CaixaImpulse Innovation Programme (Spain and Portugal)

In this learning process, CaixaImpulse Innovation has reinvented itself to take on a new form: from the original CaixaImpulse calls to a single Programme that offers a longer, more focused and more tailored support process. The Programme will support biomedical research projects and entrepreneurial researchers at different stages of development of their innovation projects, from valorisation needs to preparation for commercialisation and licensing.

The Programme will open once a year for any Project led by Spanish and Portuguese public or non-profit legal entities (universities, research centres, hospitals) that own or co-own Assets derived from their research activity.

Focus Areas

• Within the Scientific Areas, the Asset/s must belong to one of the following Business Areas:
  • Therapeutics
  • Medical devices
  • Diagnostics
  • Digital health

Programme Stages

• The Programme is organised in Stages according to the needs of each Selected Project:
  • Stage 1 is designed to support Selected Projects that are generating a proof of concept of the hypothesis of value from scientific findings for a potential Asset/s and initiating the search for IP Right protection.
  • Stage 2 is designed to support Selected Projects that have already identified and characterised the Asset/s through proof-of-concept validation and are refining the prototype design through validation of the intended use (e.g. evaluating its sensitivity, efficiency and/or safety; initiating animal model development for the desired indication, or identifying preclinical compound candidates, optimisation, etc.).
  • Stage 3 is designed to support Selected Projects that are on the path to regulatory filing and require an advanced characterisation of the Asset/s (e.g. performance testing, identification of clinical sites, etc.), need to refine financial viability strategies and/or are exploring exploitation models.

Funding Information

• Stage 1: It provides funds up to EUR 50,000 over a maximum period of 12 months.
• Stage 2: It provides funds up to EUR 150,000 over a maximum period of 24 months.
• Stage 3: It provides funds up to EUR 500,000 over a maximum period of 24 months.

Eligible Projects

• The Selected Projects will be supported according to their specific needs, nature and maturity stage in order to:
  • Characterise an Asset/s and identify its value to society and the market.
  • Complete or execute valorisation actions through a defined point-of-value in the development plan, including prototyping, validation or testing with end users.
  • Design strategies to access main stakeholders (end users, buyers, distributors, etc.).
  • Establish a plan to make the product, technology or service attractive for investors and potential licensees in the biomedical sector.
• Selected Projects must have a clear focus on innovation, with specific relevant milestones to advance on this path in the context of the Grant. The teams must clearly identify the appropriate activities and human resources that will lead to that purpose.
• Projects presenting Assets (as defined in the Glossary) previously awarded in CaixaResearch Validate calls or, as the case may be, CaixaImpulse Validate calls, will not be eligible to apply for Stage 1 and 2, but may apply to Stage 3 of the Programme. The Project must complete the final report from the CaixaResearch Validate call within six (6) months of communication of the Selected Project under this Call.
• Likewise, Projects selected in previous CaixaImpulse Innovation Calls may apply for an upper Stage of the Programme. In such case, the Selected Project must complete the final report of the previous stage within six (6) months of communication of the Selected Project.

Ineligible Projects

• The following Projects are non-eligible for this Call:
  • Projects involving for-profit applicant institutions, with the exception of Linked Third Parties. For the sake of clarity, as defined in the glossary, Applicant Institutions and Consortium Partners have to be public-sector or non-profit organisations.
  • Projects that have been awarded under this Programme and are presenting the same Asset/s(as defined in the Glossary) to the same or lower Stage to which it was previously awarded.
  • Fundamental research projects without a clear definition of activity aimed to generate an Asset to be transferred to the society as a solution to an identified unmet need.
  • Projects presenting Assets (as defined in the Glossary) that have been awarded grants in CaixaImpulse/CaixaResearch Consolidate calls.
• LCF shall hold the right to declare a Project as non-eligible if:
  • The ownership of the Asset/s is not majority-owned by the Applicant Institution and/or public or non-profit institutions (i.e. the Applicant Institution, either by itself or together with other non-profit institutions, must own more than 50% of each Asset).
  • Projects in which the Asset is subject to rights of first refusal, right of first offer, or any other right or legal form that may lead to the acquisition of the rights over the Asset by for-profit entities other than a Linked Third Party.
  • Prior to the signing of the Agreement, the Asset has been transferred to a different entity, except in cases in which the Asset has been transferred to a Linked Third Party.

Eligibility Criteria

• For the projects:
  • Projects must be related to the areas of life sciences and human health.
  • Projects must have a clear focus on innovation, with specific relevant milestones towards the transfer of the asset/s to the market.
  • Projects must belong to one of the following business areas: therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics or digital health.
• For the applicant institutions:
  • They must be public-sector or non-profit legal entities based in Spain or Portugal.
  • Type of entity: universities, university foundations, research and transfer centres, technology centres, hospitals, hospital foundations and non-profit institutions whose main activity is biomedical research.
  • They must be the owner or co-owner of the asset/s resulting from the research.
  • The same institution may complete more than one application provided that they are associated with different asset/s resulting from different research projects.
  • Established companies are not eligible to apply to the call or to be partner institutions in consortia.
• For the project leaders:
  • Project leaders must be individuals with tertiary qualifications (university graduate, doctor or professor).
  • The project must be the project leaders’ main occupation, and project leaders may not be involved in more than one application as project leader.
  • The project leader may or may not be the principal investigator of the research project that generated the asset/s.
  • The project leader must be connected to the applicant institution and they will require the institution’s consent to be able to submit the application.

Application Requirements

• Applications must be completed in English. LCF reserves the right to request the translation of official documents into English, when reasonably justified.
• The following information and documentation will be requested:
  • Abstract;
  • General information about the Asset/s;
  • Description of the unmet need to be covered;
  • Information on the background of the Project Leader and team;
  • Implementation and transfer potential;
  • Resources and budget where applicants shall include the distribution of the budget among the Consortium Partners and Linked Third Parties (if applicable);
  • Description of the social impact;
  • Reference/support letters (if available).
• If applying for Stages 2 and 3, the following additional information will be requested:
  • Supporting documentation on valorisation activities (proof of concept, prototypes, preclinical/clinical assays, etc);
  • Patent or IP Right strategy information;
  • Value proposition;
  • Identification and involvement of different stakeholders;
  • Project Leader’s and team’s experience in tech transfer and innovation;
  • Gantt chart of the proposed tasks;
  • Additional support from other collaborations/programmes;
  • Foreseen market and prospective clients.
• If applying for Stage 3, this additional information will be requested:
  • Skills gap analysis;
  • Risk analysis;
  • Non-financial support needed;
  • Regulatory roadmap;
  • Asset exploitation strategy;
  • Market analysis and study of competitors;
  • Business plan (if available).

For more information, visit ”la Caixa” Foundation.