The Call for Projects 2020 “Start-up DeepTech” was officially opened by the UCA Jedi Innovation Program. It follows the implementation of actions 6.5 and 6.6 of the IDEX UCA Jedi project and aims to help projects for the creation of innovative companies called “DeepTech”. This call is open to projects involving the development of technological and scientific assets in connection with research work carried out in the teams of IDEX partners, whose intended use is associated with the creation or development of a qualified “DeepTech” start-up.

The projects submitted must present both :

• a strong scientific and technological dimension;
• a business project or a recently created young company.

This call is part of the “DeepTech Plan” initiative launched by BPI France at the initiative of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, with the aim of supporting breakthrough innovation in France.

Eligible projects may also be supported by the various schemes to assist the creation of innovative companies (BPI, incubators, SATT, INRIA Start-up Studio, CNRS Rise, etc.). It is specified that this call will have to respect the agreements concluded between SATT and one or more members of UCA, the agreements concluded between SATT and its shareholders and/or founding members.

The actions financed by this call for proposals must relate to research and development actions corresponding to a stage :

• of pre-maturation (low TRL) or
• of technological maturation (high TRL).

In both cases, the identification of the maturation and recovery circuits will be assessed.

These actions could aim, for example, to produce an operational prototype, a robust demonstrator, or the experimental validation of a concept.

Expected project deliverables can therefore be :

• intellectual property assets that are intended to be transferred to the company being created ;
• results enabling the business project to lift a lock, to take a step forward in its technological development or to bring “DeepTech” added value to its existing technological assets.

The duration of funded projects is 6 to 12 months.

The maximum amount of co-financing provided by UCAJEDI is €50,000 per project.

Holders of projects whose DeepTech dimension is uncertain can contact aap-startupdeeptech@univcotedazur.fr to identify together the most suitable way to make their project succeed.

ELIGIBILITY

The project must be carried out by permanent or non-permanent staff of one of the IDEX UCAJEDI partners.

The person responsible for the project must be :

• or itself responsible for the business creation project or involved in a business created less than a year ago;
• Either in connection with a business creation project or involved in a business created less than one year ago with which a partnership will be established for the needs of the project.

The target company can be either in the planning stage or established less than a year ago:

• if the company has not yet been created, the file must highlight the reality of the company creation project and its progress: draft statutes, submission of an incubation request to the incubator, scientific competition procedures for researchers, iPHD (BPI) file for doctoral students, founding team, assets transferred, etc.
• if the company has already been created, the file must show its creation date, its founders, its management team, its shareholders and information on its activity (number of employees, turnover, customers, etc.).

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Responses to the “Start-up DeepTech” PAA will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Technological and scientific impact of the project :
  • highlighting of the DeepTech character
• Impact of the project on :
  • the competitiveness of the company;
  • The added value in relation to the state of the art and prior knowledge mobilized ;
  • leverage on additional and subsequent financing,
  • the prospects for a long-term partnership between UCA and the company “DeepTech”,
• Project implementation :
  • credibility and realism of the development programme, risk analysis and alternative scenario,
  • structuring into batches, tasks and deliverables,
  • complementary financing (member or partner of UCA, Region, ANR, European Commission, …), coherence with the development programme,
  • traceability, protection scheme for Intellectual Property and exploitation of prior and generated knowledge,
  • governance of the project,
  • Relevance and quality of deliverables for transfer within the company and to the market,
  • link with UCAJEDI structures (Academies, 2IP, MSI, CVIP)
• Integration into the “DeepTech” innovation ecosystem:
  • Incubators, nurseries
  • BPI France
  • Technology transfer structures (SATT South East or STT IDEX partners)
• Technology transfer :
  • Identification of assets
  • Proposed principles for the allocation of intellectual property rights on results,
  • Proposal of plans for the exploitation of the results.

FINANCING

The costs eligible for UCAJEDI funding are the additional costs necessary to carry out the project:

• Human resources necessary for the proper conduct of the project,
• Material resources: small equipment (< 4k€), equipment if shared on a platform, consumables ;
• Subcontracting if necessary to carry out the project.

The maximum IDEX funding per project will be 50 k€ per year.

Co-funding will be appreciated. Co-financing can come from :

• or directly from the Idex partners;
• or external structures (BPI France, SATT, Region, Europe, Foundation, etc.) ;
• the start-up involved in the project when it is already in operation.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The project must be described in a document written in English or French, the structure of which follows the format proposed by the document “AAP-2020-Start-up-DeepTech-modele.rtf” available on request by e-mail at aap-startupdeeptech@univ-cotedazur.fr.

It must be stamped by the head of the establishment (or by the head of the laboratory, depending on the establishment’s internal rules) to which the holder belongs, and by the head of the associated company if the latter already exists.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The projects submitted will be examined by the UCA Innovation Valorisation Commission, which, in the event of a positive evaluation, will submit a financing proposal to the IDEX Bureau.

AID SCHEME FOR SETTING UP PROJECTS

• UCAJEDI will set up a system to help set up projects:
  • Before the closing of the call, to guide the promoters in the construction and drafting of responses in accordance with the criteria of the Call for Projects. The scope of this support will depend on the number of projects submitted and the UCAJEDI resources available. UCA’s “Innovation” unit can be contacted at the following e-mail address:
    aap-startupdeeptech@univ-cotedazur.fr
  • After the selection of the projects, to finalize the budgetary and legal structure of the selected projects in accordance with the financial and administrative constraints.
• The PACA EST Incubator will also be able to carry out a preliminary analysis aimed at clarifying the entrepreneurial and economic dimension of the project. The PACA EST incubator can be contacted at the following e-mail address: masson@incubateurpacaest.org or candidat@incubateurpacaest.org.

Translated from Programme Innovation UCAJEDI : Ouverture de l’appel à projets 2020 “Start-up DeepTech”