Applications for the 3rd edition (2017/2018) are closed!

Applications for the next SIRA programme will open soon. Keep an eye on our website and newsletter!

 

How to apply?

In order to be a Launching Customer after six months, the City of Amsterdam has issued a Request for Tender. This will have little noticeable effect on a startup, with the exception that startups are asked to complete a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD). If you’re a Dutch startup you can also complete the Uniform Europees Aanbestedingsdocument (in Dutch only) instead of the ESPD. Submit your application before 8 October 2017 (11:59pm).

Here you will find a to do list for the application:

  1. Fill in the application form
  2. Make sure that all information is complete and that you include the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) or the ‘Uniform Europees Aanbestedingsdocument (UEA)‘. Please make sure you download and open the UEA in Acrobat Reader.
  3. In the ESPD or UEA you declare that you meet the general criteria (See ‘Who can apply?’) and the specific criteria per issue.
  4. To download and fill in the ESPD follow the next steps:
    – Download and save this XML document;
    – Open the ESPD service tool and select the option ‘import ESPD’;
    – Fill in the ESPD and save as PDF;
    – Sign the ESPD using Adobe Acrobat Reader or print the document and sign it manually;
    – Upload the filled in and signed ESPD document as a pdf file with the rest of the requested documents;
    – For more information about the ESPD and how to fill it in please visit the website of the European Commission.

If you have questions, these can be submitted by sending an email. You can also attend the information meetup on 4 September 2017 (3 p.m. –  5 p.m., Voormalige Stadstimmertuin 4- 6, Amsterdam). Please sign up by sending an email, including your challenge of interest. Furthermore, please note that all applicants have to receive the same information. This means that questions asked through the website/email and on the information meetup will be stripped of all personal information and the answers will be published on the website (FAQ).

The best three applications per challenge will be selected to present their solution to the selection committee between 16 October and 20 October 2017.

The best solution per challenge will be selected to participate in the Programme. When selected the Startups are required to present the official Certificate of Conduct for Procurement or a copy of the request of the Certificate before the start of the Programme. A Certificate of Conduct for Procurement is a statement of the Ministry of Justice declaring that, as a result of an inquiry, there are no objections for the Startup to engage in this tender. The Certificate of Conduct for Procurement must be requested at the Ministry of Justice.

Start of the Programme on the 1st of December 2017.

Who can apply?

What do we define as a startup for this programme:

  • The business must not have been registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce or a similar chamber in its country for more than four years;
  • The business must consist of natural persons or a legal entity;
  • If the business consists of a legal entity, the business must have no more than ten salaried employees;

 

 

  • The business must not have contracted any subcontractors;
  • The business must own an MVP/prototype/beta version;
  • The business must not yet have paid customers for the product provided as the solution. The City has the intention to become launching customer with the Programme;

 

 

 

  • Startups must be able to align their features set with the market situation. We expect the business to be flexible and open to adjustments;
  • The business must not be a startup that has originated from another business that has 250 salaried employees or more.

Assessment

The assessment committee invites three startups per issue who can give a pitch for the assessment committee. It is up to the startups to decide on how they will do this (pitch, film, etc.), but they have a time limit of 10 minutes. Subsequently, the assessment committee will get an opportunity to ask questions for 10 minutes. The startups will be selected based on these 20 minutes and the application.

The assessment committee will arrive unanimously at one integral score based on the three criteria described below. The three aspects will be assessed conjointly, where each criterion has an equal weight. The assessment committee will give one integrated score because the integration of these criteria and the way they strengthen and positively affect another is an important part of the assessment.

The assessment committee will take note of the following aspects:

1. Vison and innovation

The assessment committee will look at the following aspects of vision and innovation. The more persuasive the vision and innovation, the higher the assessment.

  • What is the company vision in tackling the social challenge and to what extent does it contribute to solving the social challenge?
  • How unique is the design of the concept in the short and long term?
  • How creative and innovative is the bid whilst not losing sight of the chosen solution method?
  • To what extent does the product already exist and to what extent is the product innovative?
  • Is the technology innovative and can it be used for implementation with respect to the social challenge?

2. Impact

The assessment committee looks at what the positive impact on the City and/or its inhabitants could be. The bigger the expected positive impact, the better the evaluation of the committee.

  • The use of manpower, scope and task distribution across the Startup will be examined.
  • What possible impacts will the product or service have in the short and long term?
  • How can the currently available prototype or beta be further developed?
  • To what extent does the product or service contribute to the solution of the social challenge in question?

 

3. Realisation and implementation

The assessment committee will look at the following aspects of the realisation and implementation of the solution. The more specific the proposal for realisation and implementation, and the more confidence this instils, the higher the assessment.

  • How feasible is the solution?
  • How easily will the product/service be deployed and implemented?
  • Is the timeline realistic and is it financially feasible?
  • Who implements the solution?
  • Who maintains it?
  • What does this require in terms of cooperation with another department of the City or external suppliers?
  • What will the product or service look like in the short and long term, and what are the future prospects if it becomes a success?
  • Taking into account broader future implementation, the assessment committee also considers the scalability of the offered products and services and how they can be replicated in other cities.
  • The Startup has a clear expectation regarding the municipality’s role in order to realise its solution.