Commercialisation Grants TTO Commercialisation Programme

1. Commercialisation GrantsTTO Commercialisation Programme Ruairi Friel PhD, MBA Ignite Technology Transfer Office NUI Galway November 13th, 2012 Ignite Technology Transfer Office

2. Outline • Purpose of commercialisation grants • Range of commercialisation grants • What questions need to be addressed • Grant examples Ignite Technology Transfer Office

3. Purpose of Commercialisation Grants: Mind the gap funding commercialisable technology early-stage research Funding gap Ignite Technology Transfer Office

4. Filling the Funding Gap • Prototyping • Proof-of-concept • Cell culture • In vitro studies • Small animal studies • Regulatory issues • Market validation Ignite Technology Transfer Office

5. Outcome of commercialisation grant • Validation: • Proof that market/need exists • Proof that concept works • Path to market established • Moved concept further along the value chain Ignite Technology Transfer Office

6. Range of commercialisation grants – third level institutes • SFI: Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA) • ~1 year, €100k http://www.sfi.ie/funding/funding-calls/closed-calls/joint-sfi-ei-technology-innovation-development-award-tida-feasibility-study-2012/ • EI: Commercialisation Fund • Commercial Case Feasibility Grant • ~4 months, €15k – desk-based study…no lab work • Commercialisation Fund • 1-3 years, up to €350k • http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/Funding-Supports/Researcher/Funding-to-Commercialise-Research/Commercialisation-Fund.html Ignite Technology Transfer Office

7. Range of commercialisation grants – partner with companies • Enterprise Ireland: • Innovation Vouchers: €5-9k https://innovationvouchers.ie • Innovation Partnerships: €100-250k http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/EI_Corporate/en/Research-Innovation/Companies/IPP-Brochure.pdf • Intertrade Ireland: • Fusion programme: £16-23,250k http://www.intertradeireland.com/fusion/academics/ Ignite Technology Transfer Office

8. Range of commercialisation grants – partner with companies • IRCSET • EMPOWER/ EMBARK: PhD/Post-doc • Enterprise Partnership Scheme http://www.research.ie/scheme/enterprise-partnership-scheme • EU • FP7 consortia • IAPP • ITN Ignite Technology Transfer Office

9. Other funding sources? • Not an exhaustive list: • Other funders… • Charities… Be creative! Ignite Technology Transfer Office

10. General: what questions to be addressed X X • Why should your commercial project get funded? • “We can make it for X and sell it for Y – big profits!!” • How big is the market though? • “Company X sell it, and they’re huge” • Company X sell this and 2,000 other items Ignite Technology Transfer Office

11. what questions to be addressed Market Opportunity Exists Credible Realistic • Licensing or spin-out opportunity? • Is there a market need? i.e. actual need not a perceived one • How is this validated? • How large is the market? (validation) • What’s the USP of your product compared to competitor’s? • Price? Technical? • How innovative is your product? (patent protection? Know-how?) • Path-to-market? Regulatory issues? Manufacturing? Distribution? • Cost-to-market? Clinical trials? Manufacturing scale-up? Ignite Technology Transfer Office

12. How do I achieve this? NDAs!! • Secondary research: market reports available? • Caution: ensure the information is specific to your market e.g. global diagnostics market: $XBn p.a. • Primary research: • End-users: who is your end-user? • Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) • Industry • Specialists (IP, Regulatory, manufacturing etc.) • Letters of support Ignite Technology Transfer Office

13. Examples: EI commercial case feasibility study • EI: commercial case feasibility study • Used to lead into a full Commercialisation Fund application – rolling calls • Used to address lack of market knowledge, make industry contacts, build commercial case • Applied in conjunction with TTO • Hire external consultant to perform study • End result: report and full CF application Ignite Technology Transfer Office

14. EI: Commercialisation Fund • Projects: “that address a gap or need in the market by developing innovative technologies that will ideally be ready for licensing to Irish industry or may form the basis of a new start-up in 2-5 years” • 2-3 calls per year • Typically Feb, (Aug), Oct • Apply via TTO and EI commercialisation specialist • Staged projects: 1-3 stages: stop/go Ignite Technology Transfer Office

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16. EI: Commercialisation Fund • Evaluation Process: • 2 stage process • Phase 1: internal review • Commercial case: size of market, validation of market • Irish economic impact: opportunity, route of exploitation • Technology innovation: innovation, feasibility • Phase 2: internal/external panel review: • Workplan, budget, management etc Ignite Technology Transfer Office

17. SFI: TIDA Feasibility • Earlier stage wrt EI Commercialisation Fund • Restrictions re: eligible applicants • Aims: • Demonstrate feasibility of an innovative idea for commercial benefit • Develop awareness of the commercialisation process • Encourage movement from academic to enterprise activities Ignite Technology Transfer Office

18. TIDA: review process • Quality and novelty of the proposed innovation; • Potential commercial opportunities for the proposed innovation; • Significance, including usefulness of the proposed innovation; • Strategic impact of the proposed innovation; • Fit with National Research Prioritisation areas ; • Level of previous EI funding; in cases where applications are deemed to be of equal merit, preference will be given to applicants who have not previously secured EI funding; • Opportunities for Convergence. Ignite Technology Transfer Office

19. TIDA: application • Project proposal: 5 pages • What evidence for a commercial opportunity? • What question does this proposal address? • Why is this question significant? • How will the question be addressed and what are the expected outcomes? • Track-record of success Ignite Technology Transfer Office

20. Questions? Comments? Ignite Technology Transfer Office