Twin City Impact Innovation Champion

Über das Projekt

Project name:  TWICIIC – Twin City Impact Innovation Champion 

Project code:  NFP404101C337 

Duration:  November 2025 – September 2028 

The TWICIIC project aims to create a cross-border Twin City Impact Innovation Champion by strengthening and connecting the innovation ecosystems of Vienna and Bratislava. Impact-oriented startups, SMEs, and organizations will receive support for growth and expansion into the Slovak and Austrian markets. 

Project goals: 

  • Analysis of the current state of impact-oriented innovation and cross-border cooperation in both regions 
  • Conception and implementation of a cross-border accelerator program for impact-oriented companies and organizations 
  • Strengthening the institutional capacities of public actors in Vienna and Bratislava to promote impact-oriented innovation 
  • Building a virtual network for the sustainable networking of the most important actors in the ecosystem 
  • Development of a Memorandum of Understanding for long-term cross-border cooperation 

Expected results: 

  • A multi-stage, cross-border accelerator program that supports impact-oriented SMEs, start-ups and organizations in their growth and in building cross-border collaborations. 
  • A report on the current state of innovation ecosystems and on the potential and obstacles to cross-border cooperation. 
  • A report on impact-oriented organizations in Vienna and Bratislava 
  • A virtual TWICIIC network that connects key players in the ecosystem via proven platforms and tools. 
  • A Memorandum of Understanding or a cooperation agreement for the continuation of cross-border cooperation after the project ends. 

Project partners: 

  • Lead Partner: Center for Social Innovation GmbH (ZSI), Vienna 
  • Main cross-border partner: Bratislava, capital of the Slovak Republic 
  • Relevant Ventures GmbH, Vienna 
  • Vienna Business Agency. A fund of the City of Vienna 
  • CB ESPRI sro, Bratislava 
  • Impact Slovakia – Citizens‘ Association, Bratislava 

Financing: 

  • ERDF funds (EU): EUR 1,259,554.56 (80%) 
  • Co-financing SK (state budget): EUR 54,820.62 
  • Co-financing SK (equity): EUR 68,019.08 
  • Co-financing AT: EUR 192,048.94 
  • Total budget: EUR 1,574,443.26

 

News

Kick-off meeting in Vienna– February 20, 2026 

The kick-off meeting for the TWICIIC project took place on February 20, 2026, at the Vienna Business Agency. All six project partners from Vienna and Bratislava were present. During the meeting, the partners developed a shared vision for the TWICIIC accelerator program in an interactive working group, defined the target group – impact-oriented scale-ups with clear growth ambitions – and established the communication and management structures for the next three years. The work packages and concrete next steps for the first half of the year were planned jointly. The next in-person project meeting will take place in Bratislava in June 2026.

Events

Information about planned events will be published shortly.