CALL FOR MENTORS

CALL FOR MENTORS

IN4BLUE Project ITHR0200355 CUP_H78G23000030007

Social impact INcubators FOR strengthening the capacity of the Adriatic region to support the

sustainable industry transformation of the BLUE economy sector

Call no. 17/2025

Application deadline: 2 dates: 2 January 2026 and (optional) 9 January 2026[1]

Target group: Professionals with proven experience in business model development and mentoring

💡What is it about?

Would you like to enrich your CV with an international experience within a dynamic project co-funded by the European Union?

We are looking for professionals to join the programme as mentors for 3 residents/trainees within the Residency Programme, designed to enhance the skills of graduates, young professionals, and junior staff by providing structured learning experiences within Social Business Incubators (SBI[2]).
The programme supports the development of Green/Blue solutions and responses to social challenges, while strengthening the capacity of SBIs and their support networks.
Activities include working groups and workshops (see point 3, section Your assignment) together with coastal tourism stakeholders, to explore Blue Economy-related topics, including discussions with hotel owners and other key actors to address workforce-related challenges (turnover, retention, professionalisation, training, etc.).

The Residency Programme is promoted within the European project IN4BLUE ITHR0200355, co-funded by the Interreg Italy – Croatia 2021–2027 Programme.

🎺Your assignment

Your role includes participation in the Residency Programme activities and related actions. Specifically, your assignment consists of three main commitments:

1. Mentoring activities:

• study and use of the Mentor Toolkit (provided by Venetian Cluster),
• responsibility for the orientation and onboarding of 3 “residents” (trainees) during their residency path (min. 90 hours), including monitoring and weekly follow-up, as well as support for 1 Croatian trainee hosted at the Venetian Cluster SBI,
• professional support to trainees in the development of a bilingual Business Plan (Italian–Croatian), including revision, and a Public–Private Partnerships Catalogue (in Italian).

2. Reporting activities: drafting of two reports:

• a final evaluation report in Italian assessing trainees’ competence development and summarising the effects of the internship programme on the target group’s skills (green skills, digital skills, entrepreneurial skills)[3]; and
• a report on capacity building of Supporter Network stakeholders in the field of green technologies and co-creation;

3. Workshop activities: participation in the following workshops in collaboration with project partners:
   1) onboarding workshop (EN, max 3h online),
   2) co-creation workshop[4] (IT, two days),
   3) co-development workshop[5] (EN, half day),
   4) IN2BIZ workshop (IT & EN, half day),
   5) IN2TECH workshop (EN, duration to be defined).

⌚Contract duration

For the entire duration of the Residency Programme, approximately from January 2026 to May 2026[6]

💰What we offer

• Fee of €6,000.00 (VAT excluded)
• Meals covered during in-person local activities
• Networking opportunities with international organisations
• Opportunities to participate in international and cross-border events
• Opportunity to take part in a European project co-funded by the European Union

🗓️How it works – Steps

1. Submit your application at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD3trNAAkrjMffcWtp7ojyWLRQmTKxl0O2IlQlVU920cgL4g/viewform?usp=dialog
2. Selection of 1 candidate by the Venetian Cluster SBI representatives (see “Evaluation Criteria” below)
3. Publication of results
4. Official confirmation by e-mail and contract signing
5. Mentor onboarding session
6. Start of activities

✅Who can apply

• Professionals with solid experience in business models and mentoring

❗Mandatory requirements:

• Registration in the IN4BLUE Supporter Network (register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpQlh8DVI6y-Xe8W6Mr3oz7bJ7cZj8NCCDG0YIoksSuGqQHg/viewform?pli=1)
• Residence in one of the 27 EU Member States (https://europeanunion.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/eu-countries_it)
• Good command of English and Italian (writing, speaking, reading)
• Availability and flexibility to participate in activities between January and May 2026

💻How to apply

• Completed application form (mandatory)

Include:

• Upload of applicant’s ID document (mandatory)
• Upload of CV (mandatory)

🔎Selection

Applications will be assessed by a committee composed of IN4BLUE project representatives for Venetian Cluster.

Evaluation Criteria – maximum 30 points:

📞 Contacts

For information and enquiries

Project Manager: cosima.trevisanello@venetiancluster.eu Tel: +39 328 4148722

Secretariat: segreteria@venetiancluster.eu Tel: +39 347 1219533

Ownership

All activities carried out within the IN4BLUE call are considered results of the IN4BLUE Project ITHR0200355 and remain the property of the project lead partner and partners, in accordance with the rules of the INTERREG VI-A ITALY–CROATIA 2021–2027 Programme. Participants authorise the project to use any photos and videos for dissemination and promotional purposes. Project documents and results may not be transferred to third parties for the period established by Art. 65 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.

Privacy

All personal data will be processed in accordance with Legislative Decree 196/2003 and EU Regulation 2016/679.

[1] Applications will be assessed in order of receipt; if a candidate is already selected at step 1, step 2 will be cancelled accordingly.

[2] Social Business Incubator

[3] (GreenComp, DigiComp, EntreComp)

[4] During this workshop, the following activities will be carried out: preparation and implementation of the co-creation process, ideation and development of solutions.

[5] During this workshop, the following activities will be carried out: solution development, definition of the user profile, feasibility assessment and development of a business model using tools such as the Triple Business Model Canvas.

[6] variable hourly commitment to be agreed upon