Belgium Impact Startup Awards Applications’ rules

An application can only compete in one category.

On the other hand, a company can file several different applications.

It is specified that any application may be reassigned by the organizer to another category than that initially planned by the candidate, if this is considered more relevant.

Applications have to be sent to  impactstartupawards@gmail.com

Organization participation fee (50€/application): BE28 3631 8591 7920 

If selected, Nominee fee for the organization is 400€ excl VAT.

Startup

An impact startup is a young innovative company that offers either a technological solution or an innovative service or product to resolve ESG issues.

An impact organization generates:

• Positive externalities rather than avoiding negative ones
• Solutions that deeply answer to a real society/environment stake
• Systemic innovations with positive outputs for all stakeholders
• Tangible results

In our concept, a startup, a scale-up, a VSE, a SME are all assimilated as long as the company has:

• <100 employees
• <10 years of existence
• >25% of the capital is held by the founder(s) and/or individuals. OR for not-for-profit is a vzw/asbl + assimilated legal entities.
• Headquarters are located and registered in Belgium and/or >50% of the capital is own by Belgian companies and/or Belgian residents.

Based on the applications, the organizers reserve themselves the right of assigning a startup vs scaleup special labels to differentiate the Nominees and the Winners.

A three-step selection process:

1st stage, to determine the Nominees:

For each category, all the applications received will be reviewed by a Startup and Sustainability Jury, made up of partner associations and key industry leaders, in order to determine the Nominees.

The Nominees will be revealed by the end of August, early September at the latest.

Application format is a 10 slides standard presentation (see below).

To guarantee commitment, quality and cover operational costs a 50€/application is asked (see below).

2nd stage, to define the Finalists:

The Nominees’ will pitch in front of a Category Industry Expert Jury, composed of industry experts in each category, in order to define the Finalists (winners) and their rank (in particular gold, silver and bronze).

The Finalists will be revealed by the end of September.

15 minutes (5min presentation + 10min Q&A)

3rd stage, to announce the Winners: 

The announcement of the Finalists’ rank (gold, silver and bronze) will take place in October (9th) at TheMerode.

1st stage, to determine the Nominees:

Format:

Powerpoint/PDF/… max 10 slides

Language:

English

Content:

• Slide1 – Company Purpose
  • Define the company/business in a short declarative sentence
• Slide2 – Problem
  • Ex: Describe the pain of the customer (or the customer’s customer)
  • Outline how the customer addresses the issue today
• Slide3 – Solution
  • Demonstrate your company’s value proposition to make the customer’s life better.
  • Show where your product physically sits
• Slide4 – Impact
  • Demonstrate your company’s impact.
  • How do you measure it? What current and future results.
• Slide5 – Why Now/Market Size
  • Demonstrate the right timing and potential 
  • Ex: Set-up the historical evolution of your category
  • Ex: Define recent trends that make your solution possible
  • Ex: Identify/profile the customer you cater to
  • Ex: Calculate the TAM (top down), SAM (bottoms up) and SOM
• Slide6 – Business Model
  • Revenue model
  • Demonstrate the business sustainability of your company
• Slide7-8 – Case study #1
  • Illustrate your impact and tangible achievements in the applied Award Category.
• Slide9 – Team
  • Founders & Management
  • Board of Directors/Board of Advisors
• Slide10 – Conclusion
  • Extra comments if useful

2nd stage, to define the Winners and their rank:

Format:

Live Pitch of 5 minutes

Live Q&A of 10 minutes

Content:

Based on the application Slide deck.

Focused on the Case Study to relate to the industry:

Illustrate your impact and tangible achievements in the applied Award Category.

Nominees’ selection:

Grade from (1-5) by the Startup and Sustainability Jury

Criteria:

1. Mission and Purpose:

Assess the clarity and depth of the startup’s mission. Evaluate the startup’s commitment to creating positive impact beyond financial gains.

2. Impact Measurement:

Look at how the startup measures its impact. This could include metrics such as social return on investment (SROI), environmental footprint reduction, number of lives improved, etc. The startup should have a clear understanding of the impact it aims to achieve and how it tracks progress.

3. Innovation:

Evaluate the degree of innovation the startup brings to its impact-focused solution. This could involve novel approaches, technologies, or business models that address social or environmental challenges in new ways.

4. Scalability and Sustainability:

Consider whether the startup’s impact model is scalable and sustainable in the long term. Assess its potential for growth and expansion without compromising its ability to generate positive impact.

5. Financial Viability:

While the focus is on impact, the startup still needs to demonstrate financial viability. Evaluate its revenue model, funding sources, and financial projections to ensure it has a sustainable business model to support its impact goals.

Finalists’ selection:

Grade from (1-5) by the Category Industry Expert Jury

Criteria:

1. Mission and Purpose:

Assess the clarity and depth of the startup’s mission. Evaluate the startup’s commitment to creating positive impact beyond financial gains.

2. Impact Measurement:

Look at how the startup measures its impact. This could include metrics such as social return on investment (SROI), environmental footprint reduction, number of lives improved, etc. The startup should have a clear understanding of the impact it aims to achieve and how it tracks progress.

3. Innovation:

Evaluate the degree of innovation the startup brings to its impact-focused solution. This could involve novel approaches, technologies, or business models that address social or environmental challenges in new ways.

4. Scalability and Sustainability:

Consider whether the startup’s impact model is scalable and sustainable in the long term. Assess its potential for growth and expansion without compromising its ability to generate positive impact.

5. Team and Leadership:

Assess the strength and diversity of the startup’s leadership team. Look for evidence of relevant experience, expertise, and a commitment to the organization’s mission and values.

6. Financial Viability:

While the focus is on impact, the startup still needs to demonstrate financial viability. Evaluate its revenue model, funding sources, and financial projections to ensure it has a sustainable business model to support its impact goals.

7. Partnerships and Collaborations:

Consider the startup’s ability to collaborate with other organizations, both within and outside the social impact space. Partnerships can help amplify impact and reach new audiences or markets.

8. Previous Achievements and Recognition:

Consider any previous awards, recognition, or milestones achieved by the startup. While not a definitive measure of impact, it can provide insights into the startup’s track record and potential for future success.

9. Public voice:

Online voting for the 2nd stage, to define the winners and their rank.

June/July:

• Call for Applications until Sunday 14 July!!!

Assess the clarity and depth of the startup’s mission. Evaluate the startup’s commitment to creating positive impact beyond financial gains.

September:

• Nominees announcement Tuesday 3 September
• Pitch Day end September

October:

• Finalists announcement early October
• Winners Ceremony Wednesday 9 October