The Propelling Grant

The University of Basel has a strong commitment to support projects, from any field and with a strong academic background, on their path to commercialization and impact on society.

The Propelling Grant is a funding instrument to help researchers with an active University of Basel affiliation turning their discoveries or ideas into a start-up.

With up to 50’000.- CHF per project, you can use the Propelling Grant to advance your project by:

• validating or develop your technology, e.g. with key / crucial experiments or pilot implementation;
• validating your business idea, e.g. by building or checking your business case;
• checking your product-market fit, e.g. by checking your customer needs;
• checking the regulatory landscape, e.g. by involving external experts;
• further developing your IP & IP strategy, e.g. by involving specialists

In principle, the Propelling Grant can also support projects that are very close to start an industry partnership, but they lack some specific evidence.

The Propelling Grant is part of the Propelling Program, the acceleration program from the University of Basel Innovation Office. The overall offer includes:

• a cash contribution, as non-dilutive funding, amounting up to 50’000.- CHF for a time period of maximum 6 months;
• investor meetings
• theme-specific workshops (e.g. how to incorporate a company; learn investor perspectives; how to translate R&D from the lab to the market; etc.) in partnership with industry and practice leaders;
• semester-long entrepreneurship courses;
• tailor-made mentoring as Entrepreneurs in Residence matching;
• PR and visibility (e.g. Propelling Grant and Start-Up Logos; social media)
• internationalization support thanks to a worldwide network of academic and industry partners.

Specific support measures are provided case-by-case.

All active affiliates to the University of Basel (PhD students, postdocs, researchers, professors, employees), except Alumni.
Applicants with a single affiliation to the University Hospital Basel (USB) and University Children’s Hospital of Basel (UKBB) are not eligible.

• The fund will provide up to 50’000.- CHF for a period of time up to 6 months, as non-dilutive funding. The funding can be used for: salaries, consumables, equipment, external services, etc. You are free to propose how you will use the funding, and this will be part of the evaluation. 

• Depending on the maturity of the project, the Evaluation Board can expect the project applicants to allocate parts of the fund to a specific mentoring program. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis. 

  Awardees are required to have regular exchanges with the Innovation Office (start, mid- and end-project) about:
• the results of the scientific/technical validation;
• an improved version of the strategy for the next steps (including but not limited to: business plan, market roadmap, next funding, etc.)

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: