EU-Brazil Innovation Pitch Competition

• The competition is open to participants from all nationalities and all scientific disciplines.

• When submitting their contribution to the Innovation Pitch competition, eligible participants should:

  • Be 18 years or older AND

  • Hold at least a Master's degree, AND

  • Develop a science-based innovation project, a start-up, a research spin-off enterprise either to bring their innovation to the market, or to tackle societal challenges.

  • In case of start-up or spin-off, at least one of the team members must be currently enrolled in a Masters, PhD or post-doc programme OR working as a professor or researcher at a recognised university, research institute/centre or private research company in Brazil.

• To enter the competition participants must be willing and able to participate in the final Innovation Pitch competition that will be held in Brasilia on 10 December 2019, during the event entitled “Brazil & European Union Cooperation bridging Research & Innovation”. Expenses will be covered by the organisers (see below).

• Candidates must show proficiency in English to be able to present their pitch in English in a clear and understandable manner and to take part in any meeting with European Commission officers or any other related parties during the trip to Europe (prize of the competition).

The pitch contest is for you the opportunity to present your project in front of a panel of experts and improve your communication skills! All finalists will be awarded a trip to Brasilia to attend the EU-Brazil cooperation event: research bridging innovation on 10 December.

In addition to that:

The winner of the LIVE finals will be awarded the first prize. The first prize consists of:

• A free round-trip to Europe in 2020 to Brussels or other destination in Europe, to be defined by organisers of the prize;

• Participation in a week of meetings with european innovation actors and networks, visits of EU institutions and research organisations.

• Participation (free of charge) in events related to innovation during the week of stay to be confirmed.

The prize is a unique opportunity to network with peers, meet potential partners, get information about cooperation opportunities, discuss and improve your project.

The Innovation Pitch Competition consists of two stages: Winners of the ‘virtual’ pre-selection will qualify for the live finals to be held on 10 December 2019 in Brasília.

The ‘virtual’ pre-selection

To enter the competition participants are invited to submit a written application filling in an online form available here (bit.ly/EUBRinnovationpitch-apply). A notification email confirming receipt will be sent within 5 working days.

Submissions are possible from 1 to 24 November 2019 midnight (Brasilia time). No applications will be accepted once the number of applicants reaches 100.

The organisers take no responsibility for entries that are defective, lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason.

The online competition will be evaluated by a jury selected by the organisers. Five finalists will be selected from all submissions received by the end of the submission deadline.

Candidacies will be assessed based on the following criteria, all of equal importance:

• Quality and scientific relevance of the research presented

• Innovation factor (novelty, Ground-breaking factor)

• Scope of impact (Capacity to solve a global challenge or market potential)

Finalists will be notified by email. The selection will also be announced on the organisers’ websites and social media channels.

The judges’ decision will be final, with no possibility of any appeal.

The live finals

The 5 finalists will compete at the live finals of the Innovation Pitch Competition to be held on 10 December 2019 in Brasília.

Round trip economy flights and hotel accommodation (up to 2 nights) will be provided for the finalists based outside Brasilia.

There is no application fee. Round trip economy flights and hotel accommodation (up to 2 nights) will be provided for the finalists based outside Brasilia.

The 5 finalists will compete at the live finals of the Innovation Pitch Competition to be held on 10 December 2019 in Brasília.

Round trip economy flights and hotel accommodation (up to 2 nights) will be provided for the finalists based outside Brasilia.

The 5 finalists will be presenting live in front of an interdisciplinary audience composed of members of the research and innovation community and a jury made of experts from the academia, research institutions, innovators, private sector, funding agencies and/or policy makers.

1. The presentations will be done by one person only.

2. Every presentation will be done in English.

3. Each presentation shall not exceed 5 (five) minutes.

4. Participants are free to choose presentation styles as they see fit. Their presentation must include up to 3 slides. The organisation will provide the slides template.

5. Finalists should clearly explain the challenge they address and how their innovation will bring a solution.

6. The presentations/ performances of the 5 finalists will be assessed based on the criteria listed above, all of equal importance.

7. The presentations/performances of the 5 finalists will be assessed based on the three criteria listed above, with the addition of a fourth criteria, All of equal importance:         
   
   - Performance and structure (Ability in communicating).

8. A prize will be awarded to the best project as decided by the jury.

By entering the competition, the winner agrees to support the organisers with the production of further promotional material (which may include photography, filming or interviews) in the context of the Innovation Pitch competition as the organisers may reasonably require.

Applications are reviewed by a judging committee of experts. If you are selected to pitch, you will present your project to the public. Therefore, be sure not to include information you want to keep confidential in your presentation.

The application deadline was 24 November 2019. The results were communicated by email to all participants on 2 December and published on the organisers websites and social media  the same day. 

The EU - Brazil Innovation Pitch is jointly organised by EURAXESS Brazil, CONFAP and ENRICH Brazil.

What is EURAXESS Worldwide?

EURAXESS Worldwide is a networking tool for researchers and innovators working outside Europe wishing to collaborate and/or pursue a research career in Europe. It has dedicated teams in the following countries and regions: ASEAN (focus on Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC, focus on Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico), China, India, Japan and South Korea, and North America (US and Canada). EURAXESS Worldwide provides information about research and innovation in Europe, job vacancies, European research policy, as well as opportunities for research funding, international collaboration and trans-national mobility.

What is CONFAP?

The Brazilian National Council of State Funding Agencies (CONFAP), is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote a better articulation of the interests of the Brazilian State Funding Agencies (FAPs), for the promotion of scientific, technological and innovation research in Brazil. CONFAP brings together 26 FAPs, and works as an active part of the Brazilian National Science, Technology and Innovation System. At the international scale, CONFAP implements cooperation agreements with numerous partners such as the European Union, UK, France, USA, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, among others, so as joint multilateral initiatives. With the European Union, CONFAP supports joint activities and R&I collaborative projects in the framework of Horizon 2020, so as the cooperation with the European Research Council (ERC) and hosts Brazilian National Contact Point for the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions-MSCA, in the scope of increasing Brazilian mobility schemes with the European Union.

What is ENRICH?

ENRICH in Brazil is the Brazilian pilot centre of the European Network of Research and Innovation Centres and Hubs, supported by the European Commission in its pilot stage, with other pilot centres located in China and the USA. The mission of ENRICH Brazil is to encourage and facilitate the cooperation in research, technology and entrepreneurship between Europe and Brazil by supporting and empowering all innovation actors (public & private) along the innovation (value) chain. Strategic objectives of ENICH are to promote excellence in Business, Research, and Innovation (B&R&I); to create a win-win situation for Brazilian and Europeans in the area of Science, Technology, and Innovation; to connect European researchers & entrepreneurs in the Brazilian market; to connect Brazilian researchers & entrepreneurs in the European market; to offer Services to Brazilian and European clients; to integrate existing European and Brazilian initiatives, projects, and networks.

Feel free to contact us at brazil[at]euraxess.net