A plan and a model are deployed to identify shared needs/opportunities among the participating SMEs, which can be transmitted in the form of a challenge to the startups, and then materialize them through the joint execution of pilot projects aimed at testing technological solutions that can later be scaled up.

They are joint sessions between SMEs and startups where the participants present their proposals through a short presentation and serve to present an idea or a business in a defined time and space.

The B2B BIND SME facilitates networking between Startups and SMEs, with a matching system that streamlines the connection between interested parties.

These are the characteristics that participating SMEs must meet:

• SMEs with at least one center of activity in the Basque Country.
• SMEs with a staff of less than 250 employees.
• SMEs with interest and commitment to work with the Startups and that can have resources that imply a sufficient dedication and involvement in the different activities of the initiative.
• SMEs with sufficient technological maturity, or human resources trained for the process, who assign a person responsible for the program and who commits a dedication to the different activities of the initiative.

BIND SME is mainly focused on the following startup profiles:

• Startups that develop new innovative technologies applied to the industrial sector and its related services, or that have direct application in the productive processes and/or services of the participating SMEs that have already completed their technological development, and that are in a position to finalize the configuration of their service/product, that is, that have a product or service that can be seen, tested, proven, or even already available in the market.
• Startups that are no more than 8 years old, that propose the use of new technologies to improve business processes that need to accelerate their business development.
• Startups with application in the challenges proposed by the SMEs, and with fit in the sectors of specialization and areas of opportunity of the Specialization Strategy of Euskadi.

Participating SMEs undertake to:

• Accept and comply with the terms and conditions of the initiative.
• Attend and actively participate in the dynamics proposed in the initiative and comply with the work and tasks defined.
• Provide the dedication required for the development of the project once a collaboration contract between SME and Startup has been signed.
• The latter implies a minimum dedication of 40 hours to be able to get involved and get real benefit from the program, which implies a proactive participation towards the program and the work to be done internally in the organization.

The minimum tasks and hours to be developed are the following:

• Launching + Identification and Characterization of use cases = 10 hrs.
• Analysis and Selection of startups = 8 h
• Matchmaking Sessions (pitching + B2B Event with Startups)= 12 h
• Other internal reflection + communication = 10 h

Participating startups will commit to:

• Accept and comply with the terms and conditions of the initiative.
• Attend and actively participate in the dynamics proposed in the initiative and comply with the work and tasks defined.
• Contribute the dedication required for the development of the project once a collaboration contract between the SME and the startup has been signed.

The evaluation and coordination committee will analyze the use cases submitted by the SMEs. Once the startups that best fit the proposed use cases have been identified, they will be invited to participate in the initiative. The challenges identified by the SMEs will be published on the initiative’s website and a form will be set up to receive proposals from the startups.

Selection phase: startup evaluation and SME-startup matching

The startup selection process will be carried out in two phases: the Evaluation phase and the Matching phase.

The startup evaluation phase is structured in two sub-phases:

• The Pre-selection phase of candidate Startups by the Coordination and Evaluation Committee, which will offer a short list of startups to the SMEs for evaluation. Once the proposals are received, the Coordination and Evaluation Team will analyze the proposals, evaluating their adaptation to the published challenges, the technical capacity described by the Startup to respond to the challenge, the innovative component of the proposed solution, as well as the capabilities and experience of the work team proposed by the Startup. The evaluation will be based on a total of 100 points with the following distribution:

Evaluation Criteria

1) Value proposition (40%)

Level of innovation of the proposed solution.

Maturity level of the proposed proposal (market stage of the technology/product or service).

Impact of the proposed solution on the SME and the market.

Advantages of the proposed solution over market alternatives.

2) Team (20%)

Educational and professional skills of the promoter team.

Experience and knowledge of the sector to be applied.

3) Adaptation to the challenges posed (40%)

Compliance with the technical requirements of the challenge posed.

Level of project description (phases, scope, objectives, examples).

Ability to scale the proposed solution to SMEs with similar needs.

• The Startup prioritization phase by the SMEs, which after having received the short list from their committee with the appropriate recommendations, will choose those Startups they consider most appropriate to address their challenges. These are the ones that will finally be invited to attend the Pitching Sessions.

After the SMEs have prioritized their favorite startups, the corresponding Startup Pitch Sessions will be held for the SMEs.

• During the pitch sessions, the Startups will present their solutions applicable to the challenges posed and will serve as a starting point for the SME to request a meeting agenda at the B2B event.
• During the B2B event, the SME will be able to prioritize a maximum of 5 startups with which it wants to meet in a first working meeting, either commercial or technical, and that will be the starting point for potential collaboration of projects in the following months.

The final phase for the configuration and development of projects.

Through the B2B event, the BIND Team will enable contact between SMEs and startups that have been selected, without any obligation or liability for any business relationships that may be established, after such contact between them.

The associated SMEs that have found a technological solution with the capacity to respond to the challenges posed, will sign, where appropriate, a contract directly with the Startups, the projects whose further development of which SPRI will have no role or participation whatsoever. The scope, objectives, duration and economic conditions under which the joint project will be developed will be defined and agreed upon freely by both parties, without the participation of SPRI.

The content of the contract will bind only the signing parties, i.e., SME and startup, since it is a private agreement that establishes rights and obligations between them.

Therefore, the fulfillment of the obligations assumed by the parties (SME and startup), will be the sole responsibility of the party responsible for such obligation. Specifically, the payment of the price agreed upon by the parties (SME and startup) will be made by the participating SME, being SPRI expressly exonerated from any responsibility or obligation, both in relation to the payment of the price, as well as any of the obligations agreed upon by the parties (SME and startup).