From the Industrial Park an initiative to promote innovation and foster young businesses. Established by the Lionello Bonfanti Association, the "Giovanni Bertagna Startup Prize" is born. This award is dedicated to the entrepreneur and Loppiano citizen who left us in 2020.
To participate in the call for entries, startups and business ideas must carry out their activities in the fields of: applied high technology, environmental sustainability, innovative services to people and the most diverse expressions of innovation in the social field. Registration for the “Giovanni Bertagna Startup Prize” is free of charge and open to all groups, whose members have not exceeded 35 years of age at the time of the call deadline.
Participating startups must have been underway for a maximum of 30 months on the date of publication of the Prize and established with registered and operational headquarters in Italy, while teams not yet established must have implemented at least four months of experimentation of their product.
“Giovanni was one of the very first entrepreneurs who came to the Industrial Park to help promote and develop the Economy of Communion (EoC),” says Virginio Grillo, president of the Lionello Bonfanti Association, promoter of the “Giovanni Bertagna Startup Prize.” Giovanni Bertagna, from Brescia, had moved to Loppiano in 2006 and, with his wife Giuliana, had started the historic enterprise “Philocafè,” which operated at the Lionello Bonfanti Industrial Park from 2007 to 2015.
“On the 30th anniversary of the EoC, the Industrial Park Gallery of the same name was dedicated to him. In conjunction, we were trying to figure out how we could put into practice that part of our Articles of Incorporation where we set out to give birth to and support innovative start-ups. So, it came natural to dedicate this award to him,” adds President Grillo.
The announcement states, “The award is aimed at innovative business projects that intend to operate in line with the principles of the Economy of Communion.” It goes on to say, “It was created with the aim of rewarding the best startup projects that are in the process of being established or have already started, evaluated among those received through the national call for entries.”
“The jury,” Virginio Grillo explains, “is composed of the following: trainers, entrepreneurs, experts in legality and in the field of business incubators, people all culturally related to the Economy of Communion.
The deadline for the call, scheduled for last March 20, has been moved to April 20, 2023..
The call for entries includes cash prizes for the top three: to the first, a prize worth 5,000 euros; to the second and third, a prize each of 2,000 euros.
How to participate:
Startups, who wish to compete for the award, must fill out the application (downloadable here (718 KB) and submit it by April 20, 2023 to the email address: associazionelionellobonfanti@gmail.com. You may supplement the application by attaching a presentation of up to 12 slides.
By April 29, 2023, the jury will select the application of the three start-ups that will be awarded on May 29, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the event: “Innovative Social Enterprise Day” at the Lionello Bonfanti Industrial Park.
For more details, download the full announcement.
For information and clarification, contact the organizing secretary of the Lionello Bonfanti Association at the above email, or at: associazionelionellobonfanti@pec.it or by visiting the website associazionelionellobonfanti.it