How to apply – employees
Employees at NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge are eligible for submitting applications either for pilot projects (up to NOK 200,000) or main projects (up to NOK 1,000,000).
Pilot project: Get started
It is common to first apply for pilot project funding. A pilot project provides the opportunity to verify, investigate or create a prototype to minimize technical and commercial risk in the future. The pilot project has a time frame of maximum 6 months, and is treated as an internal project at the department or clinic.
The project must have an administrative from the academic staff at your department or clinic. As an employee, you are the project manager and responsible for implementation and reporting.
Deadline:
Application deadline for pilot projects are at the end of every month and the application is assessed the next month.
Consider this before you apply for pilot project funding
Application requirements
- The project manager/applicant must be academic staff at NTNU or Helse Midt-Norge.
- The pre-project must have been started and finished before the establishment of the company and cannot be linked to an existing company.
Assessment criteria
The applications are assessed by an internal jury from NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge and are evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Degree of innovation – to what extent is this a new product?
- Market potential
- Team composition and competence
- Project plan and commercialization strategy
- Contribution to achieving the UN’s sustainability goals
What is funded by NTNU Discovery
- Wages and indirect expenses: Personnel costs to cover necessary activities for concept development and value increase of the project. NTNU Discovery can cover paid leave for contributions to the project.
- Consulting services: Costs related to the purchase of services from subcontractors or other development services, including external R&D and consulting services.
- Materials and equipment: Costs related to the purchase of materials and equipment for the production of prototypes, necessary equipment for laboratory tests, etc.
- Rental costs: Costs related to the rental of a laboratory, office or similar spaces.
- Other costs: All costs that do not fit under the above categories must be specified and directly connected to the project’s commercialization goals in order to be covered by NTNU Discovery.
What is NOT funded by NTNU Discovery
- Fundamental research, development or marketing of existing products and services, development costs for companies.
- Patent costs.
- Development of marketing material, website, logo and profiling products.
Main project: The road ahead
To stimulate further innovation and development of your project, you can apply for main project funding. Employees can apply for up to NOK 1,000,000.
Deadline:
Funding of the main projects are normally awarded once or twice a year.
The first application deadline in 2024 is 15. March.
Consider this before applying for main project funding
Application requirements
-
The applicant must be academic staff at NTNU or Helse Midt-Norge.
-
The applicant must have submitted a registration form for new ideas (DOFI) to NTNU Technology Transfer (TTO) and received an assessment of intellectual property rights (IPR).
-
The main project must be started and finished before company establishment, and cannot be linked to an existing company.
Assessment criteria
All applicants who satisfy the formal requirements are invited to present the project to a jury, which delivers its recommendation for funding to a steering committee led by the vice-chancellor for innovation at NTNU.
The applications are assessed according to the following criteria:
- Degree of innovation – to what extent is this a new product?
- Market potential
- Team composition and competence
- Assessment of intellectual property rights (IPR)
- Project plan and commercialization strategy
- Contribution to achieving the UN’s sustainability goals
What is funded by NTNU Discovery
- Personnel and indirect costs: Salary costs for necessary activities for idea development. NTNU Discovery covers buy-out of employees at NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge for their professional contribution to the project with up to 20 per cent of the grant from NTNU Discocery, in addition to 10 per cent which can be used for salaries related to project management.
- Consulting services: Costs related to the purchase of services from subcontractors or other development services, including external R&D and consulting services
- Materials and equipment: Costs related to the purchase of materials and equipment for the production of prototypes, necessary equipment for laboratory tests, etc.
- Rental costs: Costs related to the rental of a laboratory, office or similar spaces.
- Other costs: All costs that do not fit under the above categories must be specified and directly connected to the project’s commercialization goals in order to be covered by NTNU Discovery.
What is NOT funded by NTNU Discovery
- Basic research, development or marketing of existing products and services, development costs for companies
- Patent costs
- Development of marketing material, website, logo and profiling products
NTNU Discovery:
From idea to product
NTNU Discovery is with you all the way, from having an idea to getting it ready for monetization.
Pilot project: A small beginning
1. It begins with an idea
Do you have an idea you can’t let go? Do you have an idea you can’t let go? NTNU Discovery provides financial support early in the development phase so that you can check whether your idea is viable.
2. Write a good application for pilot project funding
If you meet the formal requirements, write a good application where you present your idea and tell us why the product should reach the market.
3. The application is assessed by a jury
An internal jury with employees from NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge will assess the project according to these criteria .
4. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
5. Determine whether this is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
6. Submit a report finalizing the pilot project
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery. Now you have several options: Put the project on hold, work on further development with main project funding or establish a company continuing the work.
If you choose to continue work with the idea, you can get further financial support by applying for main project funding.
Main project: The road ahead
1. Write a good application for main project funding
If you meet the formal requirements , write a good application where you present your idea and tell us why and how the product should reach the market. We advise you to do a pilot project before applying for main project funding.
2. Present your project to the jury
A jury consisting of both external and internal participants will assess the project based on these criteria.
3. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
4. Determine whether the project is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
5. Submit a report and finalize the main project
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery.
6. You conquer the world!
About half of the applicants for pilot project and/or main project funding end up establishing a business. Several of the ideas that have received support from NTNU Discovery have turned into successful products – read more about some of the projects we have supported.
NTNU Discovery: From idea to product
NTNU Discovery is with you all the way, from having an idea to getting it ready for monetization.
Pilot project: A small beginning
1. It starts with a good idea!
Do you have an idea you can’t let go? Do you have an idea you can’t let go? NTNU Discovery provides financial support early in the development phase so that you can check whether your idea is viable.
2. Write a good application for pilot project funding
If you meet the formal requirements, formelle kravene, write a good application where you present your idea and tell us why and how the product should reach the market.
3. The application is assessed by a jury
An internal jury with employees from NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge will assess the project based on these assessments .
4. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
5. Determine whether this is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
6. Submit a report and finalize the pilot project.
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery. Now you have several options: Put the project on hold, work on further development with main project funding or establish a company continuing the work.
If you choose to continue work with the idea, you can get further financial support by applying for main project funding.
Main project:
The road ahead
1. Write a good application for main project funding
If you meet the formal requirements, write a good application where you present your idea and tell us why it should reach the market. We advise you to do a pilot project before applying for main project funding.
2. Present your project to the jury
A jury consisting of both external and internal participants will assess the project based on these criteria.
3. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
4. Determine whether the project is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
5. Submit a report and finalize the main project
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery.
6. You conquer the world!
About half of the applicants for pilot project and/or main project funding end up establishing a business. Several of the ideas that have received support from NTNU Discovery have turned into successful products – read more about some of the projects we have supported.
Contact:
Project Manager
Jan Hassel
Email: jan.hassel@ntnu.no
Telephone: +47 906 53 180
Office: Main building
Håvard Wiebe
Email: havard.wibe@ntnu.no
Telephone: +49 414 73 768
Office: Main building
