Overview

Delivered by Athziri Moreno, Manager of International Relations at the Central Bohemian Innovation Center, this training explores how Business Support Organisations (BSOs), including incubators and innovation centres, can develop more sustainable business models and strengthen their long-term financial resilience.

The session focuses on funding diversification, business model planning, cost structure management, financial forecasting and control mechanisms. Through practical examples and participant experiences, it examines how BSOs can combine different funding sources while maintaining their mission, responding to ecosystem needs and reducing dependence on individual funding streams.

What You Will Learn

The training covers:

• Funding diversification: how combining multiple funding sources can reduce financial risk and strengthen organisational resilience.
• Fee-based services: considerations for developing paid services with clear value propositions and appropriate pricing.
• Strategic partnerships: opportunities and risks associated with partnerships with corporations, banks, development agencies and other ecosystem actors.
• Public-private collaboration: how public and private resources can be combined to support larger-scale innovation programmes.
• Business Model Canvas: applying the framework to map and align customers, value propositions, activities, partnerships, costs and revenue streams.
• Cost structure management: distinguishing fixed and variable costs and identifying often-overlooked costs such as staff time, reporting and community-building activities.
• Financial forecasting: developing conservative projections and scenarios to anticipate funding needs and potential financial gaps.
• Financial controls: strengthening budgeting, approval procedures, documentation and expenditure monitoring.
• Practical experiences: lessons from BSOs and innovation ecosystem actors on hybrid funding models, fundraising, workspace revenues and investment approaches.

Key Takeaway

Financial sustainability for BSOs requires more than securing additional funding. Organisations need to diversify their funding mix, understand their cost structure, align their business model with ecosystem needs and establish effective financial planning and control mechanisms.

By regularly reassessing their business model and carefully testing new revenue and partnership approaches, BSOs can reduce funding dependency while protecting their mission and strengthening their capacity to deliver long-term ecosystem impact.