1. Should an innovation incubator be a separate legal entity established by a research organization?
An innovation incubator is established as a separate organizational unit within the R&D organization (e.g., office, department, etc.), but not as a separate legal entity. The R&D organization approved for funding will have one month to submit to the Innovation Fund a formal decision on the establishment of the innovation incubator and the selection of the incubator team. This decision is made by the competent body of the R&D organization, in accordance with internal regulations and procedures.
2. If the innovation incubator is not a separate legal entity, how can it be registered in the Registry of subjects in the national innovation, as required by one of the indicators?
The indicator related to registration in the Registry of subjects in the national innovation was set considering the planned amendment to the Law on Innovation Activities, which will include the specific form of innovation incubators in the ecosystem that will not have the status of a legal entity in the Registry.
3. How will coordinator of the innovation incubator and other team members be hired? Through employment contracts, additional work agreements, service contracts, or task orders?
The innovation incubator coordinator is a key person responsible for establishing and developing the incubator, and as such, must be employed full-time. This type of engagement is possible through an employment contract. Other team members (up to two maximum) do not need to be fully engaged and can be employed part-time or through a service contract, additional work agreement, or similar forms of engagement.
4. Can the innovation incubator coordinator be someone already employed by the R&D organization (e.g., a professor or researcher from the applying institution)?
For the purpose of managing and coordinating the innovation incubator, the R&D organization may appoint a coordinator who is already employed by the organization or hire an external person not previously engaged by the institution. It is essential that the coordinator is engaged full-time and exclusively for establishing and developing the incubator, starting within one month of signing the financing agreement between the R&D organization and the Innovation Fund.
5. Can the R&D organization submit the application jointly with one or more partners? What is the role of these partners, and are they entitled to financial compensation?
Yes, the R&D organization can submit an application with one or more partners (e.g., another R&D organization, technology park, startup support organization) that will assist in developing the work program and implementing the innovation incubator’s activities. For more details on eligible activities for funding, please refer to the Program Manual, page 6. Financial compensation for partner services depends on the type of service provided and should be planned in the project budget under categories such as professional services, preparation and organization of education and networking, or promotion.
6. Is it possible to establish an innovation incubator that supports entrepreneurship development for more than one R&D organization? How is this demonstrated if a legal entity is not formed?
Yes, it is possible. The program is designed so that the innovation incubator, besides supporting students, professors, and researchers from its “home” research organization, also provides support to other ecosystem participants, i.e., other R&D organizations, their employees, and students. In this case, the incubator would be established within one R&D organization that can provide the best infrastructure, expertise, and administrative support. The interest of other organizations in using the incubator’s services can be demonstrated in the application form, through letters of intent, cooperation agreements, or similar legal documents.
7. Can Innovation centre apply for this public call?
If the Innovation centre is accredited for conducting research activities, it can apply for the program. The list of accredited R&D organizations is available on the eNauka website.
8. If a single R&D organization has two candidates—one applying for establishing and developing an innovation incubator and the other for further development of an existing incubator—can two applications be submitted from the same institution?
The public call for the Program for Establishing and Developing Innovation Incubators is open to R&D organizations that have already established incubators in a previous call by the Ministry. These R&D organizations can apply for further development of their incubators. Other R&D organizations that did not receive funding previously and recognize the potential to establish such a mechanism can apply for establishing and developing an incubator. Each applicant can submit only one application, selecting one of these two options on page 2 of the application form and completing the rest accordingly.
9. Can the budget for the innovation incubator include administrative (overhead) costs and travel expenses?
The program includes a category called “Other Costs”, which refers to expenses related to materials for the operation and functioning of the innovation incubator, as well as other costs that the applicant deems necessary for the successful implementation of activities. These costs must not fall under categories such as Human Resources, Experts Services, Educations and Networking Organization, or Promotion, and they are subject to approval by the Fund. It is important to note that applicants can allocate up to 10% of the total funding amount to the “Other Costs” category. Travel expenses fall into this category and would require approval from the Fund.
10. Can the applicant finance part of the costs from their own resources?
The Innovation Fund encourages applicants to secure financial resources from other sources to help form and develop the incubator, ensuring the most successful implementation of the project activities. This amount can be indicated in the application form, on page 2, under the section “Basic Information about the Applicant,” specifically in the “Budget” item as “Required funds for financing the operation of the innovation incubator,” with a note indicating co-financing. When planning the budget on page 10 (as well as in the budget Excel table), only the amount being applied for from the Fund should be included.
11. What is considered a fulfilled indicator "Number of startup teams that received mentoring support for developing their idea"? Does this mean that 5 startup teams submitted a patent application after at least 3 mentoring sessions, or is it sufficient for teams to work on developing innovative solutions without the obligation of formally submitting a patent application?
The indicator “Number of startup teams that received mentoring support for developing their idea” will be considered fulfilled if at least 5 startup teams had at least 3 mentoring sessions, with at least one session focused on the protection of intellectual property. Although submitting applications for patent protection or other forms of intellectual property rights is a desirable outcome, it is not mandatory.
12. What is considered a successfully submitted application for available support programs? Does this mean the teams received funding, or is it sufficient that the applications were accepted and formally submitted?
A successfully submitted application for available support programs, either with the Innovation Fund or other support providers within the ecosystem, is one that passed the initial “screening,” i.e., administrative and eligibility checks. Similar to the answer above, obtaining funding under one of the available support programs is certainly a desired outcome, but it is not mandatory.
13. Is it possible to reallocate funds between budget categories if the need arises during the project implementation, and under what conditions would this be allowed?
Reallocation of the approved budget between categories during the project implementation is possible only with prior approval from the Innovation Fund. A request for budget modification must be submitted before the transaction that is the subject of the change occurs.
14. What are the obligations of partners in the program in the context of activity coordination and reporting?
The partner on the project, such as a Science and Technology Park (NTP) or another research and development organization (NIO), can provide support to the applicant within one or more activities, as defined in the manual (section 2.2: Activities for which funding can be used). The recipient of funding is obligated to ensure that the partner fulfills the mutually agreed obligations. Regarding reporting to the Innovation Fund, the recipient of funding is responsible for submitting semi-annual reports, which also include sections related to the partner’s support.