2. agency for Innovation
by Science and Technology
INNOVATION MANDATES:
new funding programme for
postdoctoral researchers
June 25th 2012
Veerle Cauwenberg
3. Overview
• Purpose
• General terms and conditions
• Different types of IM-grants
• Consortium
• Budget and support
• Intellectual property rights
• Application
• Evaluation
• Timing
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4. IWT postdoctoral mandates:purpose
- Provide support to postdoctoral researchers who wish to undertake
active efforts to achieve the effective transfer, the exploitation and the
utilisation of their research findings, either through a close collaboration
with an existing company, either directed towards the establishment of
a new spin-off company.
- Main objectives of the research project are:
- strategic basic research resulting in the applicability of the research
results in the industry
- the economical valorisation of research
niche between university research and research in industry;
strong input from the research institutes, but with a valorisation in
business;
strategic basic research projects, characterized by a risk level which is
still too high to be already carried out as an industrial R&D project.
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6. General terms and conditions
• Funding is granted on a project basis to individual
researchers
• Supported by one or more:
- Scientific promotor(s):
- responsible for the scientific supervision (scientific quality
and progress of the project)
- Industrial mentor(s):
- involved in the strategic orientation of the project and
guidance in valorisation aspects
- co-responsible for the financing in phase 2
• The mandate holder is an employee of the knowlegde
centre, with the option to become an employee of the
company in a later phase (phase 2)
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7. Different types of mandates
• Particular form of project-based support within the
- SBO-funding programme
- Industrial R&D funding programme
1) Spin-off mandates:
- leading to the establishment of a spin-off company
- main target of this type of innovation mandates is research (and
activities) directed towards the creation of a spin-off company with
an industrial activity in Flanders
- prior to the application, consultation of the TechTransfer office of
the university/research institute is required
- 100% support for maximum 2 years (mandate stops at the date of
foundation of the company)
- support to the research institute
- mandate holder is employee of the knowledge centre
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8. Different types of mandates
2) Cooperation with existing companies:
- with co-financing
- phased model
These innovation mandates may consist of 2 phases:
- First phase:
- Preliminary phase in which more research is performed to
assess the applicability in a business context
- all partners involved will define milestone(s), and the thereto
related scientific objectives, which should be achieved before
a transfer of results to the industry will be possible
- maximum 12 months
- 100% support to the knowledge centre
- Mandate holder is employee of the knowledge centre
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9. Different types of mandates
2) Cooperation with existing companies:
- Second phase:
- Mandates starting with phase 1 shall proceed to phase 2 after
6 months or after 12 months at the latest
- It is possible to start directly with phase 2, in particular when
there is a clear one-to-one relationship with a company, and/or
when the company considerably contributes its own
knowledge/models/tools
- The company is the applicant and is responsible for the strategic
orientation of the research and for co-financing
- 50% or 60% (for SME’s) support to the company
- Project duration of 24 months (or maximum 36 months)
- Mandate holder is employee of the research institute or of the
company
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10. IWT-Innovation mandates
- Switch from phase 1 to phase 2:
- No discontinuity
- No additional overhead
- Evaluation of the project proposal:
advice by external experts about phase 1
advice by external experts about phase 2
- By the end of phase 1: agreement between the knowledge
centre and the company about the transfer of results
- New decision of the Board of Directors and new funding
agreement with the company
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11. IWT-Innovation mandates
- 2-years mandates, maximum 3 years (with co-financing of
a company)
- Mandates with 2 phases can only be extended in phase 2
(12 + 24 months)
- The funding programme is open to all nationalities and all
academic disciplines, to anyone who holds a doctorate
diploma
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12. Partners
• Applicant:
1) spin-off mandate and phase 1: candidate mandate
holder affiliated to a knowledge centre
2) phase 2: the company
• Partners:
1) research institute + scientific promotor; company +
industrial mentor
2) candidate mandate holder, research institute +
scientific promotor; company appoints an industrial
mentor.
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13. Candidate mandate holder
• The scheme is open to anyone who holds a doctoral
diploma
• In case the PhD defense is planned in the short term
(within 6 months), we need a written declaration of the
scientific promotor with the planned date of the PhD
defense + no contra-indications
• The same candidate can only be granted an innovation
mandate once
• A candidate can apply max. 2 times
• A candidate may not apply at the same time for funding
through another IWT funding programme
Transitional measure:
• Extension of an ongoing “onderzoeksmandaat” (OZM) is
only possible by an innovation mandate in phase 2 (with
co-financing of a company)
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14. Company
All companies with activities in the Flemish region
Sufficient added value for Flanders remains important and
is an evaluation criterion
Commitment for the whole project period
Assignment of an industrial mentor
Cooperation between companies is possible
In phase 2, the company can be the employer of the
mandate holder
See also:
http://www.iwt.be/faq/veel-gestelde-vragen-rond-de-oq-
bedrijfsprojecten-oo-faq-box
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15. Knowlegde centres
- Employer of the mandate holder (mostly)
- Responsible for the scientific supervision
- Publications/protection of knowledge e.g. by patent
applications
cooperation agreement
interface offices
- Spin-off mandates: prior consultation of the interface
offices
- Cooperation with different knowledge centres: good
agreements are necessary
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16. Budget
- Basis = pay-roll of 1 postdoctoral researcher, according to the
salary scales of the knowledge centre
- Other costs =
(fixed costs + operating costs + equipment costs)
50% of the pay-roll
- Overhead (max. 20% of the pay-roll)
- Operating costs (materials, licencies, travelling costs, …)
- Depreciation of equipment (% occupation, depreciation period)
No fixed sum but a maximum (details)
- Budget has to be discussed beforehand with the different
partners
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17. IWT-support
• IWT-support:
The funding is project-based, granted by IWT either to the
knowledge centre, either to the company
IWT does not act as en employer, and is not responsible for
the direct payment of the salary to the mandate holder
The funding is paid in instalments every six months, in the
form of advance payments
• The employer is responsible for the contractual aspects
and reimbursements of the mandate holder
• In phase 1 and for spin-off mandates: support = 100%
• In phase 2:
• Large companies: 50% support
• S(M)E’s: 60% support
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18. Intellectual property rights
Spin-off mandates and mandates in phase 1:
100% funding to the knowledge centre (SBO-Decree)
The companies only take on a coaching role and they do not acquire
any rights to the research results;
In Phase 1, it is possible to agree on a “Right Of First Negotiation”
Upon transferring IPR to a company, the knowledge centre receives a
fee in accordance with the market price for the transfer of intellectual
property rights;
The company acting as an industrial mentor has no guarantee on the
possible licensing/exploitation of the project results.
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19. Intellectual property rights
If the company also contributes is knowledge, an
immediate start with Phase 2 is highly recommended
Mutual consent concerning the distribution of IPR:
1. Preference given to shared rights
2. Property rights to the results would belong to the knowledge
centre
3. Company would acquire property rights on results with a
specific target
Obviously, partners need to agree on acces to background
knowledge
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20. Submitting an application
- Application forms
(http://www.iwt.be/subsidies/innovatiemandaten)
- 3 different application forms:
- Spin-off mandate
- Phase 1, followed by phase 2
- Directly start in phase 2
- Appendices have to be submitted in a separate file:
- Declaration of the candidate mandate holder (and of the company in
phase 2)
- Budget
- Copy of the doctoral diploma
- Signed declaration for cooperation
- Term sheet/collaboration agreement (or with a commitment to
provide these documents to IWT no later than five working days
before the oral defence. )
- (Company information – financial data)
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21. Funding agreement
• Funding agreement
IWT-knowledge centre or IWT-company (phase 2)
The funding is paid in instalments every six months, in the
form of advance payments.
Specific for one mandate holder (cannot change)
• Mutual cooperation agreement
Company-knowledge centre(s)
Mutual payments
IPR & use of the results
• The IWT-funding agreement can only be signed after the
approval of the cooperation agreement
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22. Start date
• Start date
At the latest, 6 months after the decision by the
Board of Directors
Can only be started once the doctoral diploma has
been obtained
• Retro-activity is possible:
Earliest possible start date = 1st of the month in which
the project proposal is submitted to IWT
Period before the decision: at the risk of either the
knowledge centre or the company
Only possible if the requirements are met, as well as
all the conditions to carry out the research
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23. Follow up
• Progress report every six months (for each payment)
• Final report
• Financial report at the end of the project: corresponding
to the real costs and committed funding rate, last
payment = accepted funding minus the instalments
already paid
• Changes within the scope of the innovation goal: OK
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24. 2nd call in 2012
Deadline for submission:
September 7th, 2012 at 12.00 p.m.
• submit an electronic version to im@iwt.be (or CD-rom)
• 2 separate files:
• 1 file with the application form (parts 1 – 4)
• 1 file with the signed declarations (appendices): budget, copy of
doctoral diploma, declaration of cooperation, term sheet/
cooperation agreement, (financial data of the company).
• The application will be checked for eligibility upon receipt (14 working
days)
• Oral defense: November, 2012
• Decision: December 20th, 2012
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25. Contact persons
programme: Veerle Cauwenberg (vc@iwt.be)
Secretary: Herlinde Franco (hf@iwt.be)
Input :
Life Sciences: Mia Callens,
ICT-mechatronics: Carine Lucas,
Materials-chemistry-process technology: Veerle Cauwenberg
Director: Maarten Sileghem
Questions: mail to im@iwt.be
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26. agency for Innovation
by Science and Technology
Koning Albert II-laan 35 b 16
B-1030 Brussels
Tel.: +32 (0)2 432 42 00
Fax.: +32 (0)2 432 43 99
E-mail: info@iwt.be
www.iwt.be
