The new mentor is asked to attend the next SUBMARINER/Alliance pitching and match-making event. Travel costs can be covered by the Alliance+ project (Interreg BSR) based on availability. During the event, new cases and mentors have the opportunity to meet and build matches based on common interests and competencies, and new mentors are getting acquainted with the SUBMARINER Accelerator structures, tools and processes by trained mentors. Tools include the mentors’ forum and mentors handbook. Mentors are offered with the opportunity to create an online profile. See other mentors’ profiles here.

No. However, you have to attend the matchmaking events (see Question 1). You also may need to organise physical meetings with your case(s). The exact form of communication will be arranged jointly by the case owner and the mentor.

The Baltic Blue Growth Mentoring & Accelerator Programme is SUBMARINER Network permanent service to start-ups and SMEs and the product development expert’s group. Initially co-financed by the ERDF Interreg BSR project in Baltic Blue Biotech Alliance (2016-2019) and Alliance+ (2019-2021) projects, the Accelerator is by now increasingly financed through a mixture of funding streams raised through its own public and private members and supporters. So far, the Mentoring & Accelerator programme involves 70+ mentors and service providers, who have piloted their offer together with 26 cases between 29016-2019. Mentors are currently operating on a pro bono basis or are seconded by their organisations. Within the first 3 years Alliance project, all these cases had reached the next TRL, with numerous cases having gained new investors and/or having new products on the market. More information about the success of the project can be found in the Alliance brochure publication.

The Alliance was a brand name derived from the Baltic Blue Biotech Alliance (2016-2019) and Alliance+ (2019-2021) projects co-funded by the Interreg BSR and developed jointly  by many partners and the SUBMARINER Network in the driver seat. While Alliance project aimed to setup and pilot a transnational blue biotech mentoring and accelerator programme together with 18 partners, the Alliance+ aimed at operationalising the programme into a permanent service offer under the SUBMARINER Network. In this transition period, the Accelerator is growing and is inviting more mentors and service providers and supporters to join, in additions to 365 recruitment of cases, with the aim to expand and enrich its offered capacities within blue bioeconomy and other blue growth sectors. The vision is to level up the Accelerator scope to the  capacities to the SUBMARINER Network.

Finally, investors, accelerators, regions and philanthropists are invited to join the effort.

The mentoring programme is 100% tailored to the needs of the case. The case needs are articulated in the case application form and also during the initial interviews of the case owner with the mentor (during the initial business health-check). As such the mentoring programme does not have a fixed curriculum. The case progress is largely dependent on the case’s loyalty and dedication to implement the agreed steps with the mentor. Although, frequency may vary, as an example, a case owner can meet with their mentor 1-3 times per trimester (quarter). The terms of collaboration are termed in the SUBMARINER/Alliance mentoring contract.

Apart from the continuous mentoring, the service portfolio can include: scientific and technical support, access to biological resources, infrastructure and equipment, business development, legal advice, marketing and promotion. Moreover it includes training for ‘pitching’ and business support and access to investors. Whereas pre-acceleration services are expected to be offered in form of innovation vouchers – we will charge a percentage of the equity sold in the event, that an investors comes in. More information about the service categories can be found in the Alliance brochure publication

Ideally, the mentoring programme ends when the mentor and the case jointly decide to end the contract, e.g. when the milestones have been met. The milestones can be agreed in the initial  assessment phase and design of the implementation plan. In a less ideal scenario, failure to establish communication among parties for more than 3 months, despite efforts of parties, will lead to termination of the signed mentoring contract.

The Alliance Accelerator, as it was called until recently, has been successful in terms of setting up a unique transnational accelerator in the Baltics in a niche sector like blue biotechnology and adjacent blue tech sectors, all supporting blue bioeconomy markets. Between 2016-2019, the Alliance Mentoring & Accelerator programme, succeeded in mentoring 26 cases across the region, of which 6 cases managed to bring new products to the market or they have won awards in prestigious pitching competitions and enrolled next level accelerator programmes. Yet almost all of the cases have progressed within the product value chain with the support of the Accelerator. More information about the successful cases (2016-2019) can be found in the Alliance brochure publication.