Innovation mandates (postgraduate research)

Doing postgraduate research within the business world and looking for funding? Innovation Mandates is specifically intended for postgraduate researchers to carry out a project in close collaboration with an existing company on the one hand and with a view to setting up a new company on the other.

FI Group helps you with a clear project plan to make your ideas succeed and supports you with a strategy to secure the necessary funding.

What is the purpose of the grant?  

The purpose of the grant is to finance the research project. The main goal of the research project is the economic valorisation of research and the further development of basic research to make the results applicable within companies.

In other words, projects whose risk level is still too high to already be carried out as an R&D project.

Who can submit an application?  

An application can be submitted by all holders of a doctoral degree. The scheme is therefore open to all nationalities and all fields of study/scientific disciplines.

In addition, all companies with legal personality and with an operating site in the Flemish Region can also apply for an Innovation Mandate.

• Furthermore, it is a condition that during project implementation knowledge is built up in Flanders, specifically in the Flemish office, and that after project implementation results are valorised in Flanders.
• A candidate-mandate who wishes to apply for a Baekeland mandate must first work out a cooperation with a company and a university promoter. The application must then be submitted by the company acting as lead applicant for the project.

How much funding is there?  

Grant rate: the accepted budget is the basis for calculating the grant. The support rate depends on the type of mandate and phase.  

•  An innovation mandate provides funding for personnel, overhead and operating costs in relation to one specific employee. Drawing up a budget follows the Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship’s cost model, where the sum of non-personnel costs is a maximum of €50,000 per year at full-time staffing (to be reduced proportionally at part-time staffing). 

Which costs are eligible?    

An innovation mandate provides funding for personnel costs, operating costs, equipment costs and fixed costs in relation to one specific employee. 

How do I apply for funding and what are the deadlines?  

Contact one of our expert consultants who can further support you in analysing, preparing and submitting your application.  

• Deadline for submitting the application is from 01/06/2023 to 05/09/2023.  

FI Group has 20 years of experience and wants to support you in understanding and exploiting the available R&D+I opportunities. Our experts are at your disposal to analyse your project. Together we will take the next steps in your innovative (project) growth.