Unlocking the potential of academic intellectual assets for industry, SMEs and startups (CSA)
Coordination and support action to improve the exploitation of academic intellectual property (e.g., unused patents) by industry, SMEs, and start-ups; promotion of pilot projects, workshops, and tools. Submission deadline: 02/02/2027.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Promotion of improved utilization and access to academic IP assets (e.g., unused patents) and strengthening the entrepreneurial skills of researchers to accelerate innovation and market introduction of green and digital technologies.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel expenses
- Material costs
- Subcontractor services
Eligible to apply
- Companies
- Educational Institutions
- Non-profit Organizations
- Public Institutions
Funding requirements
- Coordinator: legal entity from an EU Member State or associated country
- Consortium of at least three independent legal entities from three different EU/associated countries
- Conducting an open market dialogue and selecting at least three providers for R&D services
Documents required for application
- Project description
- Financial plan
- Dissemination and communication plan
- Standard application form (HE CSA)
Evaluation criteria
- Innovative content of the project
- Clarification of the expected impacts
- Quality and efficiency of implementation
Description
The EU initiative “Unlocking the potential of academic intellectual assets for industry, SMEs and startups (CSA)” supports pilot projects, workshops, and specialized tools for the exploitation of unused academic intellectual assets such as patents, with a total budget of €2 million. The aim is to facilitate access to university know-how and promote entrepreneurial talent among researchers—especially in the fields of green and digital technologies. The project targets consortia consisting of at least three legal entities from three different EU/associated countries, coordinated by an organization based in the EU or an associated state. Participating research institutions, universities, non-profit organizations, as well as public and private companies can apply until 2 February 2027. Personnel and material costs as well as subcontractor services are funded at 100%.
A prerequisite for a successful submission is an open market dialogue to select at least three providers for R&D. Projects are evaluated based on the criteria of innovativeness, expected impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. A detailed dissemination and communication plan as well as measures to promote diversity and gender equality are integral components of a convincing project description. The submitted concepts should include concrete strategies to engage students, researchers, and potential industry partners and demonstrate how AI-supported tools or innovative licensing models contribute to sustainable technology transfer. With a view to strengthening European competitiveness, all results will be published and disseminated openly and in accordance with Horizon Europe’s Open Science requirements.