Application Deadline: 04 October 2017
TestBED is a 10-week accelerator programme that gives startups an invaluable opportunity to test their products within an operating Marriott Hotel.
Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa is an accelerator programme powered by Marriott Hotels with the aim to find cutting edge technologies, that can transform hotel guests experience. The programme will work with startups that have developed products and services which can enhance Marriott Hotels guest experience.
Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa is a 0 cash; 0 equity; 100% opportunity accelerator. TestBED provides startups with an invaluable opportunity to test their products/services for 10 weeks within an operating Marriott Hotel in a major city in the Middle East or Africa. During this period, startups will be able to receive feedback from Marriott guests and associates to help develop their product. It does not offer startups cash, nor does it ask for equity.
Ready to shape the future of travel and hospitality? Is your startup developing a product or service, which can enhance in-room experience of hotel guests, transform their stay and help them achieve a relaxed state of mind? Apply now to join the TestBED accelerator programme with the opportunity to test your offering at Marriott Hotels.
Eligibility
Participating startups should fulfill the following conditions:
- Be a for-profit business
- Have a product or a service focusing on:
- Enhancing Marriott Hotels’ in-room experience
- Transforming the overall guest stay and F&B experience, in and outside the hotels
- Helping guests discover a ‘headspace’ and achieve a relaxed state of mind during their stay with Marriott Hotels
- Be ready to pilot within a live hotel environment (fundamentally beyond “idea stage”; seed and early stage startups are welcome to apply)
- Be based in the Middle East or Africa
- Be independent entities, meaning that they should not be a subsidiary of an existing corporation or have legal ties to a government body
- Be represented by team members aged 21 years and older
Selection Criteria
Participating startups will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- Extent to which the product solves a Marriott-specific business problem
- Innovative and disruptive technology to transform the guest experience
- Size of market opportunity and revenue potential
- A strong market rollout plan
- Proven traction (e.g. users, customers, revenue)
- A motivated and skilled team
Programme Benefits
Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa offers the participating startups:
- The opportunity to test their products/services for 10 weeks within an operating Marriott Hotel in a major city in the Middle East or Africa
- A marketing training programme, tailored to their needs, provided by industry leaders
- Mentoring from a range of experts from Marriott Hotels
- Global exposure through Marriott Hotels’ marketing and media
- Marriott TestBED accelerator programme lasts 10 weeks. During this time, the selected startups will not be required to relocate their operations.
- However, participants will be required to travel, as most of this period will be spent within a designated Marriott Hotel in the Middle East or Africa to pilot their product/service. Travel and accommodation expenses during this period will be covered by the programme.
Timeline:
Submission Deadline
A screening jury examines the received applications and selects 8 startups to participate in Marriott TestBED Pitch Day.
Finalists Announcement
The names of the 8 finalists are announced. The selected startups are invited to Marriott TestBED Pitch Day.
Marriott TestBED Pitch Day
The 8 finalists gather in Dubai, UAE to take part in a series of workshops and pitch their businesses to a panel of judges.
Winners Announcement
The names of the 2 startups selected to join Marriott TestBED Middle East & Africa are announced.
Marriott TestBED starts
The Marriott TestBED accelerator programme starts and each of the selected startups joins a designated Marriott Hotel in the Middle East or Africa.
Marriott TestBED ends
The Marriott TestBED accelerator programme ends and the final products/services created are announced.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Marriott TestBED accelerator programme 2017
