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Technical Assistance for Innovation Ecosystems

Innovation investments with lasting results

We help development partners and contracting agencies build quality-assured innovation support systems that deliver measurable results and lasting institutional capacity.

 

Too many ecosystem programmes create temporary hubs that fade when funding ends. Intermediaries exist, but their quality varies. KPIs are requested but never embedded. EBN’s unique modular approach delivers sustainable results.

 

EBN, with 40+ years of experience and its global EU|BIC community, addresses these challenges through the EBN Innovation Ecosystem Orchestration Pathway, a modular, programme-level technical assistance framework that strengthens innovation ecosystems at the system level. It combines:

  • Ecosystem mapping & readiness diagnostics
  • Impact structuring & KPI design aligned with national priorities
  • Practical data collection & benchmarking tools
  • Independent quality review & improvement roadmaps
  • Time-bound, evidence-based recognition
  • Optional annual quality maintenance & network strengthening

Recognition is not a standalone label. It is the result of implemented standards, embedded impact systems, and demonstrated improvement.

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A trusted intermediary between policy and practice

EBN is a neutral and trusted intermediary helping governments and international donors orchestrate complex innovation ecosystems.

 

Our EU|BIC community with 180+ entrepreneurship and innovation support organisations, our EU|BIC certification as the only quality standard originated by the European Commission, and our thriving platform connecting innovation stakeholders around the world provide:

 

  • Verified methodology with 82–85% startup survival rates (vs. 58% EU average).
  • €870M mobilised in capital funding across our network (annually).
  • 36,000+ companies supported from ideation to scale (annually).
  • 180+ certified centres and associates across 36+ countries delivering consistent, measurable results.

 

For development partners, this means your investments are implemented through professional, quality-assured local intermediaries. Not one-off “ghost hubs”.

Download Credentials Pack

EBN transforms innovation and entrepreneurship into reliable, high-impact instruments for sustainable regional development.

We bridge the gap between high-level donor objectives and local economic reality by deploying the EU|BIC Certification label™. The label is a quality standard for Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESO) originated by the European Commission and implemented by EBN, ensuring local innovation ecosystems are professional, measurable, and built for long-term self-sufficiency.

 

Within the Orchestration Pathway, the EU|BIC methodology underpins every block, from diagnostics to recognition. This means the quality infrastructure you invest in is not invented from scratch. It draws on four decades of tested practice.

 

What this means for you:

 

  • Align stakeholders around shared innovation objectives
  • Strengthen regulatory environments that support entrepreneurship
  • Create measurable impact on jobs, competitiveness, and sustainability goals
  • Build institutional capacity that outlasts political cycles
  • Reduce investment risk through structured diagnostics before action
  • Generate credible, comparable performance data at the organisation and programme level
Explore the Orchestration Pathway

How we work with you

We adapt our engagement to the maturity of your ecosystem, your budget, and your policy objectives. Our model combines EBN Secretariat expertise with the hands-on knowledge of the EU|BIC community.

 

Phase 1: Discover & Diagnose (Pathway Blocks A–B)

  • Ecosystem and policy mapping. Benchmarking of existing hubs and instruments using the EU|BIC framework.
  • Sensitisation workshops to align ecosystem actors on impact, quality, and programme logic.
  • Short scoping missions and diagnostics.

 

Phase 2: Design & Build (Pathway Blocks C–E)

  • Co-design of KPI frameworks aligned with national priorities and programme objectives.
  • Development of standardised data collection instruments and benchmarking systems.
  • Pilot programmes for incubation, acceleration, access to finance, or university-linked incubators.
  • Capacity-building journeys for key institutions and innovation players.

 

Phase 3: Validate, Recognise & Sustain (Pathway Blocks F–I)

  • Independent quality review and improvement roadmaps for participating organisations.
  • Time-bound, evidence-based recognition confirming implemented standards and embedded impact systems.
  • Annual quality maintenance to protect your investment and prevent post-programme regression.
  • Support for ESO network building and ecosystem coordination structures.
International Projects

Evidence of impact

1. Building a strong and sustainable Business Angels Network in Kosovo

  • Tackling early-stage finance gaps through a national BAN framework.
    Outcomes: shared vision, governance framework, investor recruitment strategy, and a pipeline of investment-ready ventures.

Read the Kosovo BAN success story

 

2. Strengthening business support intermediaries in Jamaica

  • National accreditation framework for business support intermediaries with the Development Bank of Jamaica.
  • Outcomes: 16 BSIs assessed and strengthened, 50+ managers trained, quality improvement system deployed, recognition framework established.

Read the BIGEE success story

 

3. Advancing innovation capacity in Ethiopia

  • Capacity-building programme recognised by MiNT for improving the quality and capability of innovation intermediaries.
  • Outcomes: trained innovation leaders, stronger ecosystem coordination, international linkages, and a replicable quality framework.

Read the PSDE success story

 

”MiNT lauded EBN’s outstanding support in advancing the quality and capacity of intermediaries within the Ethiopian innovation ecosystem. It is a testimonial underscoring the collaborative spirit of EBN, the joint efforts, and the tangible benefits realised through this partnership. MiNT’s endorsement validates EBN’s impactful work, a testament to the potential of collaborations in further propelling Ethiopia’s innovation landscape.”

 

– Testimonial from H.E. Bayissa Badada Badassa – State Minister, MiNT, Ethiopia.

From diagnosis to lasting ecosystem performance

Our technical assistance and advisory services turn high-level policy goals into operational, place-based innovation systems.

Ecosystem diagnostics & strategy development
Evidence-based mapping of actors, maturity, and gaps. Policy-aligned roadmaps that ensure your TA investments are targeted and sequenced.
Impact structuring & KPI systems
Co-designed indicators that are realistic, measurable, and embedded in daily operations, not just reporting templates.
Data collection, benchmarking & performance management
Standardised tools, comparative analysis, and dashboards that turn raw data into decision-making intelligence, combined with annual quality maintenance and longitudinal tracking that protect your investment after the programme ends.
Quality review & improvement
Independent assessment, peer review, and tailored improvement roadmaps that validate performance beyond self-reported data.
Mission-driven innovation programmes
Design and implement thematic accelerators, incubation programmes, business angel networks, and university-linked incubators focused on your policy priorities.

Who we partner with

  • Bilateral development agencies and implementing partners.
    E.g. GIZ, AFD, Enabel, LuxDev, Helvetas, and USAID programmes. Focus: local ownership, institutional sustainability, and job creation.
  • Multilateral development banks and development finance institutions.
    E.g. World Bank Group, regional development banks, specialised funds. Focus: building bankable pipelines and strengthening business support infrastructures.
  • EU institutions and external action programmes.
    E.g. DG INTPA, DG NEAR, EU Delegations, and EU-funded initiatives such as BIC Africa and EU–LAC Digital. Focus: operationalising EU priorities on the ground.
  • Ministries, national agencies and public authorities.
    E.g. Ministries of Innovation, Economy, and Industry. National entrepreneurship agencies. Regional development funds. Focus: making innovation funding more effective, transparent, and sustainable.
  • Innovation intermediaries and ecosystem operators.
    E.g. Incubators, accelerators, innovation hubs, science parks, university-linked innovation centres, corporate innovation labs. Focus: professionalisation, quality improvement, and peer learning.
What you will get working with us
Reduced investment risk through structured diagnostics and sequenced TA, not assumptions
Credible, comparable performance evidence at organisation and programme level
Visible, communicable results backed by time-bound, evidence-based recognition
Scalable ecosystem frameworks replicable across countries and programmes
Sustainable system change protected by annual maintenance and network coordination

Our delivery model:

We combine EBN Secretariat strategic oversight with hands-on expertise from our 180+ quality-certified member organisations. The Orchestration Pathway is delivered through a mix of EBN-led missions, peer expert deployment from the EU|BIC community, and structured capacity-building programmes, adapted to your ecosystem’s maturity and your programme’s timeline.

 

Collaborate with us on your next innovation programme

Whether you are planning a new country strategy, preparing a call for proposals, or seeking a partner to deliver technical assistance, we are ready to help you build resilient innovation ecosystems.

 

Contact: Livia Marcantonio, Head of International Projects | Laura Lecci, CEO

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