FAQs


  • 1. Who is eligible for support?

    To be eligible for support you must be a Public Research Organisation (University, Research Institute or similar), located in one of the EU Member States(*) and with an existing EU PIC (Participant Identification Code) to prove that you have previously been the beneficiary of EU funds for R&D.

    Following BREXIT, UK Public Research Organizations are no longer eligible to receive IPBooster services.

  • 2. What is an EU PIC?

    An EU PIC is a 9-digit number serving as a unique identifier for organisations (legal entities) participating in EU funding programmes. A search tool for organisations and their PICs is available here.

  • 3. Why do I need to have a PIC to be eligible for support?

    Eligible organisations should be past or ongoing beneficiaries of research funding from the European Commission. Your PIC code will be used to check that your organisation is eligible for support.

  • 4. Can I apply for support with a research project that was not funded by the EU?

    Yes. If your PRO has a PIC you can apply for IP services support for ongoing or completed research projects including those funded by non-EU funds e.g. by national research programs.

  • 5. How do I apply?

    You will need to register on the IP Booster website with your email address and your PRO’s PIC Code. You can find your organisation’s PIC code here. Then, fill out the application form at this link and upload it to the website here

  • 6. When should I expect service delivery?

    In the application form, you will be requested to indicate when you are ready to receive the services (within 1 month, within 3 months, within 6 months). Please note that we expect that applicants are ready to receive the services within 6 months. If this is not the case we suggest to apply when ready since the call for application is always open.

  • 7. Can I apply more than once?

    Yes. You can apply multiple times. However, the support that can be allocated to an organisation’s PIC number must not exceed €25 000 total. This means a total of €25 000 over the duration of IP Booster (December 2018-September 2021).

    If you want you can request more services from your user menu.

  • 8. Can I apply with a group of projects?

    Yes. If you have a ‘bundle’ of research results or IP that has be generated from a series of related projects that you are trying to commercialise together e.g. through a single licence then you can apply as if they were a single ‘project’. Please fill out the appropriate part of the application form.

  • 9. Who should sign the application form?

    The technology transfer office or the entity responsible for the management of IP within your organization should be informed about the application, therefore they are expected to sign the application form for acknowledgment. This is so they can effective manage the maximum €25 000 allocation for the organisation and prioritise applications over the 3 year period (see point 7 above).

  • 10. What are the main criteria for selection?

    Projects are assessed based on a number of criteria including:
    • Strength of the technology and market
    • Complexity of the ownership situation
    • Stage of development (TRL)
    • Commitment of the research team and PRO support for commercialisation
    • Need and potential benefit from IP Services

  • 11. How will I know the outcome of my application?

    The applicant will receive a notification from the consortium leader to the email given on the application form.

  • 12. If I am not successful can I apply again with an improved application?

    Yes. Projects that were not funded in a given round can re-apply. Applications that did not reach the threshold will be notified and advised regarding reapplication. Projects that failed due to lack of eligibility or an extremely low rating will be notified and offered feedback.

  • 13. How many applicants will be funded in each call?

    There is no fixed number of applicants that can be funded in each call. However, the total number of organisations funded will be around 100 and it is anticipated that this will be distributed over 3 years until 2021.

  • 14. How frequent are the calls?

    Calls will be permanently open and applications assessed in batches every 6 months (cut-off date). Check the website for the date of the next assessment.

  • 15. When does the service end?

    The service will end in December 2021. The last call / cut-off date will be 6 months before the end of the project provided funding remains for allocation.

  • 16. How rapidly will I know if I have been selected for support?

    You can expect feedback on your application within 4-6 weeks of the published assessment date.

  • 17. Who take the final decision on providing the support?

    The European Commission will confirm the final list of successful applications. Decisions are made based in part on the recommendation of the assessors.

  • 18. Can I indicate which services I want to receive?

    You can use the application form to indicate your preferred service package. However, the assessors may suggest a slightly different package for you depending on your project and the overall value of services requested by your PRO.


  • 19. If we want more than €25 000 of services then can our PRO subsidise some?

    Yes. A PRO cannot receive services for more than a total value of €25 000 but you can decide to purchase additional services to spread the support over a larger number of projects.

  • 20. Can I receive direct financial support (e.g. to pay for my own IP attorney or commercialisation consultant or to cover my own IP expenses)?

    No. IP Booster can only make available services from our own pool of international experts. We cannot provide direct financial support.

  • 21. How can we share information with the service but also ensure that our IP and research results remain confidential and ‘undisclosed’? We have not yet filed a patent and/or we have a lot of secret know-how).

    All the Experts have signed a Confidentiality Agreement. This will be provided to you if you are approved for services. If your institution needs a slightly different NDA then this can be discussed with the expert before you share any information with them.

  • 22. What is the Booster Platform newsletter?

    The Booster Platform newsletter shares news relating to IP Booster and other services run by META Group. It includes tips on exploitation, intellectual property and how to drive your research to the market. In every edition, you’ll gain insights from investors and experts in research exploitation, and learn how to make your research product a commercial success. If that sounds good to you, sign up here!

  • 23. I have a question that has not been answered above. Where can I get more information?

    For more information contact: ipbooster@meta-group.com