Support the investments in innovative start-ups with a social vocation to implement circular initiatives. This is the goal of Be.Cultour projectfunded by European Commission in the context of Horizon 2020. Strategic partner of the project is Initiativea consulting firm that has already set up a model based on thedecision-making autonomy of investors. It is a Pledge Fundconceived ad hoc, to finance the initiatives of circular and sustainable cultural tourism envisaged by the project, who must pay particular attention to urban regeneration, to the enhancement of rural areas, territories and local innovation ecosystems, to the creation of a positive impact in the reference community. Call deadline, the August 31st.
“The investor of a Pledge Fund – explains the CEO of Initiative, Ivo Allegro – is free to decide whether or not to participate in a specific investment operation, therefore the managers must work from time to time to find the appropriate attractiveness levers. In our Pledge Fund, investors can make hybrid investments (cash or in-kind contributions) on a deal-by-deal basis, where they can make decisions about what to invest and how. The selection and evaluation of investment opportunities is entrusted to a team of specialists and is then submitted to the judgment of investors. This freedom of contribution (both in quantity and type) therefore differentiates the instrument from a normal private equity fund and aims to attract all subjects attentive to the reference issues”.
In detail, the project aims at promote abandoned cultural and natural resourcesunderutilized and less known, valorise human capital and human rights, reduce tourist pressure on overexploited territories, as well as waste and the consumption of natural resources (energy, water, soil, biodiversity), increase the use of clean energy and means of green transport, recycle and reuse materials and products, enhance local and cultural food and craft production.
“The initiatives – explains the partner of the company Aliona Lupu – must be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and pay particular attention to the enhancement of rural areas, urban regeneration and sustainable cultural tourism, actively contributing to the renewal of the tourism ecosystem and the enhancement of cultural heritage. The Management team will also identify additional funding opportunities such as, for example, national and European tenders and other sources of funding available based on specific financial needs to support the development and expansion of individual start-ups”.