Agreed Template for Terms of Reference for Action 1

  1. Action Title

Creative Industries – Supporting High Potential Start Ups in the Creative Sector

  1. Background & Rationale/justification for the action, including the precise needs being met.

Creative industries are acquiring more and more importance, both at regional and European level, in order to enhance economic growth. In recent years there has been growing awareness of this key sector also because of its strong linkage with social and territorial cohesion.This sector is recognised as possessing significant economic potential but this is not yet fully exploited due to:

  • fragmentation of the sector
  • lack of entrepreneurial skills among creative people
  • limited access to finance because of inability to communication business propositions.

The NESTA toolkit enables HPSUs in the creative sector to improve entrepreneurial skills; specifically, to enhance their ability to develop and communicate a business proposition for the purpose of accessing finance. However, it lacks:

  • Resources and guidance to facilitate a bridging between a) face-to-face workshop and seminar interactions (synchronous) and b) virtual interactions (synchronous and asynchronous).
  • A growing knowledge depository, that includes stories of success and failure; and an opportunity to exchange and sharing experiences with others within a fragmented community of practice.
  1. Specific objectives of the action (the changes that the action will bring about)

Partners will provide a TESLA Creative Network, an online platform for networking and knowledge transfer hosted on the project website; and the toolkit will be extended to facilitate effective online supports using, for example, google apps/google+. The key additionality, therefore, will be an introduction to and training on using a freely available, virtual platform.

This pilot action will provide, via online tools, a dynamic and creative exchange between the partner regions and companies should be able to develop and communicate business propositions.

  • Establish A CORE Team
  • Establish a PRIMARY Network
  • Establish a SECONDARY Network
  • Produce an ‘amplification’ (extension) to the NESTA Toolkit

  1. Precise definition of who the intended beneficiaries will be

The action will focus on training. While the emphasis will be on delivering both to HPSUs and incubators, creating a support network. The intended beneficiaries of this pilot action will be:

  • HPSU
  • business advisors
  • business support organizations
  • incubators
  1. Detailed Action Plan

-What supports will be offered

  • The NESTA creative startup toolkit will be used as the basis of a series of training workshops;
  • Creative Industries Network/ Community configuration and management;
  • Creative Industries Network/ Community support.

-Support Tools to be created

The NESTA toolkit has been designed specifically for supporting early stage start-ups in the creative industries; it is particularly focussed on taking a creative idea and turning it into a business. However, it provides no tools or guidance for on-going interaction between the supporting agency and the client, post workshop.

  • The NESTA toolkit will be supported using an online collaboration environment, for example, google apps/google+.
  • Additional tools and media will provide an introduction to and training on using a freely available, virtual platform.

Timeframe for delivery of key stages of the action

The Action will be delivered in three phases, allowing feedback at each stage from those using the toolkit and the virtual collaboration environment. In this way, the number of participants can be increased gradually with minimal risk of problems affecting the quality of the provision to clients.

PHASE 1

  • Establish the CORE Team, which will comprise partner participants will configurea virtual collaboration environment to facilitate collaboration amongstthemselves.
  • The CORE Team will use the virtual collaboration environment to coordinate their operations.
  • Produce Toolkit Version 0.1: prototype supports for online virtual collaboration, which may include webinars, manuals, FAQs and help pages.

PHASE 2

  • PRIMARY Networkwill be established. It comprises participants who offer business support functions. They must wish to learn how to use the NESTA Toolkit and to explore the provision of virtual supports;
  • PRIMARY Network will attendTraining Workshops, which will be delivered in each of the regions with a willing cohortof interested participants;
  • PRIMARY Network will participate in Webinars, which will test suitability
  • Produce Toolkit Version 0.2: prototype supports for online virtual collaboration, which may include webinars, manuals, FAQs and help pages.

PHASE 3

  • SECONDARY networks will be established, each led by an actor within the PRIMARY network and supported by the CORE Team.
  • A Core TESLA Creative IndustriesNetwork will be developed as a result of a) “NESTA Toolkit Training Workshops” and b) adoption of the selected Virtual Collaboration Platform
  • Produce Toolkit Version 0.3: prototype supports for online virtual collaboration, which may include webinars, manuals, FAQs and help pages.

Key Milestones

  • September/October 2012: design of the proposal and of the selection criteria
  • December 2012/January 2013: open call for proposal
  • January/February 2013: selection & construction of the online platform
  • March/June 2013: TESLA Creative Network
  • July 2013/July 2014: Workshop
  • August/October 2014: Webinars

-Partners Involved & Roles

  • EBN:
  • will be responsible for the realization of this pilot action.
  • recruit experts
  • recruit 25 companies to be included in the network
  • organise 6 “Knowledge Transfer Workshop”
  • provide expertise e tools for the online platform and the toolkit.
  • Bangor University: is expected to organise
  • Configuration of the online platform
  • Recruit 25 companies for the network
  • Deliver 6 Workshops
  • Energise online network/ community
  • Tilburg University:
  • Organise 5 “Knowledge Transfer Workshops”
  • recruitment of 10 companies.
  • Creative NRW:as an observer, they will
  • drive practitioners in the creation of close links between knowledge creation, incubation, finance and clusters, thanks to their expertise.

-Locations for delivery

  • Delivery will take place mostly in the partner regions: UK, Belgium and Netherlands (Germany).
  1. Selection Process (for Experts / Beneficiaries)
  • Expert should be chosen in each partner’s network (i.e. EBN will chose experts from its BICs members)
  • Following assessment of applications based on the selection criteria chosen, action partners will proceed to the selecting delegates andwill issue notice to selected practitioners, mapping a timeline and providing a detailed roadmap of the process.
  1. Promotion to Potential Beneficiaries

Once the selection criteria are defined and the application form is designed, action partners will select target group in their regions and promote the pilot action also with supporting promotional material. Once the target group is reached, partners will highlight the importance of participating in this pilot action, based on the chance to share knowledge, resources, ideas and tools in order to accelerate growth, the opportunity to open the market, creating collaboration and partnership, enhancing regional development and the possibility of sharing new innovation support mechanisms for companies in the creative sector.

  1. Format of the application form to be used

Action Partners agree to use a need assessment form similar to the one used for others pilot actions but revised and adjusted for the peculiarities of the creative sector.

See Annex I.

  1. Selection Criteria / transnational Screening of applicants

Partners agree that for the peculiarity of the potential HPSU to be involved, they will indicate general criteria that refer to the creative sector and then they took the chance to see case by case with the support of business advisors within EBN network.

Creative industries could deal with:

  • Performing arts;
  • Ants and antiques;
  • Crafts;
  • Architecture;
  • Design;
  • Fashion;
  • Advertising;
  • Radio & TV;
  • Film and video;
  • Music;
  • Publishing;
  • Video games;
  • Software.
  1. Conditions of Participation / Eligible Costs that will be covered

When a public procurement is not required, partners will propose to provide an allowance of 1000€ covering the daily fee and the travel and subsistence costs of the invited expert.

  1. Indicative Action budget by partner

Partner Name / Budget Forecast
EBN / 132.221 €
Bangor University
Tilburg University / 58.056, 75 €
  1. Expected Outputs & Results (with reference to the approved TESLA application)

Tasks: Partners / EBN / Bangor / Tilburg / Total
N. of Knowledge transfer Workshops for Practitiones / 6 / 6 / 5 / 17
Online Platform / X / X
N. of components provided for the Toolkit / 2 / 1 / 1 / 4
N. of companies recruited / 25 / 25 / 10 / 60
  • Toolkit developed, trialled, and modified based on trial results
  1. Complementarities with other Initiatives (TESLA and others)

Concerning other TESLA initiatives, this pilot action could work in complementarity with:

  • Action 4, Internationalisation,
  • Action 6, Soft-Landing,
  • Action 7, Mentor Plus
  • Action 9, Entrepreneurial Finance

Pilot actions listed above strengthen the concept of internationalisation of high export potential of selected enterprises. Besides that, it is known that creative industries often suffer from a lack of access to finance, so it would be important to enhance the entrepreneurial finance of the creative sector.

  1. Transnationality (frontline partners and other partners) in design, development, decision-making, implementation and dissemination

Frontline partners will work closely in order to set up the scenario in which HPSUs will collaborate and explore their potentialities.

Besides that, partner regions in selecting target groups from their area will try to cover the largest part of it. An important role for this purpose will be played by the experts.

  1. Potential for Continuation / Mainstreaming

This pilot action should cover the gap between potential and real capacity for HPSUs to reinforce their settings and internationalise their market. Once implemented a solid base, not only in setting down the aforementioned tools but also in making HPSUs collaborate one with others, then these should be able to repeat best practises also in the future.