Transfer Hub Webinar: Innovation, Application Guidance, and Success Stories
0:00 Introduction: Weronika Chodacz introduces the webinar, featuring Natalia Siuda (innovator) and Ewa Jakubowska (application guidance), with Jakub Jaskułowski managing questions.
0:00 Webinar Overview: The webinar covers how to work with innovation, practical examples, how to fill in application forms, and a Q&A session, scheduled until 7:30 PM.
0:01 Recording & Accessibility: The webinar is recorded, with a Polish sign language interpreter. Viewers can pin the interpreter for better visibility.
0:02 Funding Information: The Transfer Hub incubator is co-financed by the European Union under the European Funds for Social Development program.
0:02 Transfer Hub Overview: The Transfer Hub is an incubator for social innovations focusing on work-related issues.
0:03 Areas of Focus: The incubator supports innovations related to employment, well-being, and transition periods in work life, with special emphasis on neurodiversity, democracy in the workplace, intergenerational dialogue, and professional qualification improvements.
0:04 Defining Innovation: The program considers solutions that are new to Poland, translations of foreign ideas, or adaptations of existing ideas to new groups to be social innovations. They seek "agile" solutions that introduce small changes rather than cosmic ones.
0:05 Three Stages of Support: The program has three main stages: pre-incubation (3 months), grant competition (up to 100,000 PLN), and project implementation/testing (1 year), focusing on development, testing, and incorporating findings.
0:06 Accountability for Results: The incubator is accountable for results, focusing on the impact of the products and their effectiveness rather than collecting invoices or accounting documents. Testing can last a maximum of six months but can be divided in time.
0:07 Eligible Innovations: Ideas include games, applications, services, training programs, peer mentoring, or models of action, which, when completed will be shared under a creative commons license.
0:08 Acceleration Path: Besides the full incubation path, there's an acceleration path for already developed ideas offering a 30,000 PLN budget for refinement and a Product Owner role; email submissions are accepted for this track.
0:10 Eligibility: The program is open to individuals, businesses, legal organizations, and institutions, excluding trade unions.
0:10 Application Process: To apply, candidates must complete the online form on the transfer page, including a declaration about conflicts of interest. Applicants receive a response within 35 days.
0:12 Examples of Accepted Innovations: Two innovations from the previous round were mentioned; a silver economy workshop for students and a game to assist career counselors.
0:13 Natalia Siuda's Project: Natalia discusses her innovation: "Journey to Courage," a program for women activists and third sector employees.
0:14 Motivation: Inspired by the burnout and stress she observed amongst women in the third sector.
0:15 Project Goals: The program aims to strengthen courage, build self-awareness, and foster community among women to help them advocate for themselves and improve their working conditions.
0:18 Program Components: The program includes cards with exercises and photos, training scenarios, and a self-reflection notebook.
0:19 Testing Phase: The testing phase was very creative and intense with a diverse group, and they had a specific event at Solidarity Square as one of their tests.
0:20 Trip Experience: The group also embarked on a weekend retreat in Kashubia, creating a deep sense of connection and community.
0:21 Post-Testing Phase: After the intensive work, Natalia took some time away, later returning to refine the program, which is now used by diverse organizations and trainers, and for other work programs that she has conducted since.
0:23 Team Collaboration Recommendation: Natalia recommends forming teams for future applications as the process of developing the innovation was physically taxing.
0:23 Program Usage and Impact: Her innovation is used by various organizations and trainers, even being incorporated in other workshops that others organize.
0:37 Application Advice: Natalia advises applicants to not overthink their application, to use simple, clear wording and focus on what is their idea, and she recommends asking people from outside to give feedback. She stresses that the program is meant to be a tool that can be adjusted later and encourages everyone to step out and try.
0:41 Ewa Jakubowska's Application Advice: Ewa advises applicants to write simply, specifically, and logically, emphasizing the need to think through every aspect of the innovation.
0:42 Pre-Writing Advice: Before applying, write your idea down first, plan your innovation, identify your recipients, and specify who the users will be. Consider the need your innovation meets and how to present this information.
0:43 Target Group vs. Users: Emphasize the difference between a target group (the recipients) and users (who use your tool to help the target group). Describe their motivation, and their potential needs.
0:47 Barriers to Implementation: Consider and explain potential barriers to implementation and how your innovation can overcome these, think of the cost that users will need to pay to use it.
0:49 Open Licensing: The final product of your innovation must be shared under a Creative Commons license, allowing free modification and even commercial use.
0:50 Testing and Product Development: Clearly describe your testing process and plan for two rounds of testing with clearly defined groups, a timeline, and an approach to making adjustments to your product. Emphasizes the idea of testing the final solution that will be published.
0:52 During Application Writing: Use simple language, maintain a logical flow of ideas, and avoid jargon or overly technical language; if jargon is used, describe what it means. She also suggests avoiding cliches.
0:54 Innovation Name: Choose a name that is simple, understandable, and related to the innovation, avoiding overly complicated words, and try to avoid abbreviations and anglicisms.
0:56 Post-Application Writing: Proofread carefully, have someone from outside your team give feedback, and then improve your application.
0:58 Ewa concludes her section, opens for questions.
0:58 Q&A Session: A question is asked about the most common reasons for rejecting applications: lack of clarity of the idea and a lack of understanding of what the product is.
1:00 Dissemination Potential: It is important to explain who the innovation is for and for what group is it intended for. Vague explanations that apply to everyone are counterproductive.
1:01 Need For Testing: Applications are also rejected when they lack proper testing or have similar solutions.
1:01 Natalia's Conclusion: Natalia emphasized that the program is not designed to solve all of the world's problems but to provide useful tools and that often, simple solutions are the most effective.
1:02 Closing Remarks: The team is available for questions via email or phone. The webinar recording and presentation will be available online, and applications will be accepted until the end of the year.
1:03 Final Invitation: Weronika invites everyone to apply with the assurance that she and Natalia confirm that the effort is worth the experience.