The Propelling Grant

Welcome to the Propelling Grant, your gateway to transforming groundbreaking academic research into impactful societal innovations.

At the Innovation Office, we are committed to supporting researchers like you in bringing your discoveries and ideas to life. Our Propelling Grant is designed to support your journey from academia to entrepreneurship, providing you with the resources and funding needed to succeed.

The Propelling Grant is designed to assist you, researchers affiliated with the University of Basel, in transforming your discoveries into start-ups.

The funding (up to 50,000 CHF per project) can be used to:

• Refine your business case, for example by accessing market analysis reports
• Validate your product-market fit, for example by engaging with customers to understand their needs
• Map out the regulatory pathway
• Support your intellectual property and licensing strategy
• De-risk your technology by reaching specific scientific milestones (achievable in max. 6 months, e.g., finalise prototype, in vivo validation)

Important: You should be able to justify how the funding will bring your project closer toward investor and market readiness.

Additional support provided by the Innovation Office to Propelling Grant winners:

Workshops

• Access to Entrepreneurs-in-Residence to work through your current challenges.
• Bespoke support through a dedicate innovation manager.

Investor Relations

• Participate in targeted investor events.
• Support in preparing investor-ready materials and pitches.

Visibility

• Promotion through official communication channels.
• “Propelling Grant” stamp and "University of Basel Startup" logo (upon incorporation) for branding and recognition purposes.

Office Space

• Free use of the Innovation Garage’s address for company incorporation (available for up to 6 months after receiving the grant).

Applicants must have active affiliation with the University of Basel:

• PhD candidates
• Postdocs
• Research assistants
• Professors
• University employees

Ensure affiliation is current at time of submission and for the entire time of the Propelling Grant.

If you are solely affiliated with the University Hospital Basel (USB) or the University Children’s Hospital of Basel (UKBB), you are not eligible.

Eligible projects include those that have already validated their concept or technology, as well as those that have developed their first prototype.

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The grant provides up to 50,000 CHF for a period of up to six months as non-dilutive funding. You are free to propose how you will use the funds as part of the evaluation process. However, your proposed budget should not mainly cover basic research, experiments and consumables. You will be expected to justify how the funding will bring your project closer toward investor and market readiness.

Depending on the maturity of your project, the Evaluation Board may require you to allocate part of the funds to a specific coaching program, decided on a case-by-case basis.

Awardees are required to have regular exchanges with the Innovation Office to discuss progresses and next steps.

The call for projects is always open. Once fully deployed, evaluation will take place two times a year, in Spring (February/March), and Fall (October/November).

The Propelling Grant is an open call and we welcome applications on a continuous basis with two yearly cut-off dates (Spring and Fall). Selected applicants will be invited for an in-person pitch / interview with the Evaluation Board. Refer to the Evaluation Process & Timeline document as a general reference for the process – timelines might vary due to administrative processes of the University.

To submit your application (non-confidential information only!) you are required to fill-in a brief online form and upload two documents:

• Propelling Grant Application Form - Fill in the provided Word document
• Propelling Grant Slide Deck - Use the provided Powerpoint template file as a guideline

Be aware to provide non-confidential information only!

At the following link:

Strong proposal often include:

1. Clear explanation on how the funding and proposed activities will make the project ready for follow-on investments
2. Proof-of-concept data (i.e., the Propelling Grant doesn’t fund exploratory projects at ideation stage)
3. Articulate, concise, and compelling narrative
4. Realistic execution and implementation plan
5. Draft business plan and understanding of the current market
6. Willingness to iterate & develop based on feedback

Common Reasons for Rejection

1. Weak alignment with the goals of the Propelling Grant
2. Vague or unrealistic budgets 
3. No startup translation plan or intention
4. Insufficient data or concept validation
5. No market analysis or differentiation
6. Incomplete or late submission
7. Proposal mostly funds basic research / materials
8. Poor writing or lack of clarity