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Mentortjenesten for gründere - Innovasjon Norge / Connect Vest

Connect Vest links CEOs of innovative startups with experienced mentors through Innovation Norway's mentoring subsidy, tailoring one-to-one pairings to each company’s needs based on extensive matching experience.

Who is it for?

CEOs of startups (under 5 years)

What does the mentoring scheme offer?

The mentor subsidy from Innovation Norway provides access to structured one-to-one sparring with an experienced mentor for the CEO of an innovative company. The aim is to transfer relevant competence and open networks that support better business development and growth.

Who can participate?

The scheme is aimed at CEOs of innovative companies under 5 years. The mentor is selected based on the company’s needs and challenges.

How does the mentoring process work?

An advisor from Connect Vest carries out a needs assessment together with the founder.
Based on the assessment, two mentor candidates with relevant competence are presented.
Good chemistry between mentor and founder is emphasized; an informal meeting before signing an agreement is recommended.
Connect Vest uses its broad network and mentor database, and searches beyond its own network to find the best possible match.

What is expected of mentor and founder?

The mentor serves as a discussion and sparring partner, offering advice, asking critical questions and challenging the founder’s assumptions.
The mentor should contribute specialist competence, experience and networks, but must not perform operational tasks for the company.
Persons who already sit on the company’s board, are investors in the company, or are contracted to the company cannot act as mentor.
A suitable mentor role is approved by Connect Vest or partners in each individual case.

Why participate?

Experience and evaluations show that mentoring collaborations can increase the likelihood of financial growth and improve survival. Mentoring can help sharpen strategies, sales and investor approaches, and strengthen market positioning.

Track record

Since 2010, Connect Vest has made several hundred mentor matches in Western Norway and has had national responsibility for Innovation Norway’s mentoring scheme since 2020, providing both local knowledge and national experience in matching work.

Opportunities for mentors

People with relevant business experience and specialist competence can express interest in becoming mentors. The role suits those who want to share experience, support growth in early-stage companies and provide strategic sparring without taking on operational tasks.