Criteria for eligibility
Pre-Seed Grants can be allocated to proposals for applied fundamental Life Sciences research when there is a clear intention to set up a company based on that prior research. Pre-Seed Grant projects include investigating both technical and economic opportunities for setting up a company in the entire Life Sciences field.
The definitions to which a Life Sciences Pre-Seed Grant project must adhere are as follows:
Definition Pre-Seed Grant project
A coherent structure of activities consisting of an analysis and assessment of the technical and economic potential for setting up a company. These activities are for the own risk and account of the researcher, include the support of fundamental research conducted earlier, including any related industrial research, and should result in a business plan.
Definition of Life Sciences
The proposals must relate to research performed in Life Sciences. The definition used for the grant is:
the innovative application of the potential offered by organisms, cell cultures, parts of cells or of organisms, to be used for industrial production and related services, as well as the production of related hardware and software.
Who may apply?
Proposals may be submitted by researchers who hold at least a Masters or comparable degree and who have a fixed or temporary appointment at a university or research institution recognised by NWO.
In those cases where a researcher does not yet have an appointment, the application will include a statement that the researcher will enter employment for the duration of the project. The same applies to Dutch researchers with a temporary appointment abroad.
Researchers may apply for a grant in no more than three calls.
For further details, please refer to the Call document.
Applications will be judged on these criteria:
● Admissibility according to the two abovementioned definitions.
● Chances for market introduction and economic viability of the product
● The strategy concerning the actual start-up of a company
● Scientific quality and technological feasibility
● Entrepreneurial qualities of the researcher/project team.