A new opportunity for innovative companies comes from the University of Trento, which has published a call for proposals worth 2 million euros aimed at entrepreneurial entities in the Triveneto area with highly technological ideas supporting health, medicine and wellness. The budget comes from NRRP funds vehicled by the Ministry of University and Research through the iNEST consortium, of which UniTrento is a founding member and project leader of one of the 9 Spokes that compose it. The two million euros are joined by a third one through another call, also promoted by the University of Trento, for companies based in southern Italy.

Application submission deadline: Oct. 10, midnight

Goals of the call

The call supports micro, small, medium and large enterprises - alone or in collaborative mode - through the financing of industrial research and experimental development projects. The investments, for the part eligible for support, must be made and/or ascribed in/to the local unit of the enterprise located in Trentino, Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto.

Areas of expertise

Project proposals must be consistent in terms of spillovers and impacts of the results with the research and innovation themes indicated by Spoke 2, with the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) of the Regions and Autonomous Provinces involved, as well as with the "Digital, Industry, Aerospace" specialization area of the NRP (National Research Program) iNEST Innovation Ecosystem.

The themes of Spoke 2 research and innovation activities are declined into 4 macro areas (RT - Research topic):

• RT1 - Digital health and systems for the citizens
• RT2 - Biotechnologies and pharmaceutical technologies 
• RT3 - Devices for health 
• RT4 - Food and health

Projects must also be oriented toward medium to high levels of technological maturity, capable of positioning themselves in the transition from industrial research to market-oriented innovation. Research activity can be enhanced through the involvement of Research Organizations, public or private.

Intensity and amount of support

The call for proposals provides companies with a contribution ranging from a minimum of 50,000 euros to a maximum of 250,000 euros. The amount of the single contribution varies by area (Research topic), while the intensity of support (percentage of contribution on total expenditure) is determined according to the type and size characteristics of the beneficiary and the activity carried out:

• More support for micro and small enterprises and for industrial research activities
• Less support for large enterprises and experimental development activities

This ranges from a maximum of 80 percent for industrial research in micro and small enterprises, to a minimum of 25 percent for experimental development in large enterprises.

In total, the iNEST call makes available for single research topics:

• RT1: 750 thousand euros
• RT2: 450 thousand euros
• RT3: 500 thousand euros
• RT4: 300 thousand euros

How to participate

Interested companies can apply by Oct. 10 on the iNEST website in the Spoke 2 Calls section. 

Download the full call for applications >>

Download the summary sheet of the call >>