How to participate in this call
Requirements
Is your project a potential candidate? Please review the following requirements
For the Projects:
- Projects must be aimed at the valorisation and commercialisation of the protected or protectable Assets resulting from research.
- Projects must be related to the areas of Life, Medical and Health Sciences, specifically from the following fields:
- Life Sciences: Biomathematics, Cell biology, Human biology, Biochemistry and Molecular biology, Human physiology, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology and Neurosciences.
- Medical and Health Sciences: Clinical sciences, Epidemiology, Forensic medicine, Occupational medicine, Internal medicine, Nutritional sciences, Pathology, Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacology, Preventive medicine, Psychiatry, Public health, Surgery and Toxicology.
- Projects must have IP registration for their assets or any other proven protection strategy, including the application of measures to protect trade secrets.
For the Beneficiary of a Valorisation Grant:
- They must be non-profit legal entities.
- Type of entity: Universities, university foundations, research and transfer centres, technology centres, hospitals, hospital foundations and non-profit institutions whose main activity is research.
- They must be the owner or co-owner of the protected or protectable Assets resulting from the research and subject of the Valorisation Plan.
- One same Beneficiary may complete more than one application provided that they are associated to different protected or protectable Assets resulting from different research projects.
- Established companies are explicitly excluded.
For the Project Leaders:
- Project Leaders must be legal person with tertiary qualifications (university graduate, professor or doctor)
- Their exclusive or main dedication to the validation Project, according to the Promoters criteria, for the business idea or transfer to market is required. Project Leader may not be involved in more than one application.
- The Project Leaders may or may not be the leader of the research project that generated the Assets.
- He or she must be connected to the Beneficiary either by statute or employment.
Rules for participation
All the information about the programme, the conditions for participating in the selection process and the legal aspects can be found in the following document.
We strongly recommend reading carefully the following document before submitting your proposal.
How do I apply?
- Submit your applications and additional documents by entering the private area for applying for all the “la Caixa” Foundation programmes. You must register the first time you enter this area and you will receive a username and password for logging in.
- Once you have registered, select the corresponding CaixaImpulse Programme and complete the application form. Following the selection process of the CaixaImpulse Consolidate programme, there are two form samples available. A letter of intent for the first state of evaluation and a full proposal template for a second stage of evaluation, which only the preselected projects fill in.
- Complete the entire online application form. Download CaixaImpulse Form Samples (Letter of Intent and Preselected Full proposal). These forms are only for informative purposes. Applications must be submitted online using the Website Platform.
- Remember to complete the application in English. We will not accept applications that are in another language or if they are incomplete, in paper format, or submitted by any other means or after the deadline.
- Questions and answers: ci_info@fundaciolacaixa.org.
Selection process
The proposal evaluation procedure consists of two phases: a Pre-selection and a Selection phase. The pre-selection phase is based on the remote assessment of a Letter of Intent using a qualitative rating system, while the selection is carried out by a board and uses a quantitative scoring system. Only pre-selected projects will be invited to submit a Full Proposal.
Project selection criteria
The Innovation Selection Board members will score the Projects between 1 (very poor) and 5 (exceptional) for each evaluated criterion. The evaluation criteria dimensions are listed below:
Transfer potential
(up to 20% of the total score)
To which extent the market opportunity has been correctly identified and dimensioned. Added value in comparison to existing solutions. Valorisation process.Implementation feasibility
(up to 35% of the total score)
Alignment of project's objectives and milestones. Adequation of requested support. Team members capabilities and complementarity. Project Leader commitment and leadership management.Development roadmap
(up to 30% of the total score)
To which extent the stated actions and milestones contribute in the advancement of the roadmap. How the participation in CaixaImpulse Programme implies a decisive impetus for the roadmap's advancement.Social Impact and Responsible Innovation
(up to 15% of the total score)
Involvement of social stakeholders. Addressing of ethical, social, legal and environmental implications derived from the innovation development.Calendar for the submission and selection of the projects
Submission of projects will be accepted during the whole year. Cut-offs will be established along the year for the review and selection of projects.
Cut-off moments will be defined based on the volume of applications and will be accordingly notified.
A maximum of three cut-offs per year is foreseen.
FAQs
-
Who can be a Beneficiary of the programme?
The Beneficiary can be an entity that owns or co-owns the Asset(s) resulting from the scientific research and/or innovation activities and whose main activity has to be located and registered in Spain or Portugal. Beneficiaries must be non-profit organisations.
-
Must applicants have previously participated in the CaixaImpulse programme?
It is not mandatory. The call is open to any application that fits the established requirements. Projects under the CaixaImpulse programme can apply to the CaixaImpulse Consolidate Call as long as the Valorisation Plan of the Asset(s) has been approved by the Programme Office before the application.
-
At what point of development should projects be to participate in this Call?
We recommend to be at a TRL 4 or higher.
-
What does the Call offer?
It offers financial support of EUR €300,000 for a maximum of 24 months, and ad-hoc non-financial support.
-
What is the duration of participation in the programme?
A maximum of 24 months.
-
What costs would be eligible to be covered by the grant?
All those valorisation actions included in the project development plan such as technological development of the Asset(s), consulting and market study services, studies for regulatory approval, hiring of personnel, management of IP and travel expenses, among others.
-
Is it required that the beneficiary institution owns the Asset(s)?
Yes, Beneficiaries must be public and non-profit organisations that own or co-own the Asset(s).
-
Are overhead expenses covered by the grant?
Yes, 10% of the total budget may be intended for overhead expenses.
-
What is the non-financial support offered by the programme?
The programme offers mentorship, training and support actitivites such as expert advice and access to the CaixaImpulse experts’ network. Other types of support might be offered upon request.
-
Can one participant lead different projects in the programme?
The Project Leader may be involved in more than one application, but cannot be Project Leader in more than one.
-
Can we participate in the programme if our Asset(s) is not protected by IP?
Eligible projects must have IP registration or proven IP strategy for the protection of the Asset(s).
-
Are actions to evaluate efficacy or safety of products eligible in the programme?
Yes, all those actions needed for regulatory approval of the Asset(s) are eligible.
-
Would consortia be elegible to participate in the programme?
Yes, consortia are eligible as long as they are led by the Beneficiry that owns or co-owns the Asset(s). In this case, the Beneficiary will receive and distribute the project funding among the other consortium members and will be responsible to justify the expenses incurred by all consortium members and the reimbursement of the grant.
-
Can we participate if our Asset(s) has been transferred to a Spin-off company?
Yes, as long as the Beneficiary of the grant is a public or non-profit institution.
Questions and answers: ci_info@fundaciolacaixa.org