Startup in Residence EdTech

Startup in Residence (SiR) is a proven method to connect public organisations with innovative companies, including startups. Besides the ambition to stimulate cooperation, the programme aims to tackle challenges facing education and develop innovative solutions for them. The focus of this programme is on applications of EdTech in higher education.

The aim of the programme is for educational institutions to work together with innovative companies that develop EdTech solutions in a more demand-driven and co-creation manner. Another aim is for institutions to invest in start-ups with the best innovative ideas so that their prototypes can be developed into successful products that improve education. The institution actively participates in a pilot to refine and finalise the solution. Is this pilot successful, and do both parties want to continue? If so, the institution has the option of acting as a launching customer.

EdTech refers to all technology, both hardware and software, that is made to improve the education given by lecturers and to improve the educational outcomes of students. For this programme, we have slightly broadened this framework. Technology applications that support students in studying outside the classroom, for example, also fall under EdTech in this case.

This programme is suitable for educational institutions that would like to cooperate with (small) innovative companies. The programme is designed to facilitate this in an accessible manner. First of all, the programme will provide clear information and handy checklists to help with the setup. Secondly, complicated tenders and grant applications are made a lot easier, as these are already done prior to the cooperation. In the event of success, it will be possible to proceed immediately with the further implementation and roll-out of the solution. Thirdly, the training and mentoring programme is fully geared to the knowledge and experience needed to make such a partnership a success, so that the educational institution and the startup are both supported.

The duration of the programme is approximately one year, with the first four months of preparation, six months of operation and two months of evaluation. The participating institution reserves €10,000 pilot budget per challenge, plus a budget and staff for attending the training programme, conducting the pilot with the startup and then possibly implementing the solution.

In addition, the institution must provide access to relevant data and contacts to assist the innovative organisation. Furthermore, the institution is part of the mentoring and training programme. And is expected to work closely with the startup to make the programme a success, through experimentation, testing and evaluation.

First of all, the programme team collects challenges from educational institutions. Based on this, a selection is made based on several requirements and preconditions. Next, sessions are planned with the selected challenge holders to make the challenges more specific. With these ‘challenge holders’, a so-called SiR contract is signed with several challenge holders, which is the start of cooperation and search for innovative organisations that can submit a solution.

Next, the project team starts the tender process based on the challenge description. When this is approved, it will be published and it is time to reach as many startups as possible for possible solutions. After a statutory period during which companies can register, it is time to make a selection of suitable solutions. This process is also structured and predetermined. Has a suitable cooperation partner been found? Then the co-creation process between institution and startup can begin. During the incubation phase, both parties follow a mentoring and training programme focused on specific themes that are relevant during such a process.

Participating institutions: the key to the programme lies with the participating universities of applied sciences and universities that submit a challenge. The first version of SiR EdTech is intended to clarify whether this approach is seen as enrichment by the participating institutions.

EdTech working group for educational innovation: The working group EdTech of the Acceleration Plan is the leader of the programme and, with a project team, will help the institutions formulate challenges to which the startups can respond. This involves a specific challenge with several criteria against which a proposal will be assessed. The project team will also be responsible for recruiting startups and mentors, designing the training programme for the institutions and startups, and then implementing the actual programme, including setting up and supervising the planned pilots.

SURF: SURF will provide support in setting up and supervising the programme to make all the necessary preconditions possible. This will include coordinating the procurement process and directing the right people within SURF.

What results have other Startup in Residence programmes achieved?

Startup in Residence is a proven methodology, developed by the Municipality of Amsterdam, which has already proven successful at several public sector organisations. For example, between 2015-2018 the programme at the Municipality of Amsterdam [1] [Dutch only)] led to a selection of 34 startups and rewarded them with participation in the so-called incubation programme. Of this group, an actual collaboration had been established with 16 of them in various forms of public-private partnerships. The working group EdTech wants to realise this movement within the educational field as well, so that such collaborations grow within this sector as well. For this purpose, the basic aspects of the programme are used, the same steps are followed, and the focus is on potential collaborations for the education sector.

[1] https://startupinresidence.com/amsterdam/media/sites/2/2019/06/Startup_In_Residence_Report_NL.pdf