Accelerate Izmir is a global growth-focused acceleration programme designed specifically for startups, scaleups and SMEs that need support in commercialisation and internationalisation. Since it aims to support businesses in global markets, it is shaped within the content of ‘Global Growth Focused Acceleration Programme.

It is Turkey's most comprehensive acceleration programme in terms of training and coaching content focusing on scaling your business through internationalisation or making it investment-ready. Throughout the programme, the focus is on providing companies with a ‘global’ perspective and opening up to global markets. While other acceleration programmes focus more on domestic market dynamics and business culture, Accelerate Izmir is designed to inform and prepare entrepreneurs about the cultural, economic and commercial dynamics in different markets.

The differences of Global Growth Focused Acceleration Programmes from other Early Stage Acceleration Programmes in terms of their focus areas are summarised in the table below.

In order to apply for the program, you are expected to meet the following conditions:

• Develop an innovative product or service in the Clean Technologies or ICT sectors
• HAVING A REGISTERED OFFICE IN IZMIR, having completed the incorporation process or committing to incorporation before the start of the program
• Working with a team of at least two people

You will reach services on financial criteria that international investors are looking for, commercialization roadmap while internationalizing, what you need to have for promotion, marketing and access to finance, how to protect your technology globally with intellectual property rights, how to create potential customers for sales growth, etc.

The key criterion is having a global mindset. For instance, as a late-stage business – post-product, post-revenue, shortened sales cycle etc. – you will be able to form a global lead-generation strategy or basic financial metrics for investors. If you are more early-stage, you will understand what gloabisation looks like – how to conduct market research, landscape analysis etc. – your understanding of globalisation will still increase significantly. That’s why it’s called the Growth Strategy Validation Progtamme. From an innovation perspective, we are looking for ideas at TRL 4+ level, but even if you are a well established SME that needs support to globalise, we want to hear from you too.

The program offers the following support:

• A total of 84 hours of training to be completed in 10 weeks, delivered in half-day training sessions,
• A total of 18 hours of private coaching support, including support for the Commercialization Process Roadmap that will be created specifically for your business in line with your growth and globalization goals,
• Support for investment preparation and meeting with investors,
• Participation in networking events with corporate companies and foreign country representatives,
• Marketing support, intellectual and property rights support including patent applications, and overseas site visits for selected companies within the scope of Plus Services

Calls remain open for 1 month. Call start and closing dates are updated on our website.

Three independent evaluators (experts in the field of entrepreneurship and 1 sector-focused technology evaluator) will review your application. Those who pass this written assessment are invited to an online interview in the next stage. In this interview, a presentation not exceeding 10 minutes is required.

Applicants who do not pass the evaluation processes have the right to reapply.

During the program, you are required to dedicate one day a week for 10 weeks to the trainings. The trainings are delivered physically and online in two half-day sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. The training program is structured interactively with preparatory activities to be developed on the relevant topics before each session. However, the preparatory work to be presented before the trainings is prepared by taking into account your work schedule and workload.

During the program, a dynamic and interactive Commercialization Process Roadmap specific to your company will be created with your coach who will guide your team in line with your goals in your internationalization and investment preparation processes, and support will be provided for your company's needs in the acceleration process. The dates of the company and coach meetings are determined jointly by the coach and the companies according to the convenience of the parties.

CEOs or founders are preferred to participate.

https://izmirnic.tawk.help/tr