Number of prizes offered: Three.
Prize for the best entrepreneurial project
Ramon Molinas Foundation prize for best project with social impact
Audience award for best presentation
Aimed at: Students, alumni, professors, researchers, collaborating professors and management staff at the Open University of Catalonia promoting an innovative project.
Presentation period: From 22/01/2023.
Deciding period: 23/01/2023 – 13/04/2023.
Finalists announced: 13/04/2023.
Gala: 29/06/2023 (Antigua Fábrica Damm, Barcelona).
#SpinUOC 2023
The Ramon Molinas Foundation is collaborating with the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) with the objective of developing #SpinUOC 2023, an initiative which promotes innovation, the transfer of knowledge and entrepreneurship in the UOC community.
The contest is open to all students, alumni, professors, researchers, collaborating professors and management staff at the Open University of Catalonia that have developed a project, service or technological product that is both innovative and transferable to market.
Through a process of training and support, a jury will decide on the eight finalists that will attend the #SpinUOC 2023 gala. The evaluating tribunal will look at the added value of the initiatives, and the maturity and viability of the project. The finalists will present their projects on the 29 th June 2023 in front of industry leaders and organisations that are able to implement them or promote them in the right areas.
Deadlines and structures of #SpinUOC 2023
The presentation period for candidates will close on the 22th January 2023. Once registration has been accepted by UOC, all participants will complete an online course of 40 hours on the entrepreneurial process. After the initial training, in which candidates will need to hand in a canvas with a business model of their initiative, an executive resume and a video explaining their project, a technical evaluating committee will select the 20 applicants that will move forward to the next phase.
From the 1st to the 27th March, the selected projects will participate in a new phase of personalised training and advice where they will benefit from the input from an expert mentor. Over four hours, the candidates will complete a series of mentoring sessions focused on problem solving issues such as the value proposal, channels, sources of income or customer segments. Lastly, participants will need to hand in the second version of their canvas, an executive resume and an explanatory video on their project once again.
Once the second phase has been finalised, the evaluating tribunal will determine the eight finalists that will attend the gala on the 30th June 2023. The jury will analyse the proposals using the documentation presented, governed by the following criteria: strategic alignment and social impact, originality of the technology/knowledge component, feasibility, entrepreneurial profile and the scope for exposure for the project. From then until the day of #SpinUOC2023, the eight finalists will benefit from support focused on preparing the event.
Prizes of cash and the opportunity to meet industry stakeholders
On the 29 th June 2023, each finalist will have five minutes to present their project in front of an audience of 200 assistants, which will include leading figures and organisations that are able to implement or promote the projects in their fields.
#SpinUOC 2023 is made up of three categories: the ‘Prize for best entrepreneurial project’, which will award 3,000 euros to the most innovative idea; the ‘Ramon Molinas Prize for the best project with social impact’, awarding 2,000 euros; and the ‘Audience award for the best presentation’, of 2,000 euros. The Ramon Molinas Foundation is sponsoring the cash prizes of the award ceremony.
After the presentations and awards ceremony, the finalists will hold a series of meetings of no longer than ten minutes with stakeholders in their field. The finalists will also receive a ticket to 4Y4N at the Mobile World Congress 2023, where they’ll be able to promote their projects, and join UOC’s stand at the entrepreneurship fair.
About #SpinUOC
#SpinUOC is organised within the framework of Hubbik, the UOC platform created to encourage innovation, transfer of knowledge, entrepreneurship and open collaboration within the university. The initiative, which this year will be in its eleventh year running, has the support of the Ramon Molinas Foundation, Estrella Damm, the Foment del Treball, Seed&Click and from the Secretary of Universities and Research from the Business and Knowledge Department of the Catalan Government, with the co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).
Members of the #SpinUOC 2023 jury
Juan Álvarez, founder of Seed&Click and vice-president of the Spanish Association of Business Angels Network (AEBAN).
Joan Arnedo, professor of Information Technology, Multimedia and Telecommunications at UOC.
Noaa Barak, strategy manager director at the 4 Years From Now (4Y4N).
Eduard Bosch, deputy manager of Finance and Resources at UOC.
Joan Haro, member of UOC alumni.
Xavier Jaumejoan, director of the Technology Business Development at ACCIÓ.
Maria Mora, director of the Innovation Department at the Foment del Treball Nacional.
Mireia Riera, director of the UOC’s R&I department.
Enric Serradell, director of the MBA Department of Economics and Business Studies at UOC.
Xavier Cortés, director at Ramon Molinas Foundation.
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