LET-In relies on INESC TEC to help young entrepreneurs

LET-In relies on INESC TEC to help young entrepreneurs

Through the LET-In programme, the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CITE) of INESC TEC is part of the National Network of Incubators, a project that intends to accredit new entities and certify them for the attribution of "Incubation Vouchers".

19th January 2018

The Incubation Voucher gives access to a one-year incubation programme, with a backing of up to €5000, which can be used in incubators certified by IAPMEI and registered in the National Network of Incubators. Each incubator can receive up to 20 vouchers, which are later assigned to startups with less than one year.

This measure, aimed at boosting entrepreneurial skills and fostering the conditions for the acceleration and success of new companies, supports the development of businesses by hiring services from previously accredited incubators. It is framed in the “Entrepreneurial Voucher” modality of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship typology of Portugal 2020’s Incentive System.
LET-In - Laboratory of Technology Companies is a service that merges the pre-incubation of new business projects or startups in a proof-of-concept phase with a strong technological development component and an innovation laboratory to support the development of new product or service ideas.

This laboratory provides three incubation models, LET-In Scale Up, LET-InCatalyst and Let-In Pré Seed. LET-In Scale Up is a model that aggregates the provision of innovation management services, expert advice and access to funding programmes. LET-InCatalyst, or the pre-incubation services for projects or startups in the “seed” phase, includes consulting for business development and market testing, technology consulting, development of business partnerships and facilitating contact with and presentation to investors, participation in innovation labs, dissemination in social networks and in the media, access to meeting rooms, auditoriums and non-fixed workstations in open spaces, and access to the Alumni and mentoring networks. Lastly, LET-In Pré Seed aims to promote qualified and creative entrepreneurship, working in the training of researchers and development of seed projects and providing access to acceleration programmes, mentor networks, specialised workshops and dissemination and promotion actions.

LET-In is coordinated by CITE and has a highly interdisciplinary team of consultants, researchers and university professors, with academic training in the areas of Engineering, Economics, Management and Sociology, and with a vast professional experience in the areas of Valorisation and Transfer of Technology, Innovation Management and Technological Entrepreneurship.

The National Network of Incubators currently comprises more than 120 entities and is part of StartUp Portugal, one of the Government's strategies for entrepreneurship, which also has, for example, the StartUp Voucher (a monthly grant of €691.70 for doers between the ages of 18 and 35, Portuguese or living in the country, without an established company).