Page 123 - guidance-supporting-europe-s-aspiring-entrepreneurs-policy-and-practice-to-harness-future-potential

Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

The Temporary entrepreneurial positions (TOP) programme is a good
example of an incubation programme from the Netherlands (see Example 26). It
provides multiple forms of support to new entrepreneurs including scientific
mentoring, a course on entrepreneurship and administrative support. These
forms of support guide new entrepreneurs through the first year of the company’s
operation, the year most crucial to the company’s success.

Example 26. TOP programme, University of Twente, the Netherlands

The University of Twente’s Temporary entrepreneurial positions (TOP) programme has been
running for 25 years. The scheme was set up to guide new businesses – in particular knowledge-
based firms – through their difficult first year and enable the local region to benefit from the
knowledge available from the university. The programme has been a great success and has
benefited over 400 entrepreneurs to date. The objective of TOP is to encourage graduates of the
university who are starting their own knowledge-based companies by housing them for one year
within one of the university’s participating research-groups relevant to their business.
Prerequisites for entering the programme are ownership of a business idea matching the
interest of staff members in one of the university’s research-groups and a consistent business plan.
The programme offers the entrepreneur the following support:
• office space at the research-group’s premises, paid by the programme;
• secretarial support (within certain limits), use of all communication aids: computer, fax, copier
and telephone in arrangement with the research-group;
• laboratory facilities – as some companies require access to expensive equipment, by
arrangement with the research-group, entrepreneurs may be provided with access to such
equipment;
• financing – to allow entrepreneurs to concentrate fully on product/business development, the
TOP-entrepreneur is granted an interest-free loan of EUR 14 500 where necessary, to be repaid
within four years;
• the Becoming an entrepreneur course – to help participating entrepreneurs develop important
skills such as how to write a sound business-plan. The course is part of the university curriculum
and is offered for free to students;
• scientific mentor – the researching staff member who ultimately decides upon the
entrepreneur’s participation in the programme also acts as ‘scientific mentor’;
• business mentor – the entrepreneur is matched with an experienced businessman who started
his own business in the past.
Participation in the TOP programme is granted on the basis of a business plan. The plan then
forms the basis for further business development in the incubation phase and its production is
guided by advice of the programme manager.
Participants in the programme receive both a mid-term review and exit interview with the TOP
commission. The commission monitors whether the entrepreneur is achieving his/her objectives. For
example, if the entrepreneur is found to concentrate too much on desk research and too little on
business the commission will intervene.

Source: http://www.utwente.nl/top/general_information/the_offer.doc/ [cited 03.09.2010]

Some HEI based incubators target students from specific sectors. For
example, the Aalto Start-Up Center at the Aalto University, Finland, is a business
incubator focused on developing innovative business ideas from the creative
sector into successful enterprises. Other incubators are aimed at academic staff

117