The Western University of Timișoara organized the launch conference of the project "Your future in entrepreneurship - solution for a successful career", ID 142048, co-financed from the Human Capital Operational Program 2014-2020, Component 1 Innotech Student, Priority Axis 6: Education and skills, Investment Priority 10.iv, Call POCU/829/6/13.

The event focused on illustrating the activities and benefits of the project, selecting the target group and taking place online, Monday, January 31, 2022, between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.  

The project aims to implement an integrated information and entrepreneurial training program that will lead to an increase in the degree of employment and the entrepreneurial culture of university and non-university tertiary education graduates in the counties of the West region, through the creation and development of businesses in economic sectors with competitive potential and in areas of intelligent specialization.

With a duration of 24 months, the project takes place between January 03, 2022 and December 31, 2023. The total value of the financing contract is 9,674,627.49 lei, of which 9,607,065.94 lei is non-refundable financing. 

The target group targeted by the project will be made up of at least 341 people from the category of students (ISCED 5-7) enrolled in at least the 2nd year of undergraduate studies, doctoral students and students enrolled in at least the 2nd year of studies (ISCED 4, level of qualification 5, enrolled in colleges organized at the level of higher education institutions), who wish to improve their entrepreneurial skills by participating in the specific activities within the project and to put them into practice by establishing and developing a business in the Western Region.

The rector of UVT, university professor Dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea: "Entrepreneurial culture and the initiation of an entrepreneurial career hold a special place among the values ​​promoted by the Western University of Timișoara. We are advancing through this project, which is part of the Innotech Student platform, to achieve the best possible results in the practical training of students for their future career as entrepreneurs. Moreover, UVT has an international recognition of its implementation capacity for projects that promote entrepreneurial culture among students, as shown by the study developed under the auspices of the OECD and the European Commission, carried out by HEInnovate, in which our university is on the Romanian podium of higher education institutions actively concerned with this dimension of the training of future professionals, the entrepreneurial one."

Project activities include:

· Carrying out an entrepreneurial training program;

· Selection of business plans to be financed within the project;

· Organization and running of simulated enterprises;

· Carrying out internships in existing, functional enterprises, whose economic activity is part of the same CAEN group as that related to the selected business plan;

· Provision of personalized advice/consultancy/mentoring services after the completion of the business plan selection process;

· Ensuring the establishment and start-up of the enterprises that will realize the business plans with de minimis aid within the project;

· Settlement by the administrator of the entrepreneurship scheme of the amounts related to the implementation of the business plans selected within the project;

· Monitoring the operation and development of the financed businesses during the implementation period of the business plans and during their sustainability period;

· Creation and operation of an entrepreneurial network in order to stimulate sustainable entrepreneurial skills.

Benefits as a result of participating in the project activities:

· Acquisition of entrepreneurial skills and their certification by

· National Authority for Qualifications;

· Subsidies in the amount of 225 lei, after obtaining the certificate of graduation from the entrepreneurial training program;

· Offering the opportunity to participate in a business plan competition, as a result of which non-refundable funding of up to 100.000 euros can be obtained to start a business in the Western Region;

· Providing non-refundable financing in the total amount of 6,296,550.00 lei for at least 23 future entrepreneurs in competitive sectors, identified within the SNC 2014-2020 and correlated with the SNCD 2014-2020;

· The generation of at least 65 new jobs in the financed enterprises, which will boost the occupational offer in the Western Region;

· Obtaining a subsidy in the amount of 750 lei, on the condition of a minimum of 90% attendance during the activities of the simulated company and the internship;

· Advice, consulting, mentoring, innovative learning methods for the purpose of developing the entrepreneurial spirit through simulated enterprises and practical training internships in existing, functional enterprises.

The West University of Timișoara is starting registrations in the target group of the project

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• they have the status of students (minimum 2nd year of study), master's or doctoral students;
• have their domicile or residence in Romania;
• they were not part of the target group of other projects financed by the Romania Startup Plus, Support for the establishment of social enterprises, SES Rural or Innotech Student programs;
• did not participate in Entrepreneurial Skills training courses financed by the European Social Fund.

To register, please visit the project website: https://vta.innotech.projects.uvt.ro/

Application files can be submitted online starting from 31.01.2022, according to the Target Group Selection Methodology that can be consulted on the project website.

Enrollment in the target group will be completed only after the verification of the application files submitted according to the methodology and their validation by a Project Expert. The decision to enroll in the target group will be communicated to the person concerned by e-mail.

After confirming the registration, the application files will be sent in physical format, signed, to the headquarters of the Western University in Timișoara, Vasile Pârvan Blvd., No. 4, Et. 6, Room 607, until the date of participation in the entrepreneurial training course.

341 candidates will be accepted into the target group, the selection being made in the order of registration, on the principle of "first come, first served", in compliance with the provisions of the methodology published on the website and the information in this announcement.

Registration period: 31.01.2022 – 28.02.2022

Between February and April 2022, members of the target group will participate for free in a training program in the field of entrepreneurship:

• Module 1 – Entrepreneurship. The business plan in support of the entrepreneur;
• Module 2 – Negotiation techniques in entrepreneurship and business;
• Module 3 – Business management and marketing;
• Module 4 – Financial forecasts;
• Module 5 – Sustainable development.

In total, the program will include 45 training hours staggered over a period of 2-4 weeks. Each module includes both theoretical courses and practical activities.

Participants in the entrepreneurial training program will benefit from subsidies worth 225 lei, provided they obtain the graduation certificate recognized by the National Qualifications Authority.

In the current pandemic context, all training activities will be organized online, through Google's digital platform and services.

Next, the graduates will have the opportunity to participate in a business plan competition, after which they can obtain non-refundable funding of up to 100.000 euros for starting a business. The competition for obtaining non-reimbursable funding will take place between April and May 2022, being open to all graduates of the training program. Graduates who will not be decided on starting a business do not have the obligation to participate in the competition, their involvement in the project ending with obtaining the training certificates.

A minimum of 23 enterprises in competitive sectors will be financed, identified within the SNC 2014-2020 and correlated with the SNCD 2014-2020, enterprises that will generate at least 65 new jobs that will boost the occupational offer in the region.

The winners of the competition will benefit from advice, consultancy, mentoring, innovative learning methods in order to develop the entrepreneurial spirit through simulated enterprises and practical training internships in existing, functional enterprises, whose economic activity is part of the same CAEN group as that related to the business plan selected.

Participants in the activities of the simulated company and the internship will receive a subsidy in the amount of 750 lei, provided that they are present for at least 90% of the time of the activities.

In addition to the know-how necessary to start a business, the minimum 23 future entrepreneurs who will establish businesses in the Western Region will benefit from non-refundable financing in the total amount of 6,296,550.00 lei.

The value of the non-refundable financial aid granted will be correlated with the number of newly created jobs through the started business:

• Non-refundable financial aid less than or equal to 40.000 euros - minimum 2 jobs created;
• Non-refundable financial aid with a value greater than 40.000 euros, but less than or equal to 60.000 euros - minimum 3 jobs created;
• Non-refundable financial aid with a value greater than 60.000 euros, but less than or equal to 80.000 euros - minimum 4 jobs created;
• Non-refundable financial aid with a value greater than 80.000 euros but less than or equal to 100.000 euros - minimum 5 jobs created.

After the establishment of the company, the beneficiaries have 12 months to implement the business plans and 6 months of sustainability period. During the entire period of implementation and sustainability, the beneficiaries will be monitored and guided by the administrator of the entrepreneurship scheme.

The non-refundable financial aid will be granted in two installments:

• initial installment of 75% of the total approved value, which is granted at the beginning of the implementation period;
• final installment of 25% of the total amount approved, granted after the creation of assumed jobs.

For additional information, please consult the project website https://vta.innotech.projects.uvt.ro.