Do you want to be part of the next university spin-out success story? If you think the outcome of your research could lead to a commercial opportunity – Northern Accelerator funding can help you make that a reality.
Applications are invited for the fourth round of pre-incorporation funding – helping academics take promising new research outcomes closer to commercialisation. Funding is available in two forms – feasibility awards and proof of concept awards.
Applications must be submitted by 13 December 2019 and due to Northern Accelerator’s current funding deadlines, all successful projects must have completed by 31 December 2020. That means the final funding call planned for spring next year will only be able to cover short-term projects, so this penultimate call may be your last chance to benefit from funding for a longer proof of concept or feasibility project.
Northern Accelerator is a partnership between Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria and Sunderland Universities and is funded by Research England and ERDF. The initiative has already provided funding to 32 academics across the four universities this year, investing over £1.24million to allow them to progress the commercial potential in their research, as well as increasing the number of spin-out businesses from an average of 1.8 per year prior to Northern Accelerator, to 10 new businesses in the 2018-2019 academic year.
For an informal discussion about making an application for a feasibility or proof of concept award, please contact your technology transfer representative. To find out more about what the funding can be used for, and the application process, visit www.northernaccelerator.org/our-support/pre-incorporation-funds/
