The latest information we have received from the research council of Norway, suggests that they will drastically change their funding application system including; changing the organization of calls, templates, evaluation process, dates, etc. Before full implementation of the new systems, the 10 October will be the last deadline using the current system for new commercial proof-of-concept projects. If you have research results with commercial potential but have unresolved questions and uncertainties that are preventing the project from moving forward in the commercialization process, this program could be relevant. What is important to keep in mind is that proof-of-concept projects should not be research-driven but rather business-driven.

The announcement is divided into two parts. If you have a project requiring rapid clarification of the most critical milestones where positive results can lay the foundation for a standard commercialization project, then a milestone project could be a more appropriate alternative. A milestone project lasts up to a maximum of 1 year with a more limited scope. Projects seeking up to NOK 500 000 will automatically be assessed as milestone projects.

You can also attend the Idea Competition presented by Sparebanken Vest and BTO and win 500 000 NOK to further develop a promising commercial idea. In 2016, the competition was won by Professor Kamal Mustafa from the Department of Clinical Dentistry for his research on reconstruction of human bones.