Step by step: how to successfully apply for the Seeds of Bravery project?
June 6, 2024 — A comprehensive Info Day during which Funding Box experts shared all the insights on how to successfully complete the applications was held online within the Seeds of Bravery (UASEEDs) project. The event’s agenda focused on providing a comprehensive overview of the application process for the UASEEDs programs, including: a step-by-step guide to applying, insights into the Guide for Applicants, clarifications on eligibility requirements, important factors to consider when applying, details on evaluation criteria and selection processes.
The event brought together a diverse group of speakers, including:
- Yana Paladiieva — Head of Projects and Programmes at the Ukrainian Startup Fund;
- Maria Karpilowska – Project Manager at Fundingbox;
- Olha Stoliarchuk – Legal Lead at Fundingbox.
Maria Karpilowska provided a detailed introduction to the “Seeds of Bravery” project during her presentation. She emphasised the project’s focus on sectors like cybersecurity, healthcare, industry, education, agriculture, mobility, and energy, though not limited to these areas alone.
Maria then introduced the five distinct support programs or “streams” available under the project. She detailed the specific services and non-financial support each stream offers, such as matchmaking activities, access to investors, and specialised programs for deep tech incubation and female entrepreneurs.
Moreover, Maria discussed the application process, from understanding the project through the Guide for applicants to navigating eligibility criteria and application steps. She stressed the importance of the guide for comprehensively understanding how to engage with the project and what to expect during the application and evaluation processes.
In closing, Maria urged potential applicants to utilise the Guide for applicants and the FAQ document as essential resources for ensuring a successful application, and she clarified key terms and roles within the project’s structure, from applicants and beneficiaries to the consortium and selection committee.
Olha Stoliarchuk provided a comprehensive overview of the eligibility and application process for the Seeds of Bravery project. Olha clarified that the term ‘innovative’ is well-defined in the Guide for Applicants, which serves as a critical resource for potential applicants uncertain about their eligibility.
Olha also explained the importance of company registration, stating that there are no restrictions on how long a company has been established in Ukraine. However, for European countries, only companies registered after February 24th are considered. Additionally, she mentioned that companies registered in the UK are only considered if registered after January 1st, 2024.
Highlighting the project’s aim to support the Ukrainian ecosystem, Olha noted the requirement for at least one founder or top manager to hold Ukrainian citizenship. She emphasized that the project seeks to support physical persons actively working in their companies, rather than companies owned by other companies.
Regarding the application process, Olha detailed the specific steps and documents involved, including the necessity of a self-assessment form to help applicants determine their status as an SME. She stressed that eligibility is checked throughout the project, from initial application through the duration of the support program.
Finally, Olha discussed certain restrictions, such as the exclusion of applicants or companies with beneficial owners holding Russian or Belarusian citizenship. She also covered the project’s stance on supporting only civil applications, with a strict prohibition against any military use, except in dual-use scenarios where additional authorization might be required.
After that Maria Karpilowska explained in detail the application process for the Seeds of Bravery program. She described the initial step involving a simple registration form on One Pass platform, where applicants provide basic information about their company. This form is crucial as it allows for an automatic check of eligibility criteria, streamlining the process by quickly filtering out ineligible applicants, thus saving time.
Maria emphasised that the short application form needs to be filled out only once, even if applicants wish to apply for multiple programs within the Seeds of Bravery initiative. She walked through the process of accessing and completing the form, including creating an organisation profile and confirming agreement to the terms of the open call and privacy notices.
Once submitted, an automatic check is performed, and applicants will receive an email either congratulating them for moving to the next step or regretting their ineligibility. Successful applicants are then invited to submit a full proposal through a link provided in the email, using their unique application ID to continue their application journey on a second platform.
Yana Paladiieva clarified the application process for the Seeds of Bravery project on the USF portal. She emphasised the importance of using the same email address for both the Funding Box and USF portals to avoid registration issues.
Yana explained the full proposal structure, which includes sections on excellence, impact, and implementation, emphasising the importance of including a detailed budget and resources.
Furthermore, Yana offered specific guidance for the Business and Innovation Services Program, advising applicants to ensure their cost estimates include only eligible expenses and match the quotes provided in their application offers. She stressed the importance of the offer being official and corresponding exactly to the requested services, with consistent pricing throughout the application documents.
Yana also provided tips for applying to other streams like Innovation Entrepreneurship, Deep Tech Incubators, Rebuild Ukraine, and Deep Tech Scale Up and Acceleration, such as ensuring the TRL level matches program requirements and confirming no direct military applications. She encouraged inclusivity, specifically the inclusion of women on teams, which could lead to additional support.
In her closing remarks, Yana advised applicants to write clearly and concisely, focusing on explaining the innovation of their projects and aligning the budget with market prices and real expenses.
Maria Karpilowska outlined the comprehensive evaluation process for the Seeds of Bravery project. She detailed the subsequent steps, which involve an independent evaluation by two experts—one Ukrainian and one non-Ukrainian—across three main criteria: excellence, impact, and implementation. She noted that while the ethics criterion is considered during the evaluation, it is not scored like the other three.
Post-evaluation, Maria described how the selection committee convenes to review the scores and decide on the progression of proposals. This includes a consensus meeting and potentially a jury day for certain programs. Successful proposals that meet the threshold scores are then moved forward to a formal check and ethics self-assessment before the sub grant agreement is signed and support begins.
Finally, Maria emphasized the importance of understanding the detailed criteria and scoring methodology, which are thoroughly described in the Guide for applicants. She encouraged applicants to ensure they meet the high standards required for funding, with a total score threshold and minimum scores for individual criteria to pass the evaluation stage.
To watch the video recording of the Info Day #6, please follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiKq5-Unt2Q&t=20s
The initiative will continue to engage and inform participants through a series of subsequent Info Days, focusing on different facets of the Seeds of Bravery project:
- Info Day №8: Insights from Seeds of Bravery non-financial support
Do not miss the upcoming events!
Funded by the European Union, under the European Innovation Council (EIC). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. The UASEEDs project has received funding from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme under grant agreement No 101104445.