“Business Projects” office in Metropolitan City of Bologna
About this good practice
The mission of Business Project office is to encourage and promote the creation and development of new business activities. It is aimed at all people who have a business idea to develop in the metropolitan area.
Business project office offers to aspiring entrepreneurs specific advice on everything one needs to know to start a business: from purely bureaucratic aspects to organizational, managerial and practical feasibility indications, up to the possibility of drafting a business plan.
A particular focus is aimed at the possibility of intercepting economic aid in the form of contributions, incentives in the panorama of business facilities.
The service is based in Bologna and is supported by a network of 7 territorial local desks located throughout the metropolitan area.
Business Project office offers:
• accompanying the development of the business idea and the feasibility check, through personalized consultancy for the development of the idea and the drafting of the business plan;
• information on data, bureaucratic, administrative and legal obligations;
• assistance in identifying competent bodies and services in startups and businesses;
• insights into economic and legal issues related to the various business sectors;
• information on opportunities, loans and grants issued in favor of new businesses and support in research and identification of the type of aid consistent with the business project;
• information on existing business culture training activities.
Expert opinion
A strong entrepreneurial culture and activity is essential to the dynamics of regional economies. While it is important to make the creation of a new business as easy as possible from an administrative point of view, it is equally important to provide unexperienced entrepreneurs with basic knowledge and advices in order to reduce mistakes and unnecessary failures. This what the practice does.
Having such access points in the municipal or subregional level can also contribute to increase within the local administration the entrepreneurial culture and the understanding of the needs of entrepreneurs.
Besides the START EASY project, the OSS project offers also interesting practices on local municipal/regional networks of access points dedicated to business creators in their very early stages: hoopid.no and the Digital tool for supporting Start-ups from the Norwegian region Vestlandet are for instance quite successful initiatives.
Resources needed
The estimated structural costs are approximately 400,000 euros for the period 2015-19 considering the cost of internal and external personnel, contracts, and others (organization of events, Barresi Prize, etc.). The estimated budget invested since the start of the activities (1989) stands at 2.5 mil
Evidence of success
This practice is considered great because a public body such as the Metropolitan City of Bologna offers a free advisory desk to all entrepreneurs who want to get off to a good business start with their ideas. The results of the office are:
• over 10,000 business ideas advised, 350 business ideas on average every year
• over 1.000 companies started thanks to the support of the service
• establishment of an annual award (Barresi Award) for business ideas (from 6.000 to 10.000 euro for prize).
Potential for learning or transfer
The “Business project” office it is easily transferable with human resources, consultancy skills and economic resources. The service can be provided through physical and online offices. It is useful to choose staff with experience in business management. It is useful to choose staff with experience in business management and ability to network between the various realities of the area for business facilitation.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Metropolitan City of Bologna