Introduction to the Applications Portal

Last updated September 2025

What is it?

The Applications Portal is central to you managing and growing your innovation ecosystem. From the Applications Portal, you can create custom forms that partners like startups and other companies can access and fill in. You will receive their completed application directly in your platform where you can review it and decide what to do with it.

It is found under Tools in your main navigational bar.

The key functionalities are:

• Creating and customising multiple application forms, allowing you to have a form for different use cases.
• Automatic assignment of applying startups to tags, sources and reviewer, making it faster to process applications.
• Sending emails to applicants directly from the platform, eliminating the need to switch between tools.
• Automatic detection of applicants already referenced in Bloomflow, minimizing the risk of duplication.

How to use it?

The Applications Portal is accessible from the Tools dropdown in the main navigation bar. From here, Admins can assign users the role of Application Reviewer. Different users can be Application Reviewers for different types of application.

From the Applications Portal the Application Reviewers can:

• View applications that have been submitted, choose whether to accept or reject them and email applicants.
• View the templates used for each of their applications. To customize the templates (i.e. to create and edit fields you are asking applicants to fill in) you must speak to the Customer Care Officer.
• Choose the Tags and Sources that will be automatically attached to applications.
• Access the Form Management page to create and edit forms. You can also retrieve the dedicated URL and QR code for each form (you can also do this in the specific form page).

Recommendations

Different types of companies can use the applications portal in different ways.

1. Retail Company: A retail company could use a virtual applications portal to allow startups to apply for their innovation program. The portal would allow startups to submit their business plans, pitch presentations, and product demos for review. The retail company could then assess the submissions and select the most promising startups to participate in their program.
2. Finance Company: A finance company could use a virtual applications portal to allow startups to apply for funding. The portal would allow startups to submit their business plans, financial projections, and market analysis for review. The finance company could then assess the submissions and select the startups that they feel have the most potential for growth and success.
3. Energy Company: An energy company could use a virtual applications portal to allow startups to apply for their sustainability program. The portal would allow startups to submit their plans for reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, and developing renewable energy sources. The energy company could then assess the submissions and select the startups that they feel are best equipped to help them meet their sustainability goals.