Programme description

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS CLOSED

Opening of the on-line platform for proposal submission
14 December 2023, at 10 am CET

Deadline for applications (automatic closure)
22 February 2024, at 2 pm CET

Announcement of the decision
July 2024

Execution of the selected projects
For two years from signing the project agreement

The specialised training programme will be held over 4 weeks spaced out through September and December 2024.

The programme is organised in 3 stages to better meet the needs of the projects depending on their nature and maturity:

• Stage 1 is designed to support projects that are generating a proof of concept of the hypothesis of value from scientific findings for a potential asset or assets and initiating the search for IP right protection.

• Stage 2 is designed to support projects that have already identified and characterised the asset/s and require further validation and development, and are refining the prototype design through validation of the intended use.

• Stage 3 is designed to support projects that are on the path to regulatory filing and require an advanced characterisation of the asset/s, need to refine financial viability strategies and/or are exploring exploitation models.

Candidates will be able to apply to any of the stages and, once selected, subsequently advance to the next stage upon meeting required milestones and undergoing an evaluation by independent experts.

We offer high-value resources that include financial and non-financial support:

• Financial support for the activities in the project development plan, according to the proposed milestones: we offer up to €700,000 if the project runs through all the stages (€50,000 max. in stage 1; €150,000 max. in stage 2; €500,000 max. in stage 3).

• Mentors and experts to monitor and support your project: industry experts, consultants and entrepreneurs to help you define the best valorisation and development strategy, whilst providing constant feedback on the project.

• Specialised training in key areas: project management, tech transfer, assessment, finance and commercialisation tools, negotiations. The training provides participants with the tools required to acquire specific innovation skills and to define their valorisation plan. This training is compulsory for projects in stage 2 and optional for stages 1 and 3.

Is your project a potential candidate? Please review the following requirements:

For the projects:
- Projects must be related to the areas of life sciences and human health.
- Projects must have a clear focus on innovation, with specific relevant milestones towards the transfer of the asset/s to the market.
- Projects must belong to one of the following business areas: therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics or digital health.

For the applicant institutions:
- They must be public-sector or non-profit legal entities based in Spain or Portugal.
- Type of entity: universities, university foundations, research and transfer centres, technology centres, hospitals, hospital foundations and non-profit institutions whose main activity is biomedical research.
- They must be the owner or co-owner of the asset/s resulting from the research.
- The same institution may complete more than one application provided that they are associated with different asset/s resulting from different research projects.
- Established companies are not eligible to apply to the call or to be partner institutions in consortia.

For the project leaders:
- Project leaders must be individuals with tertiary qualifications (university graduate, doctor or professor).
- The project must be the project leaders’ main occupation, and project leaders may not be involved in more than one application as project leader.
- The project leader may or may not be the principal investigator of the research project that generated the asset/s.
- The project leader must be connected to the applicant institution and they will require the institution’s consent to be able to submit the application.

• The financial support will be distributed throughout the total duration of the programme, with a specific allocation depending on the stage (€50,000 max. in stage 1; €150,000 max. in stage 2; €500,000 max. in stage 3). It is cumulative for those projects progressing through the different stages.

• The payments will be made in instalments linked to the presentation of status reports and the achievement of specific milestones.

• This support may cover activities such as:

  - Subcontracting of services to prepare or improve the valorisation strategy and develop business and market viability studies.

  - Hiring of personnel directly involved in the project activities.

  - Consumables and materials for tests and experimental development.

  - Travel or representation expenses.

  - Overheads (exclusively for projects in stages 2 and 3).

All the information about this Call for Proposals, the conditions for participating in the selection process and the legal aspects can be found in the rules for participation.

We strongly recommend carefully reading the following documents before submitting your proposal.

The training programme will be compulsory for projects in stage 2 and optional for stages 1 and 3. Participants will receive specialised training that includes a useful set of classes, workshops, and other activities planned specifically to develop business skills and methodology and to provide the necessary tools to define a valorisation plan. Training activities will have a total duration of 4 weeks, spaced throughout the first months of the programme (from September to December). These are some of the contents that will be covered during these sessions:

• The basic concepts of technology transfer.

• How to build a value proposition.

• An introduction to the definition of business models.

• The basics of intellectual property protection.

• Key aspects of clinical validation and designing a regulatory roadmap.

• Sources of private and public funding.

• The market and how to determine the viability of a new service or product.

• Basic communication skills to perform a pitch.

Check the list of the most frequently asked questions.

Questions and answers: [email protected].