The National Centre for Research and Development

The first such instance of cooperation between Poland and the USA

NCBR-NAP (NCBR -Nevada Acceleration Program) is the first nationwide acceleration activity implemented based on the Letter of Intent signed between Poland and the State of Nevada, addressed to companies from all over Poland. The aim of this project is to connect innovative ecosystems from Poland and from the State of Nevada through acceleration of young technology companies registered in Poland, selected in a competitive procedure, on the American market. NCBR defines “young companies” as those which, on the day of submitting the application to NCBR, have been registered in the Polish KRS/CEIDG systems for no more than 6 years  and no less than
6 months.

NCBR-NAP acceleration activity is addressed to ambitious Polish entrepreneurs with relatively short market experience but with great potential and aspirations to develop globally. Thanks to this joint initiative with the start-up support ecosystem in Nevada, NCBR for the third time in a row provides companies with an opportunity to adapt their business ideas to the requirements of the Nevada market and, as a result, open and develop their businesses in the US.

“There are many acceleration programs in Poland. What the vast majority of them comes down to, however, is for start-ups to obtain funds for development. NCBR’s acceleration activity is unique for several reasons. It provides a strong educational and developmental element through several months of support from experienced mentors who have repeatedly gone through the path of establishing, developing and exiting businesses in the US. The mentors approach each company individually and offer advice on all areas related to the preparation of a business plan and a strategy for entering the American market. The whole process is designed to best prepare a company for proper acceleration, also through a series of meetings with business partners and investors,” said Agnieszka Ratajczak, Director of International Cooperation Department at NCBR.

Priority will be given to those enterprises whose areas of activity fit both Poland’s National Smart Specializations as well as Nevada’s key economy areas. The latter include, among others, water technologies, autonomous systems, smart cities, data storage, mining and the broadly understood hospitality sector.

Nevada – a great place to start

Situated in the western part of the USA and predominantly associated with tourism and entertainment, Nevada is slightly smaller in size than Poland, with a population comparable to that of Warsaw agglomeration. Nevada is considered as a gateway to California, one of the world’s leading economies. However, Nevada state authorities emphasize the much lower cost of living, one of the most friendly tax systems among US states, the proximity of the Pacific Ocean coast ports and a dense network of flight connections with international airports in Reno and Las Vegas.

Above all, however, Nevada offers a number of interesting solutions for business. Giants like Amazon, Johnson Electrics, Switch and Tesla have located their HQs or branches in this state.
These and other companies have decided to invest there in Nevada due to favorable business conditions for companies in Nevada and rapidly rising prices in the Silicon Valley. Solutions offered  by Nevada make it one  of the most attractive US states to register a company and run a business. Nevada self-promotes as a place devoid of state income taxes, both on corporate and individual income. It also does not charge Franchise Tax, CIT or PIT.

Nevada is also a thriving academic and business center as well as a dynamically developing ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship. It is also worth mentioning the investment of the Polish copper mining mogul, KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., which owns the largest opencast copper mine in the USA, in the picturesque little town of Ely, Nevada. Thanks to the activities of business associations, chambers of commerce as well as funds available to companies from acceleration programs and funds for entrepreneurs, Nevada offers optimal conditions for the development of business.

Watch the interview with the program coordinators on the part of NCBR and with Matt Westfield, co-founder of BizAssembly, managing partner at Granite Landings and one of the mentors in the past editions of  NCBR-NAP  acceleration activity.

What’s in it for startups in the 3rd edition?

The previous two editions of  NCBR-NAP acceleration activity concluded in of the years 2022-23. The activity is of cyclical nature and its next edition will take place in 2024. The online and in-person pre-acceleration in Poland, planned as part of the activity, and the proper acceleration process held in Nevada and – surprise, surprise –in the Bay Area in California will help companies develop and verify their business strategies in relations with potential customers and investors.

The actual acceleration in both states is aimed at gaining unique experience by Polish start-ups and microenterprises in scaling their businesses on the US market, improving dialogue with demanding investors and establishing beneficial relationships with partners. All the above is crucial for the success of expansion on the US and global markets.

However, before all this happens, candidates will first undergo a formal and merit assessment of applications by NCBR. Subsequently, they will go through the first online selection with participation of mentors experienced in conducting acceleration in Nevada. A few more preparatory meetings online will follow and then, in late February, an intensive 3-day stationary Bootcamp Warsaw. It will be a series of workshops, group work, expert consultations and discussions as well as meetings and training courses. After its completion, company representatives will prepare multimedia investor presentations for the so-called “Demo Day”. Each enterprise will then deliver a 3-minute “elevator pitch” followed by a Q&A session.

NCBR-NAP 2nd edition: watch how companies competed during the Demo Day.

After the Demo Day, NCBR will select 10 start-ups that will take part in the acceleration process in Nevada and California with a really packed agenda there. Each day will be filled almost to the brim with various meetings. Due to differences in the way  business is done in northern and southern Nevada, not least in California, the group will spend several days in both Reno and Las Vegas as well as in the Bay Area. NCBR-NAP participants will therefore be able to comprehensively learn about three ecosystems of supporting innovation and benefits of developing companies therein.

Watch the report from Nevada - NCBR-NAP 2nd edition

NCBR-NAP 2023

NCBR will cover the cost of air and ground transport as well as accommodation for one representative of each start-up, accident insurance and support of Nevadan mentors in organizing B2B meetings with US entities operating in similar areas of expertise to those of Polish enterprises. Other expenses, both those related to the acceleration in Nevada and California, as well as to attending  Bootcamp Warsaw and the Demo Day, will be covered by the participants themselves.

If, however, within 9 months of returning from acceleration a laureate of NCBR-NAP decides to establish a branch in Nevada and confirms this with an entry in the local register of entrepreneurs, there is another surprise up for grabs. NCBR intends to co-finance some expenses related to the establishment and development of an office in Nevada in the amount of a maximum of USD 10,000 for 4 companies on a first come, first served basis.

“We cordially invite young Polish companies with their excellent business ideas, for whom Nevada can be a springboard for development and expansion, to take part in NCBR-NAP. The mentors there also have a high esteem on the East Coast. We plan to continue cooperation with the best, experienced partners from Nevada, as the participants of NCBR-NAP previous editions have already found out. I am proud to say that 3 out of 9 participants of the 2023 edition have either already established their branches in Nevada or are about to do so.. We are thus looking forward to new innovative start-ups and microenterprises from across Poland. We particularly strongly encourage female founders of start-ups to apply to our activity. We also do invite those companies that had applied to past editions of NCBR-NAP but ultimately did not qualify for the acceleration in Nevada. There is also a reason behind the closing date for applications. After all, what better gift can there be for St. Nicholas Day than to give oneself a chance to develop in the US”, summed up Agnieszka Ratajczak, Director of NCBR’s International Cooperation Department.

NCBR-NAP recruitment will last until December 6, 2023.

 

Details and regulations of the second edition of NCBR-NAP can be found on NCBR’s website.