Brussels, Belgium, 18 September 2018 – the European BIC Network has publicly launched the results of the ‘FIBIA Impact Report 2018’ presenting the support that the European BIC Network (BSOs and IBSOs) and Business Support Organisations receiving grants from JPMorgan Chase Foundation (S-IBSOs) provide to under-represented entrepreneurs (URE)[1] in Europe. The main objective of the FIBIA Programme (Fostering Inclusive Business Incubation and Acceleration) is to empower business incubators and accelerators to provide better services to under-represented entrepreneurs. Eighty organisations spread across Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom were surveyed and a comparative study was carried out to benchmark their structure, services and performance.

Among the 80 surveyed organisations 60% provided services to under-represented entrepreneurs in 2017, more than 30,500 clients were supported, of which 20,155 were under-represented entrepreneurs. More than 14,900 jobs were created in terms of full-time positions among under-represented entrepreneurs either as founders or employees of a startup.

By benchmarking three types of organisations[2], the study sheds light on the different incubation realities found in Europe. On the one hand, a slightly more traditional type of incubation provided by EBN members, who mainly operate on public-private partnerships. On the other hand, a group of S-IBSO of younger organisations which have leaner business models that rely more strongly on private grants and links with large corporates and banks.

Javier Echarri, Chief Executive Officer at EBN emphasizes that: “The input of this report shows that EBN Members are a great tool to ensure that innovation is promoted, stimulated and developed, mainly at regional and local level; and have the potential to contribute to greater inclusive growth at a European level.”

 -ENDS-

Background

FIBIA – Fostering Inclusive Business Incubation and Acceleration is a two-year programme delivered by European BIC Network (EBN) and supported by JPMorgan Chase Foundation with the objective to empower business support organisations to provide better services to under-represented entrepreneurs. To do this, FIBIA benchmarked the performance of 80 organisations located in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

EBN – European BIC Network is an established not-for-profit international association of EU|BICs, incubators, innovation centres, clusters and other intermediaries who help innovative startups and SMEs develop their innovative businesses. Our members are mostly public-private partnerships with a local economic development remit. EBN’s 250 members are spread over 40 countries in and out of Europe. Of those, around 150 are labelled quality-certified EU|BICs (Business and Innovation Centres). These EU|BICs are exclusively awarded a quality label by EBN that attests the excellence of their business support services. Every year, EBN conducts a performance survey to those 150 EU|BICs in order to track, identify and analyse the network’s added value to the economy. To date, EBN members have created thousands of new businesses and tens of thousands of new skilled and sustainable jobs.

Press Contact: Marta Gómez, marta.gomez@ebn.eu, +32 2 761 10 88

FIBIA Contact: Clarelisa Camilleri, clarelisa.camilleri@ebn.eu, +32 2 761 10 88

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