KIS-PIMS designed and implemented an innovation-voucher-based incentive scheme addressed to small businesses to enable their access to innovation management expertise that lead to their better investor readiness.
Work flow of the KIS-PIMS initiative
The KIS-PIMS envisaged work plan was divided into the following work packages:
WP1 focused on the assessment of the skills and research needs for innovative PIMS service companies.
WP2 developed the specifications of support scheme so that they optimally supported PIMS companies in their service innovation plans in three Member States (Finland, France Austria).
WP3 designed and packaged the various innovation support tools with a specific adaptation to PIMS service ventures. These tools included SAT Pro for business risk, ProRETT and SAT Pro for technology risk, Competence test for financial risk, and IMP3rove and Decision Profiling for managerial risk.
WP3 also detailed the work flow for the innovation voucher calls for proposals.
WP4 organised calls for proposals and selected received proposals which were implemented with the innovation voucher schemes.
WP5 resulted with the implementation of support schemes in 3 Member States (Finland, France, Austria) using the innovation voucher schemes. There was also cross fertilisation between SMEs and between Clusters.
WP6 focused on the Dissemination and Exit Strategy. This WP also included the creation of an accreditation scheme for support players to certify their capacity to use the support package. In order to replicate the action in new regions, WP6 trained clusters and innovation agencies in 10 new EU regions. It widely promoted the voucher concept through continuous awareness rising.
WP7 was the work package devoted to project management.
