Submit offer Industry-Specific Mentoring for Denmark’s largest Accelerator (2026-2028)

1. Introduction 

Denmark’s Largest Startup Accelerator Seeks Experts for Specialized Mentorship. 

Copenhagen Business Hub is seeking suppliers to deliver specialised mentorring for early‑stage startups as part of the Beyond Beta accelerator. We are looking for suppliers who can provide high‑quality mentoring within the following areas, where a strong pipeline of Danish startups with significant growth potential is expected:

• Energy, Climate Tech & Sustainability
• Defense Tech, Dual-Use & Cybersecurity
•  HealthTech (Health and Care Technology)
• Biosolutions & Agritech
• AI, Advanced Technologies & Automation

Suppliers may submit bids covering one or more of the areas listed above. A single supplier or consortium may therefore bid across multiple focus areas, provided that the proposal clearly documents relevant competencies, experience, and networks within each of the areas covered by the bid. 

About Beyond Beta Accelerator 
Beyond Beta is Denmark’s largest accelerator for early‑stage startups looking to scale in Denmark and internationally, as well as attract pre‑seed investment.

The accelerator focuses strongly on commercialisation and internationalisation of innovative startups. With its market‑oriented approach, Beyond Beta enables startups to scale faster by giving them access to the right resources and networks at the right time.

The accelerator offers:

• A framework: Based on experience and documented results Beyond Beta offers a consistent framework and an online platform for accelerating early startups.
  
  
• Mentorship: Each startup is assigned two mentors: one with deep industry‑specific expertise and networks, and one with expertise in early‑stage commercialisation.
  
  
• Founder Development: Camps and webinars focusing on scaling, leadership, financing, and related topics.
  
  
• Events & Networking: Access to an extensive network of founders, experts, corporates, and investors in Denmark and abroad, as well as participation in a wide range of investor and industry‑specific events.
  
  
• Advisory Boards: Temporary assembled advisory boards based on the specific needs of each startup.
  
  
• Voucher Scheme: Up to DKK 170,000 for specialized knowledge, plus a smaller travel voucher that enables startups to meet potential customers, partners, and investors in relevant markets.

Programme structure and progression
Startups enter the Beyond Beta accelerator with access to an initial four‑month programme phase (Phase 1). Following Phase 1, mentors and programme management assess each startup’s progress, engagement, and compliance with programme requirements. Based on this assessment, two thirds of the participating startups are selected to continue into Phase 2, which provides access to additional activities and an increased voucher amount.

After completion of Phase 2, a similar assessment is conducted. One third of the startups are then selected to proceed to Phase 3, the final four‑month phase of the accelerator, with access to the highest level of activities and voucher support. Startups that progress through all three phases may receive vouchers up to a total of DKK 170,000.

The phased structure is designed to ensure commitment throughout the programme and to allocate resources progressively to startups demonstrating the highest level of progress, engagement, and readiness for further scaling. 

Further details are provided in Appendix 1 

Copenhagen Business Hub runs the accelerator as part of Virksomhedsudvikling Danmark in collaboration with Accelerace Management, Connect Denmark, the six Regional Business Hubs, and TechBBQ. Beyond Beta is implemented in close collaboration with key actors in the Danish startup ecosystem to ensure a broadly anchored, relevant, and high‑quality programme.

Since 2019, Beyond Beta has worked intensively with commercialisation of Danish early‑stage startups and has admitted more than 700 startups. The accelerator is funded by the EU Social Fund and the Danish Board of Business Development. 

Scope of the Tender
This tender covers industry‑specific mentoring for the program period 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2028. The accelerator aims to enroll 200 startups during this period – with the first application round opening in August 2026 and the first kickoff taking place in October 2026.

More information is available at beyondbeta.dk or on VirksomhedsGuiden Beyond Beta | Virksomhedsguiden

About the supplier
Mentorship is consistently the highest‑rated activity in Beyond Beta in terms of participant satisfaction. As a supplier, you will—together with a co‑mentor from a Regional Business Hub—provide industry‑specific mentoring and help ensure that the accelerator continues to offer high‑quality guidance.

We seek suppliers who:

• are passionate about commercialising early‑stage startups
• have documented experience working with this target group
• understand relevant markets deeply and maintain strong networks with potential customers, partners, corporates, and investors

We are looking for suppliers with:

• deep, market‑relevant industry expertise within at least one of the areas in this tender
• networks to potential customers/users/partners in Denmark and internationally
• relevant networks to industry‑specific investors in Denmark and abroad
• an understanding of both venture‑driven and organic, bootstrapped growth models
• experience with commercialising high‑potential startups at an early stage
• an understanding of - and preferably personal experience with—building a startup from the ground.

Suppliers are encouraged to form consortia to ensure full coverage of the required competencies.
Suppliers may combine competencies across multiple focus areas, and bids covering more than one area are explicitly permitted.

Description of the Task
Beyond Beta works with startups developing a wide range of technologies, operating at varying stages of development and pursuing different growth ambitions. The programme is therefore tailored to the needs of each individual startup.

Beyond Beta applies a well‑tested framework, methodology, and toolset for early‑stage startup development. The role of the industry‑specific mentor is to combine this framework with relevant industry knowledge, commercial experience, and market networks to ensure that each startup accelerates faster as part of Beyond Beta than it would outside the programme.

Together with the startup, the mentors are responsible for defining a clear development plan outlining the objectives the startup aims to achieve during its participation in Beyond Beta. The mentors support execution of this plan by providing strategic focus, business development guidance, market insight, and by facilitating access to relevant networks of partners, customers, corporates, and investors.

The development plan must take its point of departure in the startup’s specific needs, maturity level, and growth ambitions. As a result, the content and focus of the mentoring may vary significantly between startups. 

The mentors are expected to actively guide, challenge, and support the startup throughout the programme, ensuring progress, focus, and momentum in line with the objectives defined for the individual startup within the Beyond Beta framework.

Mentor responsibilities include:

• Recruiting startups that meet the accelerator’s criteria
• Screening applications based on Beyond Beta’s evaluation criteria
• Conducting mentor meetings every two weeks (or as needed) together with the Business Hub co‑mentor, including:
     - scheduling and maintaining meeting cadence
     - coordinating with the startup and co‑mentor
     - preparing, following up, and debriefing
     - ensuring meeting notes are stored on Beyond Beta’s content platform
• Actively participating in accelerator events and camps
• Facilitating access to customers, partners, corporates, and investors
• Ensuring startups use their voucher to obtain specialised knowledge and advisory services
• Ensuring each startup registers a minimum of 500 hours of participation. As part of the Beyond Beta accelerator, each participating startup is required to register a minimum of 500 hours spent on relevant development activities carried out within the framework of Beyond Beta. Beyond Beta provides a dedicated registration system in which the startup itself is responsible for recording its hours. The mentor is responsible for ensuring that the startup registers the required hours and that the registered time reflects relevant and value‑creating development activities related to the startup’s participation in the accelerator.

Suppliers must also dedicate time to learning Beyond Beta’s methodology and tools. Onboarding will be provided.

Suppliers are expected to collaborate closely with the other accelerator partners to ensure a coherent, high‑quality programme delivery.

Legal Basis
The tender is conducted in accordance with the Danish Public Procurement Act (Udbudsloven), Consolidation Act no. 116 of 3 February 2025, as amended, and Directive 2014/24/EU of the European and of the Council of 26 February 2024. 

The tender is conducted as an open procedure, whereby all interested economic operators are invited to submit a tender. 

The contract notice forms the framework for the entire procurement procedure. In EU tenders, the publication of the contract notice formally initiates the procurement procedure. 

2. Contracting Authority/ and Procurement System 

Erhvervshus Hovedstaden/ Copenhagen Business Hub
Fruebjergvej 3,
2100 København Ø,
CVR no. 40084711.
(Contracting Authority) 

The tenderer bears full responsibility for ensuring that the tender is submitted on time.

Technical system support is available by telephone 30 10 80 80 or e-mail info@ehhs.dk 

3. Budget 

The mentor assignment is based on a fixed fee of DKK 80,000 excl. VAT per startup that is accepted into the Beyond Beta accelerator and receives a formal letter of admission.

The fee covers the mentor’s full involvement related to that startup, including recruitment activities, screening, mentoring, participation in accelerator activities, administration, and coordination with programme partners.

As a supplier, you are expected to actively market and recruit relevant startups to Beyond Beta within your focus area. Please note that recruitment efforts may result in startups that do not meet the programme’s screening criteria and therefore are not accepted into the accelerator.

Acceptance into the accelerator requires that the startup’s application receives a sufficiently high average score from three independent reviewers:

• the industry-specific mentor
• a Business Hub mentor
• an investment expert from Accelerace
   

The fixed fee of DKK 80,000 per accepted startup covers:

• Recruitment (estimated 1.5 recruited startups per accepted startup)
• Screening of relevant applications
• Participation in camps, kickoffs, and events (approx. 3–5 per batch)
• Mentor meetings (every two weeks or as needed), incl. preparation and follow‑up
• Market introduction and network facilitation
• Administration (meeting planning, follow-up, time‑tracking)
• Partner meetings (approx. 2 physical per year + monthly short, online status meetings)
• Quarterly individual, online status meetings with programme management
   

Example:
The total budget for 25 accepted startups amounts to a maximum of DKK 2 million excl. VAT.

While the overall target for the Beyond Beta accelerator is to admit 200 startups access during the programme period, this tender covers a total budget of DKK 12 million, corresponding to mentoring for up to 150 startups. The budget for mentoring the remaining 50 startups is reserved for a potential later tender within areas not covered by this tender, or for additional allocation to suppliers experiencing high demand within their focus area.

Please note that the budget allocated under this tender may be reallocated during the programme period if deliveries are not fulfilled, in accordance with the Supplier contract, Appendix 4.

Proposal Requirements
A minimum of four suppliers/consortia are expected to deliver the industry specific mentoring during 2026 – 2028. A single supplier/consortium cannot bid for the entire assignment.

Proposals must include:

• Clear indication of expected number of approved recruitments and total project sum
• Clear indication of the areas in which the supplier expects to recruit startups within (suppliers may bid across multiple areas addressed in this tender, either individually or as part of a consortium)
• Description of the supplier’s competencies and experience with early‑stage mentoring, including experience with both venture‑driven growth models and organic, bootstrapped growth, and including CVs of proposed mentors
• Description of the supplier’s ability to recruit relevant startups and approach to executing the task
• Documentation of access to relevant customers, partners, and corporates (DK/internationally), e.g. through case examples
• Documentation of access to relevant investors (DK/internationally), e.g. through case examples
  Copenhagen Business Hub reserves the right not to select suppliers for all areas listed in the tender.

Copenhagen Business Hub may cancel the tender if project funding is withdrawn.

Copenhagen Business Hub also reserves the right to adjust the number of mentorships allocated to each supplier should total bids exceed the limit of 150 startups in mentorships, or if programme management deems the proposed numbers inappropriate or unrealistic, based on evaluation of the proposal.

Proposals must be submitted in either Danish or English.

Please note that suppliers must be able to participate in a mandatory kickoff event for new Beyond Beta mentors, which will take place on 12 August 2026 in Copenhagen.

4. Timetable and appendices 

Publication of EU contract notice                                   1 April 2026 
Information meeting                                                          13 April 2026, 11:00-12:00
Deadline for submission of clarification questions    1 May 2026
Deadline for publication of answers                               7 May 2026         
Deadline for submission of tenders                                13 May 2026, 16:00 
Expected decision on supplier selection                       week 22 
Standstill period                                                                   week 23-24 
Contract commencement                                                  week 25  
 

The timetable may be subject to change 

The tender material consists of: 

• Contract notice
• ESPD
• Tender conditions with following appendices:
      - Appendix 1: Beyond Beta Accelerator
      - Appendix 2: Declaration regarding affiliation with Russia
      - Appendix 3: Declarations
      - Appendix 4: Draft supplier contract 

Attention is drawn to Section 8(2) of the Danish Public Procurement Act, which may apply to the supplier contract. 

5. Communication – questions 

The Contracting Authority encourages tenderers to submit clarification questions regarding the tender material.

Tenderers are also encouraged to inform the Contracting Authority of any aspects of the tender material that may give rise to doubt as to whether the tenderer can or wishes to participate in the procurement procedure.

All questions and enquiries must be submitted in writing, in either Danish or English, by email to info@ehhs.dk.

The subject line of the email must clearly state: Industry‑Specific Mentoring for Denmark’s Largest Accelerator (2026–2028) – questions

Questions received after the expiry of the deadline will only be answered if it is possible to do so no later than six days before the deadline for submission of tenders.

Questions will be answered on an ongoing basis and no later than the deadline stated in the timetable. All questions and answers will be published in anonymised form. 

Tenderers are encouraged to submit questions in a single, consolidated submission.

An information meeting will be held online on 13 April from 11:00–12:00, where content and expectations will be presented. Registration here: 

Activity: Info session for prospective mentor providers - Beyond Beta

There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the information meeting. The questions will subsequently be published together with the remaining answers.

6. General

The tender must be prepared in such a way that all relevant information in relation to the tender material is included in the tender documentation itself.

Information that appears only in enclosed brochures or similar material will not be taken into account in the evaluation of the tender.

Tenderers are not entitled to attend the opening of tenders.

The submitted tender material, including appendices, shall be regarded as the property of the Contracting Authority and will not be returned.

Any costs incurred by the tenderer in connection with the procurement procedure shall be borne by the tenderer and are of no concern to the Contracting Authority.

The tenderer shall be bound by its tender for a minimum period of four months from the expiry of the tender submission deadline.

The Contracting Authority is entitled, but not obliged, to request the tenderer to supplement or clarify the submitted documentation, provided this can be done in accordance with Section 159(5) of the Danish Public Procurement Act.

Reservation 

Tenderers are advised to carefully consider whether the tender should contain any reservations to the tender material, as any reservation entitles the Contracting Authority to reject the tender.

The Contracting Authority is obliged to reject tenders containing reservations to material elements of the tender material or reservations whose financial value cannot be determined in a reliable and objective manner.

Reservations to non-material elements may, where possible, be priced by the Contracting Authority and thus included in the evaluation of the tender.

Professional reservations, such as standard reservations used within the industry, will be treated in the same manner as any other reservation. Any deviation from the tender material shall be considered a reservation.

Access to documents 

The Contracting Authority is obliged to comply with the Danish Access to Public Administration Files Act, which means that the Contracting Authority may be required to disclose all or parts of a tenderer’s tender if a request for access to documents is made.

It should be noted that it is the responsibility of the Contracting Authority, inter alia based on case law, to decide which information may be disclosed. Due to the structure of the access to documents rules, no guarantee can be given in advance that a tenderer’s request to exempt certain information from disclosure can be accommodated.

Furthermore, it should be noted that in the event of a complaint case or review of the tender by other authorities, protection of information cannot be guaranteed.

Partial tenders and alternative tenders

Alternative tenders are not permitted.

Language

All communication during the procurement and contract period must be conducted in Danish or English.
Tenders must be submitted in Danish or English.

Legal entity

The Tenderer must clearly and unambiguously state in the tender which legal entity is the tenderer and thus responsible vis-à-vis the Contracting Authority. The person signing and submitting the tender must have the necessary authority and power to do so.

Formal requirements 
Tender documentation and appendices must be compatible with Microsoft Word/Excel or submitted in PDF format.

The tender must follow the structure of the tender material.

It is important that the tenderer addresses all points in the tender material, as the evaluation will be based on this.

All matters described in the tender material must be reflected in the tender.

Incomplete tenders may result in the tenderer being excluded from the procurement procedure.

Contractual Basis 
The contractual basis consists of the complete tender material, including questions and answers and any corrigenda.

7. Evaluation of tenders 
Tenders will be evaluated on the basis of the submitted tender

Attention is drawn to the fact that the tender is final.

Any amendments or additions will only be considered if received before the expiry of the tender submission deadline.

8. ESPD – Selection Criteria  

Exclusion and suitability – prequalification Phase 
Pursuant to the Danish Public Procurement Act, the Contracting Authority must require that applicants/tenderers complete the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) in connection with the submission of applications/tenders.

The ESPD constitutes the applicant’s/tenderer’s self-declaration and serves as preliminary evidence that the applicant/tenderer is not subject to the mandatory or optional grounds for exclusion and fulfils the suitability requirements for the tender. The grounds for exclusion are stated solely in the ESPD.

Further information on the ESPD is available on the website of the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority:

ESPD – Det fælles europæiske udbudsdokument 

The ESPD must be completed directly in the procurement system in connection with the submission of the application/tender. 

It is the applicant’s/tenderer’s responsibility to ensure that the ESPD is completed with the relevant information.

Economic and financial capacity     
The tenderer must meet the following minimum requirements regarding economic and financial capacity, cf. Section 142 of the Danish Public Procurement Act:

• A positive solvency ratio in each of the two most recently completed financial years.
   

Information must be provided in the ESPD section “Selection”.

Technical and/or professional capacity

The tenderer must meet the following minimum requirements regarding technical and professional capacity, cf. Sections 143 and 155 of the Danish Public Procurement Act:

• The tenderer must provide two (2) customer references from similar assignments
• References must include a brief description of the assignment, scope (annual value in DKK), period (start and end dates), and contact details (name, telephone number, contact person).
• “Similar assignments” means performance of assignments comparable to those covered by this tender for organisations (public/private) comparable to the Contracting Authority.

The reference list must not exceed the three (3) most relevant and comparable references.

Where the tenderer relies on references from other entities or submits a joint tender (e.g. a consortium), ESPD Part IV.C must be completed in a separate ESPD for each entity.

If the tenderer relies on the capacity of one or more other entities (e.g. a parent company, sister company, or subcontractor), or if the tenderer is a grouping of economic operators (e.g. a consortium), the maximum number of references to be submitted shall still be respected and must therefore not exceed three (3) when aggregated.

If more than three (3) references are included, the Contracting Authority will take into account the three (3) most recent references, calculated from the date of final delivery (references that have not yet been completed will, in such case, not be taken into consideration).

Documentation of exclusion and suitability (ESPD)
Prior to the award of the framework agreement to the tenderer with whom the Contracting Authority intends to conclude the agreement, the tenderer must be able to document that it is not subject to the mandatory grounds for exclusion as set out in Section 135(1), (2) or (3), cf. Section 153 of the Danish Public Procurement Act, and that it meets the economic and financial requirements, as described below.

In the present tender, the following documentation will be considered sufficient:

• Personal circumstances of the tenderer: A service certificate (Serviceattest) for Danish tenderers and equivalent documentation for foreign tenderers*
• Economic and financial capacity of the tenderer: Annual accounts or equivalent documentation

The reference list provided in the completed ESPD shall be regarded as final documentation, cf. Section 155(2) of the Danish Public Procurement Act.

*For Danish tenderers, the required documentation is contained in the Service Certificate, which can be obtained from the Danish Business Authority. The typical processing time from request to receipt of a service certificate is approximately two weeks.

Consortia
If a tender is submitted by a consortium, with reference to Section 139(2) of the Danish Public Procurement Act, the required information must be provided for each member of the consortium by submitting separate, completed ESPDs for each consortium member.

The consortium members must indicate in the ESPD which consortium member is authorised, with binding effect, to conduct clarification discussions and enter into agreements with the Contracting Authority. Furthermore, the individual participants’ services/roles within the consortium must be specified in the ESPD.

For the purposes of the suitability assessment, the overall suitability of the consortium will be assessed.

The requirements concerning ESPD documentation set out in section 0 shall also apply to all consortium members.

Appendix 3 – Consortium Declaration must be completed and submitted together with the application.

Reliance on the capacity of other entities
If, in connection with the submission of a tender and with reference to Section 144(1) of the Danish Public Procurement Act, the tenderer relies on the financial and economic and/or technical and/or professional capacity of other entities, the required information must be provided for all such entities, and it must be specified which parts of the application rely on the other entity or entities. In addition, the services/roles of the individual participants in the tenderer’s team must be specified.

Each supporting entity must create and complete a separate ESPD in the procurement system. These ESPDs shall, together with the tenderer’s completed ESPD, form part of the overall application.

For the purposes of the suitability assessment, the overall suitability of the tenderer team will be assessed.

Pursuant to Section 144(3) of the Danish Public Procurement Act, where the applicant relies on other entities’ educational and professional qualifications, cf. Section 155(7), or on professional experience relating to the performance of specific parts of the services, those specific parts of the services must be performed by the entity on whose capacity the tenderer relies.

The requirements concerning ESPD documentation set out in section 0 shall also apply to all supporting entities.

Appendix 3 – Support Declaration must be completed and submitted together with the tender.

9. Award criteria and evaluation process and method
The contract will be awarded to the tender offering the most economically advantageous tender, cf. Section 162(1)(3) of the Danish Public Procurement Act.

Proposals will be evaluated based on price and quality, with the following weighting:

• Price: 20%
• Quality: 80% 

The quality assessment will be based on an overall evaluation of the proposal, including the following parameters. Each quality parameter carries equal weight in the quality assessment.

• Professional competencies and mentoring experience
  Assessment of the supplier’s documented experience with mentoring early-stage startups, including demonstrated experience with both venture-driven growth models and organic, bootstrapped growth. The assessment will include the relevance and quality of the proposed mentors’ backgrounds and experience.
  
  
• Understanding of and experience with the target group
  Assessment of the supplier’s understanding of early-stage startups with different technologies, maturity levels, and growth ambitions, and the ability to tailor mentoring to the specific needs of each startup within the Beyond Beta framework.
  
  
• Ability to recruit and screen relevant startups
  Assessment of the supplier’s approach to and ability to recruit and screen startups that meet Beyond Beta’s criteria, including the supplier’s understanding of the task, Beyond Beta as a programme, and the underlying framework, methods, and approach applied in the accelerator.
  
  
• Market, corporate, and investor networks
  Assessment of the supplier’s access to relevant customers, partners, corporates, and investors in Denmark and internationally, and the ability to actively facilitate market access, introductions, and relevant connections for participating startups.
   

10. Notification of the outcome of the tender
All tenderers will be notified of the outcome of the procurement procedure via the procurement system, cf. Section 171 of the Danish Public Procurement Act. The procurement procedure is not completed until the framework agreement has been signed by both parties following the expiry of the standstill period.

11. Personal data

The tenderer and the Contracting Authority are each responsible for their own compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC) and the applicable rules on personal data protection in force at any given time, including the Danish Data Protection Act, as amended.

The contractor may not process personal data for purposes other than those determined by the Contracting Authority, nor may the contractor process personal data on the instructions of any party other than the Contracting Authority.

The contractor shall implement the necessary technical and organisational security measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, misuse, or other processing in breach of applicable data protection legislation.

In the event of a personal data breach, the parties shall notify each other without undue delay and inform each other of the measures taken to remedy the breach and prevent its recurrence.