How to apply – students
Students at NTNU can apply for financial support either for pilot projects (up to NOK 75,000) or main projects (up to NOK 300,000).
CEO Lars Erik Fagernæs and flight manager Herman Øie Kolden in Aviant’s drone hangar.
“It was absolutely crucial for us,” concludes Fagernæs about the first money from Spark/Trønderenergi and NTNU Discovery.
Pilot project: Get started
It is common to first apply for pilot project funding. A pilot project provides the opportunity to verify, investigate or create a prototype to minimize technical and commercial risk in the future. The pilot project has a time frame of a maximum of 6 months, and is established as an internal project at the applicant’s department.
The project must have an administrative from the academic staff at the applicant’s department. Being the student, you are the project manager and responsible for implementation and reporting.
Check this before you apply for a pre-project:
Application requirements
- The applicant/s must be active degree students at NTNU via a study program associated with a department at NTNU.
- All projects must first have received funding from the Aneo grant through Spark*. Students from Gjøvik and Ålesund are offered free digital guidance by Spark* tutors from the campus in Trondheim.
- The pre-project must have been started and finished before the establishment of the company and cannot be linked to an existing company.
Assessment criteria
All applicants who meets the formal requirements are invited to present the project in front of a jury of employees from NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge.
The applications are assessed according to the following criteria:
- Degree of innovation – to what extent is this a new product?
- Market potential
- Team composition and competence
- Project plan and commercialization strategy
- Contribution to achieving the UN’s sustainability goals
What can you get support for:
- Consulting services: Costs related to the purchase of services from subcontractors or other development services, including external R&D and consulting services
- Materials and equipment: Costs related to the purchase of materials and equipment for the production of prototypes, necessary equipment for laboratory tests, etc.
- Rental costs: Costs related to the rental of a laboratory, office or similar spaces.
- Other costs: All costs that do not fit under the above categories must be specified and directly connected to the project’s commercialization goals in order to be covered by NTNU Discovery.
What do you NOT get support for:
- Salary for students during the project period.
- Fundamental research, development or marketing of existing products and services, development costs for companies.
- Patenting costs.
- Development of marketing material, website, logo and profiling products.
Application deadline:
January 31
February 30
March 31
April 30
May 31
July 31
August 31
September 30
October 31
November 30
December 31
Processing time:
Up to 3 weeks from the application deadline.
Main project: The road ahead
To stimulate further innovation and development of your project, you can apply for main project funding up to NOK 300,000.
Application deadline is 15. March and 30. September 15.
Check this before you apply for your main project:
Application requirements
- The applicant/s must be active degree students at NTNU via a study program associated with a department at NTNU.
- You must have applied for and received a pre-project before applying for a main project.
- The main project must be started and finished before company establishment, and cannot be linked to an existing company.
Assessment criteria
All applicants who meets the formal requirements are invited to present the project in front of a jury of employees from NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge.
The applications are assessed according to the following criteria:
- Degree of innovation – to what extent is this a new product?
- Market potential
- Team composition and competence
- Project plan and commercialization strategy
- Contribution to achieving the UN’s sustainability goals
What can you get support for:
- Consulting services: Costs related to the purchase of services from subcontractors or other development services, including external R&D and consulting services
- Materials and equipment: Costs related to the purchase of materials and equipment for the production of prototypes, necessary equipment for laboratory tests, etc.
- Rental costs: Costs related to the rental of a laboratory, office or similar spaces.
- Other costs: All costs that do not fit under the above categories must be specified and directly connected to the project’s commercialization goals in order to be covered by NTNU Discovery.
What can you NOT get support for:
- Salary for students during the project period
- Basic research, development or marketing of existing products and services, development costs for companies
- Patent costs
- Development of marketing material, website, logo and profiling products
NTNU Discovery:
From idea to product
NTNU Discovery is with you all the way, from having an idea to getting it ready for monetization.
Pilot project: A small beginning
1. It begins with an idea
Do you have an idea you can’t let go? Do you have an idea you can’t let go? NTNU Discovery provides financial support early in the development phase so that you can check whether your idea is viable.
2. Write a good application for pilot project funding
If you meet the formal requirements, write a good application in which you present your idea and tell us why it should go to market. NB: Remember that allprojects must first have received funding from the Aneo grant through Spark*. (Students from Gjøvik and Ålesund are offered free digital guidance by Spark* tutors from the campus in Trondheim).
3. Present the project to the jury
An internal jury with employees from NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge will assess the project according to these criteria .
4. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
5. Determine whether this is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
6. Submit a report finalizing the pilot project
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery. A template for the final report can be found here. From here, there are several options: Put the entire project on hold, work on further development in our main project or set up a company and continue working on your own.
If you choose to continue work with your idea, you can get further financial support by applying for main project funding.
Main project: The road ahead
1. Write a good application for main project funding
If you meet the formal requirements, write a good application where you present your idea and tell us why it should reach the market. You must have completed a pre-project and submitted a final report before applying for a main project.
2. Present your project to the jury
A jury consisting of both external and internal participants will assess the project.
3. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
4. Determine whether the project is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
5. Submit a report and finalize the main project
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery.
Final report template can be found here.
6. You conquer the world!
About half of the applicants for pilot project and/or main project funding end up establishing a business. Several of the ideas that have received support from NTNU Discovery have turned into successful products – read more about some of the projects we have supported.
NTNU Discovery: From idea to product
NTNU Discovery is with you all the way, from having an idea to getting it ready for monetization.
Pilot project: A small beginning
1. It starts with a good idea!
Do you have an idea you can’t let go? Do you have an idea you can’t let go? NTNU Discovery provides financial support early in the development phase so that you can check whether your idea is viable.
2. Write a good application for pilot project funding
If you meet the formal requirements, write a good application where you present your idea and tell us why it should reach the market. NB: Remember that all projects must first have received funding from the Aneo grant through Spark*.
3. Present the project to the jury
An internal jury with employees from NTNU and Helse Midt-Norge will assess the project according to these criteria .
4. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
5. Determine whether this is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
6. Submit a report and finalize the pilot project.
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery. Now you have several options: Put the project on hold, work on further development with main project funding or establish a company continuing the work.
If you choose to continue work with the idea, you can get further financial support by applying for main project funding.
Main project:
The way forward
1. Write a good application for main project funding
If you meet the formal requirements , write a good application where you present your idea and tell us why the product should reach the market. We advise you to do a pilot project before applying for main project funding.
2. Present your project to the jury
A jury consisting of both external and internal participants will assess the project.
3. Yes! You get financial support to further develop the idea
If you convince the jury, you get financial support to further develop the idea.
4. Determine whether the project is worth continued development
During the project period, you can create a prototype, do a market test or further develop the idea to check whether can be turned into a commercial product that the market needs.
Submit a report and finalize the main project
When the project period is over, submit a final report to NTNU Discovery.
6. You conquer the world!
About half of the applicants for pilot project and/or main project funding end up establishing a business. Several of the ideas that have received support from NTNU Discovery have turned into successful products – read more about some of the projects we have supported.
Contact:
Projectleader
Jan Hassel
Email: jan.hassel@ntnu.no
Phone: +47 90 65 31 80
Office: Hovedbygget, basement
Håvard Wibe
Email: havard.wibe@ntnu.no
Phone: 41 47 37 68
Office: Hovedbygget, basement
