What it is?
Scála is an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs and senior managers to accelerate the growth of their business. The programme focuses on giving you a deep understanding of the metrics that can drive your success, the skills to build financial models that stand up to investor scrutiny, and industry engagement and mentorship that give you valuable insights to adapt your business model to create the perfect fit.
Scála is an 11-week Accelerator Programme which is targeted at start up entrepreneurs with the potential for fast business growth.
*** NOTE YOU MUST COMMIT TO GROWING YOUR BUSINESS FROM CO. DONEGAL TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAMME ***
Who is eligible?
- Any founder(s) with ambitions to grow their business globally.
- Any founder(s) with the potential for fast growth in the marine engineering, marine research, marine energy or value added fish processing sectors
- A potential spin-out from an existing firm or third level institution
- A commitment to grow your business from Donegal, no matter where in the world you live right now.
- The programme is open to residents of County Donegal or anyone that is part of the Donegal Diaspora within Ireland or worldwide.
Closing Deadline & Key Dates:
The closing date for applications is Friday 11th April 2025 @ midnight.
Successful applicants will be informed on week commencing April 14th and the programme will kick off on April 30th, 2025.
Selection
Scála is seeking founders and senior managers that have a unique insight into their industry, borne out of deep industry expertise or an evident passion for their idea, as well as solutions that solve a distinct customer problem.
We will select twelve teams to go with us on this journey. This will be based on the scale of ambition of the founder/s, the potential market size of your chosen field and, most importantly, the teams that we feel we can help the most. We will review every application and interview shortlisted candidates on a rolling basis, so apply early to give yourself the best possible chance to be accepted.
You must be available to participate on all programme days as outlined for Zoom sessions (Z) and in-person sessions (I-P)
Programme Schedule
Week 1 (Z) - Accelerator Launchpad: You get to know your course mates, learn the core principles of the lean startup methodology, and make a start on clearly defining the key elements of your opportunity.
Week 2 (Z) - De-Risk Your Venture: You learn a framework for identifying and prioritising the key risks related to your venture. You also learn a process for reducing risk through rapid cycles of test and learn.
Week 3 (Z) - Customer Discovery: You learn a process for testing the riskiest parts your new venture.
Week 4 (Z) - Pitching your Venture: You learn a proven, effective pitching framework and strategies for crafting and delivering a compelling pitch.
Week 5 (Z) - MVP Thinking: Learn how to apply MVP (Minimum Viable Product) principles to build momentum, reduce risk and rapidly commercialise into your first "early adopter" customer groups.
Week 6 (Z) - Funding Your Venture: You’ll learn how to identify your funding need and select which type of funding is most appropriate for your situation.
Week 7 (Z) - Achieving & Measuring Progress Towards Market Fit: You’ll learn why product market fit is critical to success and learn a set of key indicators to help you determine if/when you’ve achieved product market fit.
Week 8 (Z) - Leveraging A.I. to Gain Competitive Advantage: Understand the fundamentals of A.I. and how this can be harnessed to gain advantage in the marketplace.
Week 9 (Z) - Building & Leading Your Team: You’ll explore the role of leadership in the startup environment and the job of a startup founder.
Week 10 (Z) - Pitch Practice: You'll have the opportunity to practice your pitch and get expert and peer feedback.
Week 11 (I-P) - Final Pitching Event (full day in-person ) – A hosted celebratory event where you pitch to a panel of investors, industry experts and support agencies.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the programme or the process please email Steven at LEO Donegal in the first instance on sperry@leo.donegalcoco.ie