RFP Request- Startup City Acceleration Program
Dec 08, 2020
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Subject: Startup City Acceleration Program
- Term of contract: the contract start date to May 31, 2021
- Closing date for Application: 9:00 am (PST) on December 21st, 2020
- Content of Contract: As indicated in Application Guidelines (Attachment 1)
INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS
1. Qualification Requirements
1) Prospective candidate(s) engaged in the project must satisfy conditions stated in the Application Guidelines. (Attachment 1)
2) NOT under the circumstances of being denied participation due to unethical and/or unlawful activities by either JETRO or Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) from previous
procurement offerings.
3) Prospective candidate(s) must meet the following minimum specification;
- Accelerator, Venture Capital or any other related organization
- Unicorn Alumni in past 5 years
- Experience working with international startups
- Investment team or department
- Sector agnostic
- Adaptability and flexibility to various markets
4) In addition, Prospective candidate(s) will be evaluated by the following preferred
specifications:
- Project implementation skill
- Wide, various, open mentor network
- Strong connection to VC and CVC, including list of contacts.
- Experience working with various types of sectors such as biotech, software, hardware, agriculture, consumer and corporate (B2B and B2C)
- Ability to support alumni companies through follow-ups and checking in.
- Experience working with government agencies or any other economic organizations to build local ecosystem all over the world
2. Preparation of Application
No oral, telephone, or facsimile will be accepted. All costs of preparation shall be borne by the Applicants. Applicant must select the program for which they are applying from the following;
A.) Born Global Program (English)
B.) Global Preparation Program (Mostly English and some Japanese sessions)
*Applicant can submit proposal for both programs. JETRO may choose separate contractors for each program or one contractor for both programs.
In addition, the proposal document or presentation submitted by the applicant should include the following:
A.) Project Implementation (See Attachment 1)
- Project details about seminar and interactive coaching session
- Project details about mentor assignment process
- Proposals about how to maximize the global presence of the 40-50 startups as well as the Japanese startup ecosystems.
- Project details about Demo Day
- Implementation Structure (arrangement of personnel in charge / each responsibilities)
- Operating Procedure, Method, Proposal on how to complete all the tasks of the project in an effective manner and enhance project outcome
- Ability to conduct online *Description of online tools to be used.
- Frequent communication *Description of digital communication tools with startups and JETRO to be used
*Note:
- Startup program groups are based on preparedness, global mindset and market readiness.
- May be split up to 4 groups total consisting of 10-12 startups each.
B.) Experience and Capabilities of the Organization
- Experience with Similar Projects
- Networking and information gathering skills to enhance project outcome
- System to manage personal/confidential information
- Include 2 or 3 notable recent successful case studies of international alumni going global from their local market
C.) Project Implementation Skills of Assigned Personnel
- Mentor network list with mentor profiles
- Profiles of each project personnel
- Sector experience
- Strong connection to Venture Capital, Accelerators, Corporates, Universities,
* List of the VC/CVC connections or partners should be included (5 for each sector, they should be invited to the pitch in April.)
3. Delivery of Application
All Application forms (see below) shall be sent to the following address by 9:00 am (PST) on December 21st, 2020
Required to submit:
Proposal Document or PowerPoint Presentation.
Attn: Mr. Will Ferguson, Mr. Noriya Tarutani
E-mail: will_ferguson@jetro.go.jp, Noriya_Tarutani@jetro.go.jp
4. Language of Application:
English or Japanese
5. Evaluation of Application:
1st evaluation
Screening of Application documents by JETRO San Francisco
2nd evaluation
Zoom Presentation
(Please include your schedule availability at 15:00-19:00 PST on December 22nd or 23rd. The detailed schedule for the presentation will be notified to the companies who pass the 1st evaluation.)
6. Announcement of Tender
Tender will be announced to bidders by email. Given the nature of the bidding process, JETRO will refrain from providing feedback on the results.
7. Contact
Attn: Mr. Will Ferguson, Mr. Noriya Tarutani
E-mail: will_ferguson@jetro.go.jp, Noriya_Tarutani@jetro.go.jp
Address: JETRO San Francisco 575 Market St #2400, San Francisco, CA 94105
Tel: +1.415.392.1333
*Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, most employees are currently working from home. Please contact by e-mail for any questions.
Application Related Documents:
Attachment 1: Application Guideline for the “Startup City Acceleration Program” ＜PDF＞
