We believe that the right Partnerships in Open Innovation and Co-Creation projects, can be highly beneficial to all parties concerned.
We ensure that the Open Innovation Proposal Submission Process is straightforward, transparent and confidential. Below, you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. If you cannot find an answer to your query, please feel free to contact us.
Submitting a proposal
What should I include in my proposal?
The Proposal Form will guide you in providing the relevant information. Before submitting a proposal, you might however want to review the submission form. This should tell you all you need to know. You will be asked to provide us with an overview of your concept along with an explanation of any applications that you believe might result from it. Please also describe the benefits that you think it will bring. If it is a new technology, how is it different from current technologies and what does it enable?
Can I suggest the type of partnership I would prefer?
Yes. Our Open Innovation partnerships can take many forms: collaboration to develop products; mutual development agreements; licence agreements; equity investments; the purchase of technologies; and many more. If you have a particular arrangement in mind, please let us know.
Do I have to accept the terms and conditions?
Yes, in order for your proposal to be considered, you will need to agree to our Terms and Conditions. These are designed to protect your rights as well as ours.
Can I submit confidential information?
We would request that you refrain from submitting information that you believe is confidential. Our terms and conditions protect your invention and your ability to seek protection from patents if you have not done so already. Since we may already be working on something similar, they also protect Ideaspeak's ability to patent our own inventions. We advise you to speak to an intellectual property advisor before submitting information about innovations not protected by patent or by a patent application.
From proposal to partnership
Who decides if we can work together?
One of our Associates will review your submission and decide if it could be a fit for our innovation strategy at this stage. Depending on the nature of your proposal, we may ask you to provide additional information and will contact you to set up a meeting for this. We will also need to discuss with you the type of partnership that best suits both parties.
How long does the process take and what are the stages?
We will normally acknowledge your submission within 2 working days. If we think that your proposal is not appropriate for us, we will get back to you as quickly as we can and let you know. If your proposal could lead to a partnership, one of our Associates will be in touch as soon as possible to start further discussions. Depending on the nature of your proposal and of any commercial arrangement we agree, the next stages vary in length – but we will communicate openly and early about these timings with you. Speed of innovation and speed to market are essential parts of our business strategy, so we will make every effort to keep the development of a successful new product or technology as straightforward and transparent as possible.
What we’re looking for
How do I know if my submission will be relevant to Ideaspeak?
We are currently working in very specific areas in the the food production, food service and food packaging industries. If your proposal is relevant to one of these areas, there may well be an interest.
Are you looking for new ideas?
We are always looking for strong and compelling concepts to improve the sustainability of the food service sector. The strongest proposals are likely to have been developed beyond the idea stage, with some proof of concept and evidence for the benefits to sustainability.
Where can I find out more about Ideaspeak?
You can find out more about Ideaspeak by searching this site, www.ideaspeak.international.