The Alentejo Operational Programme for 2021-2027 works through 9 regional priorities to combat 5 regional challenges:

1. demographic revitalisation;
2. territorial sustainability and valorisation of natural capital;
3. consolidating the Regional Innovation System;
4. economic valorisation of regional resources;
5. strengthening the regional Urban System.

PACT's aim in UnicornQuest consists of focusing digitisation efforts for the Alentejo Operational Programme through the promotion of an innovative and intelligent economic transformation and ICT connectivity at the regional level.

This impacts priorities 1A - A more competitive and smarter Alentejo and 5A - More Territorially Cohesive Alentejo. These priorities of the Alentejo Operational Programme focus on SME growth and competitiveness, in order to strengthen the qualification and internationalisation of companies, as well as the development of the corresponding hosting infrastructures.

The Alentejo Operational Programme's priorities do not present a sectoral focus, which leads to a lack of defining guidelines for digital or green start-ups. Alongside the Regional Coordination and Development Commission of Alentejo, PACT intends to review current policy axes alongside the to recommend good practices that reinforce investment in digital facilities, providing full digital administration and e-services that attract companies and digital nomads towards rural areas through a more digital economic model.

More information can be found in the website for the Alentejo Operational Programme and in the full document.

The concept for the support of start-ups and the development of the start-up ecosystem is embedded in the broader concept of gradual pro-growth measures to support the Slovak economy and the innovation policy of the Slovak Republic.

The main indirect support measure is the Start-up Support Scheme (de minimis aid scheme) DM-16/2021 aimed at supporting the creation of new businesses and increasing the attractiveness of entrepreneurship as a career choice.

The scheme is implemented in the form of:
· general and professional advice, support and education in the field of business
· ensuring participation in various start-up events, competitions and exhibitions, including the organization and reimbursement of costs related to participation in the event
· arranging an internship in some world science and technology centres, resp. specialized start-up support organizations (e.g. Silicon Valley) – this is to secure the entire stay and cover the costs associated with it. This form also includes support in finding potential investors. However, this type of support is provided exclusively to existing entrepreneurs
· providing specialized advice through an assigned expert, according to the areas required by the applicants in which it should operate – this is the stage of the process of creating a prototype of a real product or service.

The Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) is developed by regional stakeholders and focuses on undertaking collaborative initiatives that can help realise enterprise growth and job creation. They are an important part of the Programme for Government commitment to achieving more balanced regional enterprise development.

REP is a pillar of the Irish Smart Specialisation Strategy with a funding framework in place through regional funding instruments to support its implementation, ensuring its sustainability and continuity.

The previous REP was to 2020, the current one is to 2024, and the next one is proposed until 2028

Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) 2028, after REP 2024, is informed by the outcomes of 2024 as well as any policy learnings, including through good practices identified at European level such as through Interreg Europe projects such as Unicorn Quest, making it an ideal policy instrument for this project.

REP has a bottom-up policy approach and is treated as an evergreen living plan, that enables policy adaptation and ongoing review - Indeed the advantage of shorter terms plans is that it allows for quicker adaptation of new learnings to address current/emerging challenges.

2028 REP remains in the same 2024 :
- complement and translate national enterprise policy in a regional context
- facilitate collaboration regionally to address prioritised ecosystem gaps
- progress initiatives to enable enterprise growth and job creation.

The main logical arguments considered in the development of RIS 3 are directly related to the fact that resources and investments should be directed towards those priority areas that have the maximum impact on the regional economy, leading to economic transformation and regeneration, with an emphasis on the use of new technologies.

The link between the vision (i.e. the priority areas of specialisation) and the actions proposed through the policy mix is ensured by the strategic objectives, which take into account the European, national and regional strategic context for cohesion policy. The Strategic objectives are:
1. Structural transformation of the economy through innovation based on new technologies
2. Developing the regional innovation ecosystem and connecting it to national, European and global networks
3. Developing research capacity and exploiting research results for increased innovation
4. Exploiting the benefits of digitisation in both the public and private sectors

Through The Policy mix dimension, NW RIS 3, sets its main objective: To support innovation in areas of smart specialisation through concrete actions, arising from identified barriers and challenges, in order to structurally transform the regional economy.

Priority 2 section describes the actions that have been set:
Action 2.2: Mobilising private capital to support RDI
Action 2.5 Creating and supporting new, innovative businesses; supporting the creation of innovative start-ups and spin-offs.

The intervention defined takes place in execution of the Strategic Plan against illegal hiring in agriculture and the fight against undeclared work, launched in 2020 and is part of a more general strategy to combat undeclared work, in compliance with the recommendations of the European Commission. Ministerial Degree number 55 which establishes the distribution of the 200 million euros assigned to local administrations with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, for overcoming the illegal settlements of agricultural laborers and to provide decent housing solutions for workers in the agricultural sector. Municipalities are invited to propose projects that can be financed with the earmarked budget. These projects must demonstrate how non-EU nationals' irregular work can be decreased to the benefit of formal work. Accompanying measures shall include vocational training and support to self employment.

General objectives related to the inclusion of migrant labours aim to improve their work conditions, especially through combatting illegal work environment exploiting migrant workers. Further inclusion objectives aim to achieve a sustainable labour market integration to make sure that migrants do not depend on social welfare. Finally, career opportunities including self employment are supposed to be strengthened.

Regione Liguria selected the ROP ERDF 21-27 as policy instrument (PI) and will focus specifically on priority 1: “development and strengthening of the competitiveness and attractiveness of Liguria System related to innovation, digitalization and investments”. More specifically, UnicornQuest will target the achievement and impacts of the specific objective (SO) 1.1: “develop and strengthen the research and innovation capacity and the introduction of advanced technologies”. To achieve its goals, the selected policy instrument addresses the above mentioned SO with the following measure: “enhancement of and support to research”, highlighting its connection to the regional Smart Specialisation Strategy on regional digitalization.

To implement the mentioned priority 1, and achieve the “strengthening of the competitiveness” the policy seeks to support a major investment in research, innovation and business development with a big focus on identifying sectors and companies which can be tractors for the innovation and research in the region. These companies, mostly start-ups with high innovation and research capacity, need policy support and better regional framework conditions to become global champions with a vision for a green and digital transition, anchored on EU standards. PI seeks to promote this soonicors and unicorns among the objectives of the S3 regional strategy:
- Safety and quality of life;
- Health and life science;
- Marine technologies.

Zemgale Planning Region Development Programme 2021–2027.
Long-term development of Zemgale is directed towards the efective and sustainable usage of local resources, as well as towards the increase of innovations and competitiveness, acquiring niches that are more perspective and region-specific. One of them is education, science, innovations, and information and communications technologies (ICT) are to be developed in close connection with economics, ensuring the necessary specialists, innovative solutions of products and technologies.

Development Progamme of the Zemgale Planning Region see Zemgale as a competitive, green region in the centre of Latvia with a qualitative and accessible living environment, which meets the goal of Project Unicorn.

From the nine priorities in the program, entrepreneurship is in Priority 3 Competitiveness and business growth. The aim Priority 3 is organize the business ecosystem and infrastructure, promote knowledge transfer and innovation in the specialization and RIS 3 sectors of the Zemgale economy, and increase the competitiveness of Zemgale entrepreneurs in global markets.

The project and its activities will help to gain a deeper understanding on start-ups, ICT and green business. To create the best ecosystem in the region for the development of startups, so that startups stay in Zemgale.

The SRDEII Hauts-de-France (Regional Plan for Economic Development, Innovation and Internationalisation) outlines the strategic vision and actions for promoting economic growth, innovation, and international engagement in the Hauts-de-France region.

A true roadmap for regional economic action over the next 6 years, the SRDEII is the fruit of extensive consultation. It reflects the ambition of the Region and all its economic players and territories, to promote the development of businesses by giving them the means to meet the challenges they face.

The policy instrument is composed of  6 orientations, 58 objectives and 157 actions.

The 6 orientations are:

• 1 -  A region serving businesses and entrepreneurs 
• 2 -  Transform the Regional Economy by relying on REV3 
• 3 - Support Innovation and R&D and develop the skills and jobs of tomorrow
• 4 - Strengthen the internationalisation of companies, sectors, and territories
• 5 - Develop the attractiveness of Hauts de France in all its dimensions and drawing on the specificities of its territories
• 6 - Implement the SRDEII Hauts de France for and with the territories 

Read more: https://entreprises.hautsdefrance.fr/srde2i-2022-2028

Hauts-de-France Regional Council and EuraTechnologies jointly contribute to the improvement of the policy instrument.

Inside EDIOP Plus, UniCorn_Quest project is aligned with the 1st Priority Axes – Enterprise Development and the sub-priority 2.1.1 Enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation among SMEs, including through productive investment.

It will focus within the above specific objective on the

(1) Targeted competitiveness enhancement asset
which aims at businesses with significant growth or high growth potential, or which otherwise excel, to get provided with partnership-based, tailor-made business development services through a programme of excellence. For dynamic growth businesses, one of the primary growth drivers is to increase competitiveness, in particular through the adaptation of the latest technological solutions, digitalisation, strategy, organisation and branding, product development and export market penetration

(2) Increasing trust and cooperation, introducing the agency model asset
which provides complex and partnership-based services. Its objectives are to strengthen trust and cooperation and to increase knowledge. This includes interactions between enterprises (virtual marketplaces, operation of registers); the relationship between SMEs and the development policy institutional system (applicant support systems, cooperation with clusters, provision of training and mentoring services) and cooperation between institutional actors (exchange of experience, development of customer pathways between programmes