive and professional group of people.

Why the UK?

London, and the UK more widely, is regularly ranked as the #2 start-up ecosystem in the world, with deep pockets of investment and talent in a large number of domains and regions. It outnumbers its counterparts in Europe in multiple measures, and has remained resilient over the past few years. London alone boasts a tech ecosystem valued at over $620 billion, and is home to over 100 unicorns. The UK boasts world-leading universities, including but not limited to Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, with top talent and highly productive Tech Transfer Offices, and significant government support for innovation and collaboration. The UK has joined Horizon Europe as an Associated Country, meaning it can collaborate in projects and access funding. Historically, the UK has been one of the strongest participants in European innovation programmes. While the UK showcases diverse talent and opportunity, it is particularly renowned for its strength in clean tech, AI, and big data and analytics.

Do you have any questions? Get in touch with us at
[email protected]