Print

Terms

Conditions of participation in the StartCup Ticino
  1. To be eligible for the StartCup Ticino 2017, applicantions should be compliant with at least one of the following conditions:
    1. applications submitted by person living in Ticino for at least one year; in the case of a team of proposers, at least one member of the team shall reside in Ticino for at least one year;
    2. applications describing projects admitted to an incubation or coaching program provided by an incubator or a business accelerator located in Ticino.
  2. Participants must submit their application in English and through the online procedure on the the website of the Ticino StartCup 2017 by the deadline indicated on the same website. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  3. Consideration will be given only to entrepreneurial ideas and innovative projects.
  4. In the Ticino StartCup 2017 cannot take part projects that
    1. have already been awarded in previous years under the "Award for the best business idea in the canton of Ticino" (Prize BSI);
    2. have already been awarded a previous StartCup Ticino competition.
    3. have been accepted and have participated and completed one of the following national programs: Kickstart Accelerator; Venture Kick; MassChallenge; CTI Start-up/CTI Label;
  5. Consideration will be given only to candidates that
    1. are willing to devote a major part of their time to the development of the idea or project;
    2. are willing to establish in Ticino a Public Limited Company (PLC, SA) or a Limited Liability Company (GmbH, LLC, Sagl); if the company has been already established, it should not have more than 5 years at the time of the application for the Ticino StartCup.
    3. are available and committed to participate in the Accelerator Program period from July 19 to October 26, 2017, which foresees working with assigned Coaches and includes three mandatory events on July 19, 2017 (Kickoff Meeting), September 28, 2017 (Intermediary Assessment) and October 26, 2017 (Final Assessment of the Accelerator Program); detailed information on the Accelerator Program is provided here
    4. declare to accept the terms and conditions of the collaboration with Coaches during the Accelerator Program defined here2.
  6. Applicants authorize the promoters of the StartCup Ticino to submit to external experts the completed forms with which the applications were submitted, as well as other documents that may be subsequently required for the evaluation of the business idea or project submitted for the StartCup Ticino.  All documents sent to third parties will be treated confidentially.
  7. The selection process is decided solely by the promoters and published on the website of the StartCup Ticino. The decisions taken by the various bodies responsible for the selection are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  8. The announcement of  the winner will take place during a special public event to be held on the date indicated on the website of the Ticino StartCup. Applicants shall then be required to publicly present their business idea or project.
  9. The prizes will be delivered after the public event and, at the latest, within one year of the award ceremony. Upon written request, the prize delivering can take place at the time of the establishment of the new company responsible for realizing the business idea or project awarded.
  10. The prize shall be fully invested in the realization of the business idea or project winner of the Ticino StartCup.
  11. Should it become clear after the award ceremony that the candidate or the winning team of the Ticino StartCup had provided false information or fails to satisfy one or more conditions of participation, the prize will be awarded to the candidate positioned right after the winner.

 

The Accelerator Program

StartCup Ticino 2017 will have a phase named Accelerator Program for the duration of about three months. During the Accelerator Program, the 20 projects selected by independent experts appointed by the CP Start-Up will have the opportunity to closely work with Coaches that will provide expert information and advice on how to potentially turn innovative ideas into practicable entrepreneurial experience. The StartCup Ticino Organization will define common guidelines and share them with coaches and candidates.

The StartCup Accelerator Program 2017 will have the following schedule:

  1. July 19, 2017: Kickoff meeting at the Suglio Auditorium in Manno
    1. Presentations of the selected Projects and the respective Teams
    2. Introductions of the StartCup Coaches
  2. July 20, 2017: Assignment of Coaches to Projects
  3. July 21, 2017: Start of the Accelerator Program
    1. Coaches & Teams bilaterally work on Projects
  4. September 28, 2017: Intermediate reunion at the Suglio Auditorium in Manno.
  5. Deliverable by the Project Teams:
    1. Business Plan Synopsis
    2. Lean Canvas
    3. Draft Presentation
  6. October 1 – 26, 2017: Continuation of the coaching activity and fine tuning of the applications to be submitted to the CP Start-Up Commission of Experts
  7. October 26, 2017: Closing Event of the Accelerator Program at the Suglio Auditorium in Manno
    1. Project presentations by the Teams
    2. Feedback form for the evaluation of the Accelerator Program by the Teams

 

Rules of collaboration between StartCup candidates and coaches

During the period of the StartCup Ticino Accelerator Program, the coaching services provided by the StartCup Ticino organization are free of charge within the limits of a budget agreed on with coaches. Participants to the Accelerator Program are required to respect the following working rules:

  1. StartCup candidate contributes actively and positively to the cooperation with the coaches and with the StartCup Ticino organization. This cooperation reflects openness, honesty and readiness to learn.
  2. The result of the cooperation between the StartCup candidate and the coaches should lead to the strategic improvement of the company, which is essential for success in the following StartCup selection steps and presentations.
  3. The StartCup candidate will consider the coaches’ recommendations in his/her decision-making. Full responsibility for all decisions stays nevertheless completely within the StartCup candidate team.
  4. The StartCup candidate team commits itself to deliver the required documents and to meet the agreed milestones. Coaches are entitled to require further deliverables than those indicated in the shared guidelines. Failure to perform may result in the immediate termination of the candidacy to the StartCup Ticino.
  5. Each coach contributing to the StartCup Ticino is directly mandated by the StartCup Ticino organization.
  6. StartCup Ticino coaches have non-exclusive employment contracts with the StartCup Ticino organization represented by AGIRE that include confidentiality clauses. In addition, coaches sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with the StartCup Ticino organization represented by AGIRE.
  7. If during the coaching process of the StartCup Ticino Accelerator Program a conflict or disagreement with any coach arises, the StartCup Ticino organization must be informed immediately.
  8. StartCup Ticino candidates are requested to maintain as confidential the information related to other candidate projects acquired during the StartCup Ticino Accelerator program.