What is excellent
excellent (excellency in entrepreneurship) is a european project funded by the horizon europe program .
its goal is to expand european entrepreneurship by boosting youth (self) employability and promoting a culture of sharing resources .
the project focuses on the discovery of immersive ecosystems and enhancing entrepreneur mobility across its core network.
Program Overview
the heart of the initiative lies in the soft-landing missions (slm) , these are designed for companies facing territorial expansion, offering two-way opportunities for hub members to explore new ecosystems.
the program enables participants to:
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explore new ecosystems with tailored support based on their growth stage.
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understand local market specifics and smart solutions .
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build long-term strategic partnerships and links across europe.
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validate their market through peer learning and workshops.
Program Content
activities & immersion
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ecosystem tours: visits to key locations, coworking hubs, and innovation labs.
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stakeholder meetings: presentations and feedback sessions with incubators, vcs, and investors.
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thematic workshops: sessions focused on funding readiness and cross-border scaling.
activities & immersion
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expert access: interactions with influential ecosystem leaders acting as gatekeepers.
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mentorship network: access to specialized mentorship and educational partnerships.
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knowledge sharing: structured and spontaneous interactions to enrich collective understanding.
Cultural & Innovation Immersion
destinations & ecosystems
the program offers experiences in 6 ecosystems across 5 countries:
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larissa (greece): led by ied, recognized for startup support and coordination.
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sofia (bulgaria): hosted by gate (sofia university), focusing on ai and big data.
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paris (france): managed by creative cluster, known for international reach and acceleration.
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dublin (ireland): supported by idi, proactive in cross-border collaboration.
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istanbul (türkiye): hosted by sabancı university, a dynamic academic hub.
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kyiv/paris (ukraine): techukraine connects ukrainian startups with european networks.
key figures
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120 participants selected in total (20 per ecosystem).
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6 strategic ecosystems involved.
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353 results (profiles) registered on the f6s selection platform.
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100% coverage of travel and participation costs (based on reimbursement).
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timeline: task 3.3 runs from month 9 to 28.
program timeline (roadmap 2024–2025)
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mission launch & open call (dec 2024 – may 2025): application via the f6s platform.
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participant selection (feb 2025): based on motivation and international scaling potential.
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soft-landing missions (feb – june 2025): on-site activities and ecosystem tours.
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cross-ecosystem collaboration (ongoing): exchange of best practices and co-creation.
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impact assessment (summer 2025): evaluation of mission outcomes and continued support.
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final report (14 july 2025): submission of the d3.3 deliverable