A small team of researchers at a university has developed a result with real commercial potential, but turning it into a product needs further development, a working prototype and serious specialised effort, and that takes time and money the team does not have. The founders want to dedicate themselves full time to the transfer, with the backing of their institution's infrastructure, before forming a company.
EXIST supports start-ups that come out of universities and research institutions. Its research-transfer line, EXIST-Forschungstransfer, is aimed at research-intensive, high-tech founding projects with long development times and high technical risk, typical fields are energy and environmental technology, biotechnology, optical and materials technology, microsystems, medical technology and parts of information and communication technology. Phase I funds a founding team before the company is formed, with up to four full-time positions paid on the public pay scale and usually up to €250,000 in material costs, for up to 18 months (up to 36 months for particularly demanding projects). A follow-on phase co-funds the young company after it is incorporated. Applications run through the Juelich project management agency at three cut-offs a year: 31 March, 31 August and 30 November.
The project is research-intensive, high-tech and risky, which is exactly what EXIST-Forschungstransfer is for. The university applies on the team's behalf and provides a mentor and the use of its infrastructure; the funding pays the founders' positions and the materials for the development work over the project, with a total volume of about €430,000 across the term. The team develops the result towards a first product and prepares the company formation, with the option of follow-on funding once the company is incorporated.
EXIST research transfer runs in two phases. Phase I, before the company is formed, funds the founding team and the development at the host institution, with the team's positions and the materials budget making up the bulk of the volume. Once the technology and the business case are proven enough to incorporate, Phase II co-funds the young company, with a grant of up to €180,000 at no more than 75 percent of costs; the company contributes own funds at a ratio of 1:3, so €60,000 for €180,000. Phase I is submitted at three cut-offs a year (31 March, 31 August, 30 November), and the strength of the research and the credibility of the path to a company weigh heavily in the assessment.
A €430k EXIST award.
The team can work full time on the transfer for a multi-year horizon, in the institution's environment, instead of trying to do it on the side or abandoning it for lack of funding. A promising research result gets a real chance to become a company and a product.
EXIST-Forschungstransfer · Phase I + Phase IIFor spin-offs with long development times and high technical risk, EXIST-Forschungstransfer funds the team and the work to carry a research result towards a first product, the phase that is otherwise the hardest to finance. The condition is a host institution that applies and provides a mentor and infrastructure.
More on EXIST: The guide EXIST: founder grant and research transfer explains the programme step by step. How we support your project is covered under EXIST consulting.
The questions we hear most. Short answer first, detail after.
Research-intensive, high-tech spin-offs from universities and research institutions. Phase I funds a founding team before the company is formed, with up to four full-time positions and a materials budget; a follow-on phase co-funds the young company after it is incorporated.
Phase I funds the team's positions (up to four full-time equivalents) plus usually up to €250,000 in material costs, for up to 18 months, or up to 36 months for particularly demanding projects. Phase II co-funds the incorporated company with a grant of up to €180,000, at no more than 75 percent of eligible costs.
The university or research institution applies on the team's behalf and provides a mentor and the use of its infrastructure, which is why a host institution is essential.
Through your university with the Juelich project management agency, at three cut-offs a year: 31 March, 31 August and 30 November.
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