Access to funding
More Funding Opportunities
Read on the opportunities for entrepreneurs or scientists in their search for funding or support.
Enabling Technologies Hotels opens 4th call for projects
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New call on Big Data & Health ‘DATA2PERSON’ open
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Eurostars, a great funding opportunity for SMEs
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NWO Re-opens Responsible Innovation Call
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Where the Value Voucher helped Adjuvo Motion to look for new business opportunities
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Advanced notice of MIT scheme application dates in 2017
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Advanced notice of MIT scheme application dates in 2017
Innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises can once again apply for grants this spring through the SME Innovation Incentive Scheme for Regions and Top Sectors (MIT scheme). Grants provided through the scheme may be used for the following: knowledge vouchers, innovation consultancy projects, feasibility projects and R&D joint ventures.
Collectively, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and regions provide budget (expected 55 million euros) for the MIT arrangement 2017. The application date windows are as follows:
Knowledge vouchers
An SME entrepreneur can present a knowledge voucher to a centre of expertise for a scientific inquiry into a research question. Applications will be processed in order of receipt. Application window: 11 April to 7 September 2017.
Innovation consultancy projects
For obtaining advice and recommendations on innovation from a centre of expertise or independent consultancy. This may involve finding the answer to a research question or addressing a request for advice. Applications will be processed in order of receipt. Application window: 11 April to 7 September 2017.
Feasibility projects
For identifying the technical and financial risks potentially involved in a proposed innovation project. This year funding budget per project is Applications will be processed in order of receipt. Application window: 11 April to 7 September 2017.
R&D joint venture
For working with at least one other SME to innovate or develop a product, production process or service. Application window: 3 July to 7 September 2017. The structure is a call for tenders.
Get inspired by these SMEs
Read the stories of SMEs who previously made use of the MIT Scheme (in Dutch). For example the development of the 'Mydiagnostick' of Applied Biomedical Systems (ABS). Or the 'Buckyballs' of Siert Bruins which conductive molecules that can embed all kind of agents.
Questions?
If you have questions, are looking for partners, or if you would like advice on your ideas for an innovative project, please call Customer Contact Centre of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency: 088 042 42 42.
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency will soon be updating the information on the MIT scheme on their website.
New call on Big Data & Health ‘DATA2PERSON’ open
NWO has opened the call for applications DATA2PERSON – Big Data & Health. This call, as part of the COMMIT2DATA programme, aims to contribute to the development of effective, efficient, and responsible personal empowerment methods for a future healthy society. Consortiums of at least two academic departments and at least one public or private partner can apply for funding.
COMMIT2DATA Programme
COMMIT2DATA is focused on strengthening knowledge, valorisation, and dissemination of data science, stewardship, and technology for the top sectors. This programme places great emphasis on monitoring and community management using a monitoring and dissemination plan. A focused approach is needed to shift the boundaries of contemporary data science and big-data solutions. COMMIT2DATA focusses on the way in which Data Science can make a contribution to a personalized offer and possibilities for the self/joint-management of the individual health situation.
In addition to Data Science, the input of other relevant scientific disciplines towards the DATA2PERSON call is necessary. These disciplines need to identify and articulate the issues relating to this call and support the development of a solution-oriented approach or test their effectiveness and feasibility in practice.
DATA2PERSON Call
This call is a partnership between COMMIT2DATA, NWO Domain Science (ENW) and Domain Social Sciences and Humanities (SGW), Applied and Engineering Sciences (TTW), National Initiative Brain & Cognition (NIHC), The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW), and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The call is formulated and rolled out in consultation with the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS).
Some important requirements for the call are:
- Consortiums of at least two academic departments and at least one public/private partner can apply for funding.
- Per project, the grant is a minimum of € 250,000 and a maximum of € 1 million.
- Per project, the total project costs are no less than € 500,000 and no more than € 2 million.
- The total contribution (in cash and in kind) of the public and private partner(s) amounts to a minimum of 30% of the total project costs, or a maximum of 50%.
- The in kind and in cash contribution of the private and public partner(s) both amount to no less than 15% of the total project costs.
- The total available budget for projects in this call is € 5,225,000.
The deadline for submitting a proposal is 5 September 2017.
For further information, conditions, and to apply, please check the call funding page.
Enabling Technologies Hotels opens 4th call for projects
In the Enabling Technologies Hotels (ETH) programme, life sciences researchers can apply for funding to gain access to the high-end equipment and expertise of 120+ Technology Hotels that are listed on the Dutch Techcentre for Life Sciences (DTL) website. The new ETH 2017 call is now open for applications and ready to connect expertise and infrastructure.
Sander Hougee, Programme Officer Life Sciences and Health at ZonMw: “The Enabling Technologies Hotel (ETH) programme offers scientists access to a variety of high-quality Dutch life sciences facilities and expertise.”
Technological expertise
ZonMw and NWO have set up the ETH programme in collaboration with DTL to stimulate open access of Dutch research facilities within the framework of public-private partnerships. The programme contributes to the aims of the Top Sectors LSH, Agri & Food, and Horticulture & Starting Materials. In the period 2013 to 2015, three calls have been held that resulted in 95 granted projects. Many grant recipients have indicated that they will continue collaborating after the ETH project, for instance by jointly writing grant proposals or by financing follow-up research from their own sources of funding. Therefore the programme has already resulted in fruitful new collaborations.
Jan Raaijmakers, chairman of the Top Sector LSH: “I am extremely pleased that we now have a possibility for early-career scientists to embed high-end technologies in their research. This also nicely fits within the ‘human capital agenda’ of the top sectors.”
What is new?
With a 1.8 million euros budget, the 2017 programme is twice the size of the previous call and can provide far more project grants. The 2017 budget will be evenly distributed over two different types of research projects:
- Public-private projects, i.e. collaborations between academic and industrial scientists. Projects in this category are asked to include the company as co-applicant. The companies are required to provide 10% co-funding in cash and/or in kind. The main applicant is a scientist at a Dutch academic research organisation, with no restrictions regarding the time since the applicant's PhD graduation.
- Early-career scientist projects, where it is not necessary to involve a company as co-applicant. The main applicant should be a scientist at a Dutch academic research organisation who obtained a PhD less than nine years ago.
This last type is new for the 2017 call and has arisen in response to the ideas expressed by the evaluation committee and programme committee on support for early scientists. With this initiative scientists will be able to use unique technological expertise for both academic and industrial life science organisations in the Netherlands
More information
Deadline for applications is 29 August 2017 at 14:00.
- Read the interview with Sander Hougee (ZonMw) and Jan Raaijmakers (Top Sector Life Sciences & Health).
- Read the experience story: ‘Enabling Technologies Hotels programme helps LUMC with development of new technology for Rheumatoid Arthritis research’.
- Read about the results of the previous calls: 2015, 2014, 2013.
- Or read the infographic down below or the ZonMw website.
Source: DTL
Eurostars, a great funding opportunity for SMEs in the Life Sciences & Health sector
Are you an innovative SME with international R&D aspirations? Or do you partner with one? Check out the Eurostars programme! Eurostars is a joint programme between national funding bodies and the EU. It focuses on R&D-performing SMEs that wish to lead transnational collaborative research projects, with rapidly-commercialised results. Your involvement in international research projects enables you to combine and share creativity and expertise, and eases access to previously uncharted markets for the resulting innovation. With 36 countries participating it offers you many opportunities for international R&D-cooperation with SMEs, large companies and research organisations abroad.
Eurostars has already supported many Dutch life sciences & health companies and research organisations and offers great funding opportunities for the Dutch LSH sector. Did you know roughly 55% of all funded projects with Dutch participation are life sciences & health related?
In the Netherlands an annual amount of € 18 million is available for funding. With 2 submission deadline dates per year, a fair success rate, relatively short time-to-contract and extensive support from RVO.nl makes this programme SME friendly! Next submission deadline is 14 September 2017.
Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), and more specifically the Department of International Research & Innovation is the national contact point for all questions related to EUREKA and Eurostars in the Netherlands. More info: www.rvo.nl/eurostars.
A few project examples with Dutch involvement:
Health Technology Assessment as an eye opener
Where the Value Voucher helped Adjuvo Motion to look for new business opportunities
The transition from a rehabilitation glove for hand, wrist, and tendon injuries to a glove than enables touch in Virtual Reality. The Value Voucher enabled Adjuvo to remain critical to their own innovation and make this transition to a more cost-effective market.
The original goal of the Sense Glove of Adjuvo was to help in the rehabilitation process of patients with hand or wrist injuries. The rehabilitation is measured and tracked by the range of motion and the angles of the fingers and joints. The Sense glove does this more accurate and faster than the alternatives. On top of that, the monitoring and treatment can be done from home, with gamification helping by stimulating exercising.
Gijs den Butter of Adjuvo: “We wanted to do a health technology assessment of our product to see whether there was a market for it.
Gijs den Butter of Adjuvo: “We wanted to do a health technology assessment of our product to see whether there was a market for it. That leaves the choice to do it yourself or hire an external bureau. Whilst the second is more expensive, it is also more objective. We came in contact with Medvalue, who informed us about the Value Voucher.”
"When we contacted the Value Centre, everything went pretty smooth. In a few days the total administration was mostly taken care of and the team confirmed the voucher, it was quite easy and fast. With the help of the Value Voucher we able to hire Medvalue to perform a health technology assessment for the Sense glove. It is important to keep a critical point of view towards your innovation, which is why a HTA by an external office adds more value than an internal report.”
“The HTA stated that the Sense glove can have a beneficial effect in the rehabilitation and that our product could be of added value. There was still a substantial risk that the actual proof of this effect would require a too large investment to build a business case solely focussed on rehabilitation. So we adjusted our case to a venue we found out to have more potential; the Virtual Reality market. We now focus solely on the hardware components of the Sense glove, giving companies the opportunity to adapt it to their market. For example, the glove can be used for training purposes, using VR. The rehabilitation process is still on our minds, but not the primary focus right now.”
Interested in a Value Voucher?
This year, the Top Sector LSH continues with offering Value Vouchers for MedTech and BioTech startups to increase the success rate and speeding up the development to a successful market introduction. The Value Vouchers are part of the Value Centre of the LifeSciences@Work accelerator (LS@W), the valorisation programme of the Top Sector LSH.
By offering a Value Voucher of 10,000 euros (VAT included) you can hire a specialized organisation who can help you to solve your questions. As a participant we ask you to fund 50% of this voucher. You can apply for the Value Voucher via MedtechPartners. Therefore contact Lisanne Wiggers if you have a specific question to be solved. You will be asked to fill in the application form which is evaluated by an life sciences expert. We aim to let you know within two weeks if your application is honored.
NWO Re-opens Responsible Innovation Call
Consortia of researchers and private parties can apply for funding for proactive research into ethical and social aspects of innovation via the NWO funding instrument Responsible Innovation (NWO-MVI). The call for proposals focuses on the themes of Building Materials of Life (BBoL), Creative Industry, Energy, and Logistics.
In many innovation processes ethical and social aspects play an important role. Responsible innovation takes into account these aspects from the start to allow innovations to meet long-term social needs and values. Ethical and social requirements for new services and products can also act as an enhancer of innovation. MVI research deals with these aspects and generally takes place in close interaction with stakeholders.
Call for proposals
The MVI-call for proposals is open until 7 September 2017, 14.00 hrs, targeting on consortia of researchers and companies. The main applicant is an experienced researcher with a PhD degree and an affiliation at a Dutch university or a research institute recognised by NWO. In addition, a consortium always has at least one private party that provides a matching contribution to the project. Part of the required matching may also come from (semi) public parties. Applications can be submitted for large projects (250.000 euro) and for small projects (125.000 euro).
More information
Interested parties who want to stay informed can also sign in to the LinkedIn group MVImatch.