University Led Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (Uni Led)

Introduction

Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU) is implementing a developmental Project entitled (University Led Innovation and Entrepreneurship – UNI Led) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme/ Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP), Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHE) and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The overarching objective of the project is to contribute to the creation of new employment and economic empowerment opportunities for skilled youth through enhanced support to Palestinian start-ups and emerging entrepreneurs, as well as through fostering increased cohesion and collaboration amongst the innovation ecosystem actors – facilitating linkages and integration, particularly between academia, private sector and entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) including business incubators.

The project will focus on:

Supporting the potential of universities and affiliated innovation hubs to transform research originating from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) into viable industry/business ideas and solutions (including ideas responding to social and/or environmental needs and challenges).
Facilitate linkages and cooperation amongst MoHE, HEIs, ESOs including incubators/accelerators and the private sector to enrich the pipeline of incubated and investable start-ups (including social impact start-ups).
Foster improved access to comprehensive entrepreneurship-relevant information and data.

Uni Led programme providing 24-month support for innovators and entrepreneurs with business ideas that create social, economic and environmental impact in Palestine. The programme includes a pre-incubation ideation stage, training modules during incubation, business and operational coaching, consulting by sector experts and access to an extensive regional and international network of professionals and experts, seed funding and logistic support.

Programme Time Plan

Activity	Expected start date	Expected end date
First Stage: preparing and promoting the project and receiving applications.
Holding 4 orientation and networking workshops that target the private sector, academicians, and researchers, governmental and MFI in addition to an internal workshop targeting students.	01/03/2023	22/3/2023
Call for Entrepreneurs.	22/3/2023	25/4/2023
Evaluation of applications and acceptance of 250 participants in the programme.	22/3/2023	01/05/2023
Initiating partnerships and agreements through the signing of MOUs that support the work packages on innovation stimulation and entrepreneurship support.	01/05/2023	01/10/2023
Engaging of the Entrepreneurship Ambassadors at the PPU Business Incubator to carry out awareness and visibility activities and events about CISP.	10/2/2023	01/10/2024
Second Stage: innovation stimulation and capacity building of Students, Graduate and Researchers.
Phase1: Design thinking, ideation, and validation - 3 day training. Target group: 250 participants. 12 groups. Output: Submit an accurate description of the idea.	01/05/2023	30/06/2023
Phase 2: Commercialization and market research - 2 day training Target Group: 200 participants 10 groups Output: Marketing study submission.	01/07/2023	31/08/2023
Phase 3: Business Modeling، financial planning and presentation skills- 4 day training Target group: 160 participants 8 groups. Output: Submission of the business model.	01/09/2023	30/11/2023
Holding a career day for paid internship recruitment.	01/06/2023	30/06/2023
Innovation stimulating internships for 20 students in private sector partners for 3 months.	01/07/2023	31/12/2023
Submitting Business Models.	01/12/2023	01/01/2024
Final Business Competition (Demo days).	01/01/2024	30/01/2024
Third Stage: Providing business support with prototyping materials and tools includes mentorship services and networking.
Entrepreneurs with winning ideas will receive mentorship services, networking prototyping materials, and tools in pre-incubation phases of solution development.	01/02/2024	30/09/2024
Holding the PPU Students Innovation Showcase Conference.	1/4/2024	1/5/2024
Project closing	1/9/2024	1/10/2024

Aims of the Programme

This project aims to answer to the gaps in the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem stated in the finding of the gap assessment carried out by the UNDP through the project “Generating Youth employment and economic empowerment opportunities through advancing the Palestinian innovation ecosystem”.

According to the assessment study, the main gaps in the Palestinian innovation ecosystem are fragmentation and a lack of coordination among actors, including universities and the local private sector, limited entrepreneurial mindsets and some relevant skills within higher education institutions; there is some mismatch between private sector needs and research solutions developed by students and researchers, as evidenced by a lack of linkages and open cooperation between academia and the private sector, as well as limited support for startups through exposure locally, regionally and internationally, and limited pre- and seed funding for ideas and solutions.

PPU will be utilizing the expertise of the network of PPU actors including the ITTC, Deanship of Scientific Research, the Business Incubator, and the Industrial Synergy Center in addition to partners of the private sector through this project to overcome the shortcomings of the ecosystem in the southern parts of West Bank by establishing a specialized Center for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships - CISP that provides the primary gateway for researchers seeking to increase the impact of their work by connecting with the private sector through private sector sponsored research collaboration, licensing discussions, or connections with entrepreneurs and investors to support startup company formation.

The CISP will provide a comprehensive initiative that bridges the gaps between scientific research and the private sector to match the needs of both sectors (private sector and academia) by creating and supporting viable technical and scientific solutions that answer directly to the private sector problems requiring expertise and scientific solutions.

CISP will be established by setting up a well-shaped policy and legal framework that supports and regulates partnerships, administrative and legal practices, finance and equity, and contributions of all stakeholders working together from academia and the private sector.

Objective 1: Establishing innovative strategic partnerships for entrepreneurial development.

Objective 2: Building partnerships and awareness of CISP.

Objective 3: innovation stimulation and capacity building of participants.

Objective 4: private sector engagement and entrepreneurial projects development