Innovation Centre: Innovation Grant

The Innovation Grant enables faculty and their research team to pursue exciting new avenues of market-driven research and participate in programs that will help accelerate innovations toward commercialization. The funding will be used to: (1) de-risk the technology by developing prototypes or conducting proof-of-concept experiments; and (2) determine a go-to-market strategy for the products or services being developed. The end point of the grant funding would be a well defined business opportunity attractive to start-up company formation or licensing to a commercial firm. The Innovation Grant and support from the Innovation Centre will assist faculty to move their discovery from the laboratory to the marketplace.

The primary Grant will be the Innovation Grant of up to S$250,000. However, for projects deemed too early, where the go-to-market strategy is not clearly understood or the technology is at a very early stage, an Ignition Grant of up to S$50,000 will be rewarded.

Along with funding, the grant recipients receive:

Exposure through SMART Innovation Centre events and opportunities to connect with investors, entrepreneurs, the business community, and the media as appropriate.
Support through a Catalyst Program, including customer contacts, business advice, market input, and IP strategy.
Opportunity to participate in i-Teams, cross campus courses that involve highly qualified teams of pre-screened graduate students for Innovation Centre projects.

We encourage you to apply if you have an idea that you believe could address a significant market need if successful, and you could achieve a proof-of-concept or prototype in less than 18 months.