Accelerating innovative e-storage solutions with the STEPS Business Support Programme
A new business support programme for energy storage companies within North-West Europe was launched. The STorage of Energy and Power Systems (STEPS) Business Support Programme will support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in bringing their energy storage solutions to the market. As part of the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme, the STEPS project aims to strengthen the collaboration and competitiveness of businesses in the region and lead NWE to the forefront of energy storage innovation.
Applications for SMEs to receive knowledge and business support is open, please apply urgently: further details here.
The STEPS programme will support 40 businesses through a competitive voucher programme that offers €12,5k worth of assistance from leading universities to each business free of charge. Additionally, 20 of these companies will receive expert support worth €50k each to demonstrate their technology at regional end-users (testbeds) throughout North-West Europe.
The programme combines business support and knowledge partners from Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom to strengthen the competitiveness of innovative energy storage solution providers in North-West Europe (NWE).
STEPS offers SMEs a user-centric, demand-driven approach to bring their products closer to the market through tailored testing. Specifically, knowledge and business partners will advise e-storage SMEs on entering new markets in North-West Europe, engage with potential end-users, and increase the awareness of solution providers. STEPS will also connect end-users with providers of new e-storage solutions via a business support programme to increase their technological readiness level (TRL) through real-life testing.
The opportunity for SMEs to demonstrate their solutions at a real end-user allows businesses to showcase and develop their e-storage solution, empowering them to scale up and grow their innovation. Additional expert advice on legal, market, and business models will help SMEs reach new customers and successfully grow their business. Through the STEPS programme, energy storage innovators in North-West Europe will solve local challenges and boost their competitiveness in the global market.
Flux50 is the membership organization that helps Flanders gain international recognition as a Smart Energy Region. Flux50 facilitates cross-sector collaboration between energy, IT and building companies to enhance the competitiveness of the Flemish smart energy industry in the transition towards low carbon systems.
To bring innovative and fully-integrated energy products and – services to the international market, Flux50 sets up and coordinates living labs in five ‘innovator zones'.
Flux50 brings together relevant players from industry, academia and government and provides them with project support, networking opportunities and a knowledge-sharing platform.
More information
Business support programme website: https://www.stepsnwe-applicati...
STEPS website: https://www.nweurope.eu/projec...
STEPS Twitter: https://twitter.com/stepsnwe
STEPS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/compa...
Contact
Marc Vermeeren
International Project Manager
Flux50
marc.vermeeren@flux50.com
Juliska van Doren
Communications Officer
Bax & Company
j.vandoren@baxcompany.com
Wieteke Meijer
STEPS Project coordinator
Oost NL
wieteke.meijer@oostnl.nl