1 FORNY 2020 STUDENT Sigrid Marie Blom Senior

1 FORNY 2020 STUD-ENT Sigrid Marie Blom Senior Advisor The Research Council of Norway 08. 06. 2021

2 FORNY 2020 – Commercializing R&D results • FORNY 2020 is The Research Council of Norway’s programme for commercializing R&D results from publicly funded research institutes. • The programme supports Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and their spin-off companies

3 FORNY 2020 Proof-of-concept funding • The aim of the proof-of-concept funding is to reduce technical and commercial risk and make the companies/projects investor-ready • Proof-of-concept activities may include: • clarifying application and market potential; • testing a concept, technology or prototype; • developing a business model; • securing rights; • establishing contact with customers and users. • You may seek up to NOK 5 million in support

4 Who can apply for funding? • Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) representing publicly funded Norwegian research institutions and newly established companies. • Projects must be based on results from research conducted at a publicly funded research institution. • In accordance with Article 22 of the General Block Exemption Regulation for state aid: Aid for start-ups, support can be awarded to enterprises that: –are autonomous, small and unlisted –are younger than five years old –have not yet distributed profits and have not been formed through a merger

5 What characterizes successful applications? • Based on solid research results, not just an hypothesis • Great market need, big growth potential, international potential • Have talked to users and potential customers • Have a clear understanding of the activities that is necessary to do in order to make the project ready for a licencing deal or investor • Multidisciplinary team with a clear «driver» • Short and concise application that answers all the questions in the template for project description

6 Next deadline: October 10 th 2018

7 STUD-ENT – support for student entrepreneurship • The STUD-ENT scheme is a national competitive arena in which students and recent Master’s degree graduates, in cooperation with a university or university college, may seek financial support for realising their knowledge- or research-based business ideas. • The STUD-ENT funding scheme seeks to encourage entrepreneurship among students, promote a stronger entrepreneurship culture in the university and university college sector, and increase the number of knowledge-intensive jobs in Norway.

8 Who can apply? • The project manager must have entrepreneurial skills, be the driving force behind the project, have a key role in the established/planned company, and: a) have planned to submit his/her Master’s thesis by at the latest six months after submission of the grant application, or b) have received his/her Master’s diploma not more than 12 months prior to submission of the grant application. • The core team is to consist of the project manager and students/recent Master’s degree graduates, and this team must be in charge of realising the business idea and have full or partial ownership of the established/planned company (minimum 80 per cent). • The project team must include at least one academic mentor at the university/university college, and at least one commercial mentor preferably from the business sector • Maximum funding is NOK 1 million for 1 year, 100% aid intensity

9 Are there any special requirements relating to the business idea? • The business idea must be related to knowledge the students/recent Master’s degree graduates have obtained through their studies. • The business idea must have its basis in a competitive advantage that can be maintained over time. • The business idea does not have to be linked to a specific branch of industry, and STUD-ENT funding may be sought by students/recent Master’s degree graduates from all subject fields. • There are no requirements relating to market maturity