Terms of Reference for the Smart Green Business Center (SGBC) Pilot Operation

Background of the SGBC Pilot Operation

With the common goal of climate change resilient and sustainable development shared between the ASEM member countries, especially between the Republic Korea and Luxembourg, the demand for green and digital transitions of SMEs has been rapidly rising. The plan to establish the Smart Green Business Center (SGBC) is drawn from the two Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) signed between the ASEM Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) and the Luxinnovation on 30 November 2021, and between the Ministry of the SMEs and Startups of the Republic of Korea and the Ministry of Economy of Luxembourg on 8 December 2020 respectively.

The main objectives of the SGBC, based on the MOUs, are to enhance economic cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Luxembourg, with focus on promoting and supporting sustainable innovation and green and digital transitions of SMEs and startups in ASEM member countries, and by managing various programmes for knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and capacity building support provided to the Korean SMEs for their Luxembourg market entry. The SGBC specifically targets SMEs with green and digital solutions, as innovation is critical to achieve sustainable development.

The SGBC is geared to a pilot operation in 2022, after a successful virtual operation in 2021, which culminated in the nine Korean SMEs and startups supported to enter the Luxembourg market. This year’s pilot operation aims to support five to ten promising Korean SMEs for market entry in Luxembourg and will pave the way for an official establishment and operation of the SGBC in 2023.

Objective of the SGBC Pilot Operation and target business sectors

Select promising Korean SMEs and startups to participate in the SGBC’s pilot operation on ‘Soft-landing Programme for International Business Expansion (Soft-Landing Programme)’ and provide one stop support services for soft-landing and entering the Luxembourg market, which pave the way for the official opening of SGBC in 2023.

* While SGBC’s long-term operation plan is to facilitate business exchange between Asia-Europe (ASEM) member states, this pilot operation focuses on supporting solely Korean SMEs to the Luxembourg market

Scope of the SGBC Pilot Operation (to be managed by the Service Provider)

Pilot Operation

In cooperation with Luxinnovation and the House of Entrepreneurship: Support the soft-landing of companies upon arrival in SGBC, which includes liaising with relevant organisations in preparing visa, business permit, and other administrative registration procedures

• Soft-landing Programme provides services to the participating companies, ranging from market intelligence, business-to-business (B2B) matching, and local exhibition/tech event information amongst others
• Market intelligence: Conduct demand-driven and targeted market research and produce market research report(s), containing the market trends of the participating companies’ main field and market strategy of each participating company

• B2B Matching: In cooperation with Luxinnovation: Provide list of potential business partners to participating companies and conduct at least five B2B meetings per company

• Information on local exhibition and tech events: In cooperation with Luxinnovation: Support the participating companies’ participation in local exhibitions and other tech events, such as ICT Spring in Luxembourg

• Support the Korean SME Delegation’s sit visit: In cooperation with Luxinnovation and House of Entrepreneurship: Provide support to the Korean SME Delegation, who are scheduled to visit Luxembourg during 27^th June – 3^rd July 2022

• Other logistical support: Liaise with Luxinnovation regarding managing general operational matters related to the SGBC. Support the official opening of the SGBC in December (tentative)

Detailed Work of the SGBC Pilot Operation

• Pilot Operation
  • Support the soft-landing of participating companies
    • ASEIC selects and dispatches the service provider (led by the SGBC Operation Manager who is assigned to the SGBC on a full-time basis) in charge of managing the pilot operation and the soft-landing programme within the scope and detailed work described in this TOR
    • Produce the SGBC introduction handbook
  • General office management
    • Manage utilising Technoport’s shared facilities
    • Liaise with Luxinnovation regarding utilising existing business training programmes within the Luxembourg innovation ecosystem
• Soft-landing Programme
  

Market intelligence

Produce demand-driven and targeted market research report(s) (approximately 40-50 page long), which includes the following contents:

 The final report is expected to be completed by the end of June

• B2B matching (in cooperation with Luxinnovation)
  • Organize at least five B2B meetings per company
  • Complete at least one business contract among the participating companies
    (e.g. export contract, MoU, NDA, and other business cooperation contracts)
  • Produce B2B meetings outcome report(s) by the end of the Soft-landing Programme

• Information on local exhibition and tech events (in cooperation with Luxinnovation)
  • Organize a ICT Spring delegation among the participating companies that wish to participate
  • Purchase tickets and register participant companies into the system
    Ticket cost will be covered by ASEIC headquarters
  • Coordinate the preparation of exhibition materials and assist exhibition setting-up as needed
• Support the Korean SME Delegation’s site visit – Site visit programmes (in cooperation with Luxinnovation and House of Entrepreneurship)
  
  • Plan a 5-day business site visit programme for the Korean SME delegation
    This includes but not limited to: networking and meet-up events, business consulting, seminars, etc.
  • Liaise with the government offices and relevant industries in organising a site visit programme for the Korean SME delegation
  • Coordinate other logistical matters regarding the Korean SME delegation’s visit
    This includes but not limited to: arranging transportation, planning luncheon and dinner, etc.
  • Produce outcome report(s) on business networking accomplishments of the Korean SME delegation
• ICT Spring participation (in cooperation with Luxinnovation)

Provide guidance to the Korean SME delegation companies at the exhibition site and assist setting-up of exhibition materials as needed
The ICT Spring registration and ticket payment of the Korean SME delegation companies will be conducted by ASEIC headquarters

• Other logistical support
  • Liaise and cooperate closely with Luxinnovation regarding any other issues that may arise during the Pilot Operation period

• Preparation of the SGBC official opening ceremony (tentative)
  • Provide support to preparing the SGBC official opening ceremony, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in December 2022
    Please note that this event is subject to change and cancellation, depending on the schedule of the ministries of the Republic of Korea and Luxembourg
  • Organise opening ceremony events, such as ribbon cutting and opening speeches by high-level officials from both governments
  • Organise gala dinners and luncheons for high-level officials and relevant organisations

The total cost of the opening ceremony will be covered by ASEIC headquarters

Further details  of the assignment timing and budget: 

Period: From April 2022 to 31^st December 2022 

Budget: 95,000,000 KRW (approx. 70,805 EUR)

Time Schedule in 2022 (tentative)

• Selection and contracting by ASEIC of the Service Provider by 28^th March
• Selection of the participating companies by 28^th March
• Arrival of the Service Provider in the SGBC by 22^nd April
• Arrival of the participating companies in the SGBC by mid-May
• Production and distribution of the market research report(s) 30^th June
• ICT Spring participation during 30^th June – 1^st July
• Korean SME Delegation’s site visit in Luxembourg during 27^th June – 3^rd July
• The SGBC’s Official Opening by early December (tentative, subject to confirmation by the governments of the Republic of Korea and Luxembourg)

How to apply to become the Service Provider in charge of the SGBC Pilot Operation, contracted by the ASEIC

• Interested service providers should send the attached required documents to info@aseic.org with subject: “룩셈부르크 SGBC 현지사무소 시범운영 용역_업체명”
• Successful applicants will be invited to deliver a presentation of the proposal at the appraisal, which will be conducted online via Zoom (date and time of the appraisal will be announced once the application has been closed)
• All documents and presentations will be delivered in Korean
• For further information, please download the attached PDF or contact Ms. Prum Kang (prumkang@aseic.org, +82-70-8852-8005)