Access to funding
MIT Arrangement
Special encouragement for SME's
As of April this year a new special financial incentive for entrepreneurs in the Life Sciences & Health sector will open. On top of the regular funds that become available for SME's, the Topsector LSH increases the amount of funding for this instrument. Apart from the roadmaps assigned by the Topsector, MIT will be aligned with regional initiatives and focus points. Follow the Health-Holland website for more information in the beginning of April, and subscribe for our updates.
In the video below (in Dutch) Porta Vita explains how the MIT arrangement helped their SME.
Prize for patient-researcher collaboration
ZonMw introduces a new prize. This prize aims to stimulate collaboration between patients (and/or patient representatives) and researchers. Patients and researchers are invited to submit an idea for a project of €50.000 aimed at developing a medical product. If it is possible to involve industry or health care professionals this is encouraged. Deadline for submitting an idea is April 10th 2015.
The theme for the prize in 2015 is regenerative medicine in any area of disease. This could include bone and cartilage regeneration, skin regeneration or lung tissue regeneration, stem cell therapy (e.g. heart), artificial organs (e.g. kidney), genetic repair and gene therapy.
Part of the selection process is a communication workshop aimed at writing an inspiring project plan for a broad audience, as well as recording and editing a short film.
More information can be found in Dutch at www.zonmw.nl/MPNN
Do you have an idea, but are you still in need of a suitable partner to collaborate with? Please contact MPNN@zonmw.nl we will try to connect you to a suitable partner.
Horizon 2020: Dutch Success
Public-private consortia can apply for a grant in the ‘Health, demographic change and wellbeing’ challenge under EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. Results from the 2014-calls show that in general, only 20 to 40 % of the proposals reach the threshold scores set by the EC.
Consortia led by a Dutch party are relatively successful: their success rates and scores are higher than the average application achieves. Also Dutch SME’s applying for Horizon 2020’s SME instrument are doing well: six Dutch SME’s have been granted a phase 1 proposal, two have been granted a phase 2 proposal. Only UK has scored better.
More information on Horizon2020: www.rvo.nl/horizon2020
Venture Challenge
The Venture Challenge, the successful coaching program for aspiring life sciences entrepreneurs set-up under NGI in 2008, has been adopted by the topsector LSH and will continue as Health-Holland Venture Challenge. Thanks to a subsidy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs the Venture Challenge can continue, its 13th edition will start this Spring.
In the Venture Challenge that runs twice a year, teams of aspiring entrepreneurs are challenged by experienced business coaches and 'competing teams’ in sharpening their business case and pitching it to potential customers and investors. The Venture Challenge is often the first step towards setting up a real business. Successful Venture Challenge alumni include Pluriomics and Encare Biotech who managed to raise significant funds recently.
Funding: The funds granted sofar are to transform the Venture Challenge in the next years from a fully government funded programme to an activity supported by the field. This means that the Venture Challenge programme management is looking for sponsors that are interested to support the programme financially, to help many start-ups in taking their first steps towards the market. BioGeneration Ventures is the first private party who already supports the Venture Challenge. We need more supporting funds and hope to welcome new potentials.
Value Center: Funds will also be used to launch a new activity that supports start-ups in the stage after the Venture Challenge. This activity called 'the Value Centre’ helps innovative starters to overcome hurdles such as setting up a clinical validation, reimbursement issues, and attracting capital, by connecting the startup to specialists in the field.
LifeSciences@Work: Both the Health-Holland Venture Challenge and the Value Center are part of the LifeSciences@Work umbrella programme that links a broad range of activities aiming to support Life Sciences start-ups.
For more information: www.lifesciencesatwork.nl. Follow us:@LSatW.