Pre-incorporation Funds

Pre‑incorporation funding supports projects that are moving beyond early‑stage research and actively preparing for a potential spinout or licensing outcome.

Awards are intended to fund focused, time‑bound activity that helps teams:

• test whether a commercial opportunity is real and viable;
• resolve a specific commercial, technical, or regulatory uncertainty;
• generate evidence to support a clear next‑step decision (for example, whether to proceed to spinout, pursue licensing, or pause further development).

This funding is about making informed commercial decisions, not supporting open‑ended research or exploratory work.

Further detail can be found in our guidance. 

Our application guidance will give you more details to support with your application. 

Strong applications typically demonstrate: 

• A clearly defined commercial problem and customer or user group
• A specific decision or uncertainty the funding will address
• A credible route towards spinout or licensing

Applications will not score as highly where they seem to be: 

• Extensions of existing research without a defined commercial objective
• Speculative or ‘blue-sky’ proof-of-concept activity
• Activity better suited to traditional academic research funding routes

No. Incorporation doesn’t need to take place during the funded period. 

However, projects should be able to demonstrate a credible pathway towards spinout or licensing in the near term, and explain how the funded activity will move the project closer to that outcome. 

Please read the full applicant guidance and contact your technology transfer team to progress with an application. If you’re unsure who to contact at your university, please email northern.accelerator@durham.ac.uk and we’ll put you in touch with the best person. 

The overriding principle is that the funding should be used for the purpose it is awarded i.e. to advance the commercialisation of university research.

You should make sure that it is clear in your application how the costs submitted relate to the commercialisation objective. The Guidance for Applicants provides a little more detail and your technology transfer contact should be able to advise.

Once you have read through the guidance, please contact your Technology Transfer / Research Commercialisation team to discuss your application and get a copy of the application form. 

Once a call has closed the applications will be checked for compliance and distributed to a review panel, comprising external experts with knowledge of innovation and technology transfer and representatives from partner universities, to score in accordance with the guidance.

Personal identifying information and demographic information will be redacted before your application is sent to the panel. 

A meeting of the review panel will then be held for moderation of the scoring and this will be followed by a funding decision panel at which those projects that will receive funding will be confirmed.

Applications are scored solely on the information provided in the submitted documentation, in line with the guidance. No additional information or clarification is provided during the panel meeting.

There are two possible outcomes for each application. These are: award approved or award not approved. If your application is not approved this time it can be resubmitted in the event of a future funding round. 

A decision letter will be issued by the project team. This will be sent to you, your technology transfer contact, and your university Northern Accelerator lead. In the event that an award is being made the letter will also be copied to relevant contacts in your research office and department.
Please see the application guidance for information on timescales.

It may be necessary for the project team to receive a formal acceptance of the offer of award. This will be made clear in the letter you receive. Northern Accelerator funding will be made available in line with your university’s standard processes. Likewise any procurement or recruitment that arises from this funding award should follow your university’s standard processes.

Funding must only be used for the purposes outlined in your application (which will be replicated in the award letter). The transfer of funding will be against invoices raised following actual spend within the terms of the award (again via your university’s standard processes) and approved by the project team.

You should discuss your alternative options with your technology transfer contact.

The application panel is particularly looking for projects that have potential to spin-out as new companies and those applications will be given priority. Large licensing opportunities will still be considered.

Applications will be accepted from Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria and Sunderland Universities. 

If you are from one of our other partner universities and have a potential commercial opportunity from your research, please speak to your university’s technology transfer team as they may be able to signpost you to other sources of funding.