Thursday, January 10, the 9 companies selected by the Norman accelerator, 5 SMEs and 4 startups, presented their project in front of sixty experts and financial partners during the kick-off season 5 of the program.
This new edition will offer entrepreneurs an intensive program of business acceleration, coaching and individualized mentoring as well as the opportunity to benefit from an initial investment of up to € 150,000. The networking session that followed the presentation of the laureates allowed everyone to begin reconciliations according to their expectations and needs.
An initial diagnosis: assessment of risks and opportunities
From now and until June 26 (for startups), the laureates will follow a program developed based on a general diagnostics.
The FFWD Normandie team organizes individual meetings in each company to identify, with the help of an expert, growth issues and to set their priorities.
Coaching: a packaged offer for a business coaching
The programme is organized in coaching sessions on topics identified as strategic for all companies: financing, product offer, go to market and sales pitch. Depending on the initial general diagnostics, the company will be accompanied by 4 to 6 complementary modules. For each subject, an expert will intervene in collective sessions (workshop) and / or individual sessions to match the specificities of the companies and allow them to improve on operational issues.
Mentoring: a confidential accompaniment
It is a personal and voluntary accompaniment provided by an experienced entrepreneur during the program's duration. The objective is to help the entrepreneur to take astep back. At least two mentors will be identified for each accelerated company on the basis of their identified needs and there will be a commitment to exchange monthly. Relationships between mentors and accelerated companies will be exclusive and confidential (no interference with the accelerator)
A program punctuated with meetings and events
In addition to the FFWD'Day, the main event of the program since its inception in 2014, a Mentor Meet-up will be organized in April to initiate bridging between companies and mentors. In May, the accelerator will accompany accelerated companies in Paris on the Vivatech fair, the global meeting of startups. Finally, a meeting with the partners of the European project FFWD Europe in late March and in May will allow them an opening on the European markets.
