Innoexplorer is targeted at employees at public research and educational institutions and hospitals, that have achieved research results with commercial potential and aim to establish a business based on these results.
The idea may originate from any subject area and does not necessarily offer an opportunity for patent or similar protection. However, the idea must be innovative, i.e. offer new solutions in the form of new behaviour and/or new products, services, processes or technologies, and once marketed, the expected solution should distinguish itself from other solutions addressing the same need.
The main applicant must conduct research as part of their employment. It is a precondition for receiving funding via the Innoexplorer programme that the applicant or members of the team have played a key role in generating the knowledge and the results on which the project is based.
It is, as a rule, a precondition for receiving funding that the institution is involved in the application process and has assured the quality of the entrepreneurial idea. This ensures that the knowledge or results on which the project is based are of a high quality, have significant commercial potential and are consistent with the objective of the Innoexplorer programme.
Innoexplorer invests in projects with a commercial purpose, where starting a business based on the entrepreneurial idea is considered a natural continuation of the effort made in the project, either immediately following the completion of the Innoexplorer project or further down the road towards creating a viable product or service.
Common to all Innoexplorer investments is that the applicant must be able to substantiate that starting a business – e.g. a start-up, spin-out, non-for-profit or social enterprise – is indeed their main objective with regard to the entrepreneurial idea.
Through the Innoexplorer program, investments are made in early entrepreneurial ideas. For an idea to be at an early stage we intend that it is still at a pre-commercial stage, but is based on knowledge or research results, which, according to the institution with which the applicant is employed, are promising and sufficiently mature for launching a process towards commercialisation.
Innoexplorer projects can fall within one or more of the three themes below. If the project does not fall within a theme, an application can be made for non-theme specific funds:
- Green technology and innovation
- Life science, health and welfare technology
- Digitisation, technology and innovation
Innoexplorer invests between DKK 500,000 and 1.5 million in each project (incl. overhead).
The investment can cover:
- Wages for employees at the institution
- Fees for external actors/services
- Expenses for materials and equipment.
Innoexplorer projects can last up to 12 months from start to finish
You must complete and submit your application online via the electronic application system E-grant. Before you can create an application, the main applicant must register as a system user with a user name and password or using MitID.
You create a new application by finding the right programme under ‘Search options’ and pressing ‘Start application’. Please note that the list of search options is arranged alphabetically, and that the names of all Innovation Fund Denmark programmes begin with ‘IF’.
You may write your application in Danish or English.
You can find a guide to E-grant on the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s website.
The application must, as a rule, contain a statement of support signed by the person at the main applicant’s institution responsible for Innoexplorer projects. The statement of support (template), a list of persons responsible for the Innoexplorer programme and contact persons are available below.
Please be aware that there may be an internal process at the institution that precedes the Innoexplorer application deadline.
Universities
KU
Sign.:
Marius Sylvestersen, marius@adm.ku.dk, +45 2193 6520
Contact person:
Hanne Junker Elmelund, hanne.elmelund@adm.ku.dk, +45 3059 0854
AU
Sign.:
Jeppe Dørup Olesen, jdo@au.dk, +45 2899 2095
Contact person:
Morten Holmager, holmager@au.dk, +45 9350 8718
SDU
Sign. and contact person:
Thomas Schmidt, thos@sdu.dk, +45 6550 7547
RUC
Sign. and contact person:
Rune Egedal Westergaard, rew@ruc.dk; +45 619 51236
AAU
Sign.:
Peter Rasmussen, pra@adm.aau.dk, +45 9940 9335
Contact person:
Jens Frede Rasmussen, jfr@adm.aau.dk, +45 9940 7189
DTU
Sign:
Stine Kruse, kruse@dtu.dk, +45 2281 6843
Contact person:
Michael Persson, miper@dtu.dk, +45 6054 4031
CBS
Sign.:
Jane Finnerup Johnsen, jfj.research@cbs.dk , +45 2893 6924
Contact person:
Anne Bjerring Jensen, abj.research@cbs.dk, +45 3815 2058
ITU
Sign.:
Lone Malmborg, malmborg@itu.dk, +45 7218 5023
Contact person:
Lene Dahl Prahm, lepr@itu.dk, +45 7218 5159
SSI
Sign.:
Henrik Ullum, heul@ssi.dk, +45 32 68 37 33
Contact person:
Kristian Krag, krik@ssi.dk, +45 4046 4201
VIVE
Sign.:
Awaiting clarification
Contact person:
Awaiting clarification
NFA
Sign.:
Awaiting clarification
Contact person:
Awaiting clarification
Professionshøjskoler
UCSYD
Sign.:
Lene Mosegaard Søberg, lmso@ucsyd.dk, +45 7266 5228
Contact person:
Jesper von Seelen, jvse@ucsyd.dk, +45 7266 5257
UCN
Sign.:
Kristina Østergaard Kristoffersen, kkri@ucn.dk, +45 7269 0100
Contact person:
Lone Varn Johannsen, loj@ucn.dk, +45 7269 0794
Absalon
Sign.:
Kathrine Krageskov Eriksen, kke@pha.dk, +45 7248 2646
Contact person:
Mette Saaby Nymark, mesn@pha.dk, +45 7248 2633
UCL
Sign.:
Poul Skov Dahl, psda@ucl.dk, +45 2183 4727
Contact person:
Conny Wang Hansen, cwha@ucl.dk, +45 3033 5692
VIA
Sign.:
Erik Løvgren Brejner, elb@via.dk, +45 8755 4411
Contact person:
Mads Lykke Berggreen, gren@via.dk, +45 8755 1843
KP
Sign.:
Erik Caparros Højbjerg, erih@kp.dk , +45 45 4189 7565
Contact person:
Lisa Brønnum, LSBR@kp.dk, +45 5138 0633
Hospitaler
Region Hovedstaden
Sign.:
Christian Drabe Alminde (on maternity leave - see contact person below), christian.drabe.alminde@regionh.dk, +45 4023 6691
Contact person and temporary authorised signatory:
Ayşe Tolunay, ayse.tolunay@regionh.dk, +45 2476 6640
Region Sjælland
Sign.:
Henrik Ancher Sørensen, has@regionsjaelland.dk, +45 2075 5871
Contact person:
Bo Borg Mikkelsen, bobm@regionsjaelland.dk, +45 9357 7617
Lotte Sivertsen, lsie@regionsjaelland.dk, +45 2927 1918
Region Syddanmark
Sign.:
Head of department
Contact person:
Thomas Schmidt, thos@sdu.dk, +45 6550 7547
Region Midtjylland
Sign:
Head of department
Contact person:
Head of department
Region Nordjylland
Sign.:
Jacob Ravn, jacob.ravn@rn.dk, +45 9766 630
Contact person:
Kirsten Ejdum-Bøgh, k.ejdumboegh@rn.dk +45 2025 4023
In the application form in e-grant a short summary of the project is provided as well as a statement on and a brief account of how the project suits the chosen theme or the non-theme specific funds. You must also give various information, e.g. personal data on the main applicant and, where relevant, the team members as well as the CVR and P-numbers of the institution where the main applicant is employed.
The application also includes:
- A project description to be entered in e-grant. When completing the application form, you will be asked to related to Innoexplorer’s assessment criteria:
- Quality of the idea
- Impact
- Quality in execution
- Appendices:
- A maximum of 6 slides with information on the problem to be solved by the project’s idea, key research results on which the idea is based, etc.
- A signed budget.
- Statement of support from the institution.
- If relevant, a list of pertinent publications (max. 1 page).
If the application meets the formal requirements, Innovation Fund Denmark invites the applicant to present the project to the Innoexplorer Panel Committee.
The Panel Committee’s assessment is based on the 3 assessment criteria and whether the project falls within the group of project types funded by the programme.
Panel meetings are held on one of a series of fixed dates announced for each call on this website. The Innovation Fund Denmark expects to inform all applicants of whether they have been invited to present their project at a panel meeting, and on which date, no later than two weeks before the meeting. The time of the presentation cannot be changed.
At the panel meeting, you must give a short presentation of your entrepreneurship idea. You can choose to hold your presentation in Danish or English. The presentation will be followed by a short Q&A session, where the panel will ask questions to determine to which extent the application meets the assessment criteria.
You are welcome to invite the contact person at your institution or other resource persons to the presentation.
Each project is subjected to an individual assessment. Based on the Panel Committee’s pre-assessment and the panel meeting, the Committee will after the panel meeting recommend the application for approval or rejection.
The Panel Committee’s recommendations are submitted to the Innovation Fund Denmark secretariat, and the secretariat management will make the final decision.
Please note that the assessment process is the same for all submitted applications. Reapplications or sequential applications are therefore treated as new applications.
A panel will be appointed for each individual panel meeting comprising a chairperson or deputy chairperson and three-four panelmembers. All members of the Committee are subject to confidentiality obligations and requirements regarding legal capacity.
An overview of the Innoexplorer Panel Committee is available on this website.
Your application is assessed on the basis of the following three assessment criteria:
- Quality of the idea
- Impact
- Quality of execution
A final assessment is made on the basis of the three assessment criteria, which are weighed equally in the assessment.
You can read more about the individual assessment criteria in the Innoexplorer guidelines.
Once all the submitted applications have been assessed and a final decision has been made, all applicants will receive an answer to their application in writing through e-grant. When a decision is available in e-grant, the main applicant will be informed via email.
You are welcome to ask for a short feedback conversation both when your application has been approved or rejected. In this case, an Innovation Fund Denmark employee will offer to clarify the Panel Committee’s assessment of your application. You are welcome to invite your contact person at the institution to the feedback.
Innovation Fund Denmark aims to answer applications within 9-10 weeks.
If your application is granted, the main applicant will receive a grant letter in E-grant. The letter must be signed and accepted within four weeks.
Once you have done so, the main applicant will be a grant holder and able to access the Innoexplorer investment via E-grant under ‘Grant’
The project cannot begin until the approval has been accepted electronically via E-grant. The project must begin on the project start date provided in the application and no later than four months after you have received the grant letter.
The Innoexplorer investment will be disbursed to the institution by which the main applicant is employed. 85 % of the grant will be disbursed as one payment at the start of the project period.
The remaining 15 % will be disbursed after the project end date and Innovation Fund Denmark has approved the accounts and final report
No. You are only required to submit accounts and a final report at the end of the Innoexplorer project period.
The applicant and institution are obliged to pass all significant information onto Innovation Fund Denmark.
In order to get the Fund’s approval of the continued process, you must immediately inform the Fund if there are changes to the basis for the investment or if the project does not progress as planned. This includes significant changes to the project period or project partners, the topic, activities, objectives and milestones etc. as well as any interruption of the project.
Following a concrete assessment, Innovation Fund Denmark and the applicant may agree on adjustments to the ongoing project, e.g. activities, project partners, budget distribution, or if you wish to terminate the project before the end date, e.g. because you wish to start a business or have received funding from another source.
Requests for changes must be approved by Innovation Fund Denmark prior to their implementation. Approval of changes presupposes that the changes have been substantiated.
If you wish to make changes to the project that affect the budget, you must submit a request via E-grant. In the request, you must substantiate the change and provide a revised budget. The revised budget must be completed in the Excel template available at this website
The project ends automatically at the stated project end date. You will receive notification via e-grant when it is time to submit the final material.
At the end of the project, the following steps must be taken in e-grant:
- You must complete a questionnaire with a view to evaluate the Innoexplorer project.
- You must produce a technical and/or scientific final report.
- You must submit the final accounts.
These documents must be submitted no later than one month after the end of the project period. In addition, Innovation Fund Denmark may choose to invite you to an evaluation meeting to learn more about the project.
Once the Fund has approved this material, it will disburse the last 15 % of the investment.
Contact
Ditte Schmidt Jeppesen, Program Lead: +45 6190 5031 or E-mail: ditte.schmidt.jeppesen@innofond.dk
Anne Sofie Bramsen Dahlmann, Relation Officer: +45 6190 5016 or E-mail: anne.sofie.bramsen.dahlmann@innofond.dk
E-grant technical questions?
Contact e-grant support
T: +45 33 92 91 90
E-mail: Support.e-grant@ufm.dk
Weekdays: 09.00-12.00
If you have submitted an application or have a grant from Innovation Fund Denmark, please contact us via your case in e-grant.
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