Aims

With the CaixaImpulse Express Call for Projects Focused on COVID-19, LCBF aims to increase the capacity of Projects to successfully advance the development of the Asset with the ultimate aim of providing innovative solutions for the COVID-19 and other future pandemic crisis through:

» Facilitating technologies and solutions with very high potential to respond to societal needs. » Ensuring that researchers leading ground-breaking Projects can successfully achieve their entrepreneurial goals.

» Strengthening innovation that is society-oriented in the Iberian biomedical research ecosystem.

» Triggering a cultural change in the research ecosystem that fosters license agreements with existing companies and the creation of new health-based companies.

To support Projects from public or non-profit legal entities with results, including preliminary, from scientific research or with strategies and technologies (the "Assets") into further transferability stages in which they may have a significant impact on beneficiaries (the "Projects"). Therefore, selected Projects will be supported according to their specific necessities, nature, and maturity stage in order to achieve the:

» Completion or execution of specific actions through a defined point-of-value in the development plan, including prototyping or testing with end users;

» Design of strategies to access main stakeholders (end users, patients, distributors, etc.);

» Establishment of a plan to make the product, technology, or service attractive for investors and potential licensees in the biomedical sector;

» Design of strategies and solutions for immediate implementation in end users or beneficiaries.

Eligibility Criteria and Requirements

Projects

Eligible Projects have to fall into the scientific area of Life, Medical, and Health Sciences.

The proposals must include targeted clinical and translational projects to prevent, treat, monitor, manage or diagnose COVID-19 disease. These proposals may include prevention tools and plans, deployment of diagnostic or early detection tools, development of new therapies or repositioning of specific treatments, as well as the development of prediction models or emergency management strategies, among others.

The Call is aimed at clinical and translational Projects that have already performed preliminary validation activities or have background evidence for the research underlying the Assets. Such validation includes specific actions designed and developed to assess the transferability potential of the Assets.

Projects must seek a clear social impact and answer a need linked to the current pandemic crisis generated by COVID-19.

Projects must have a clear focus on innovation.

Projects that evaluate the efficacy or safety of products, therapies, medical devices, or diagnostic systems needed for the regulatory approval of the asset are eligible.

Beneficiary

The Beneficiary is the entity that generated the Assets and/or will develop the Project and whose main activity must be located and registered in Spain or Portugal

Projects may be submitted by a consortium of legal entities from all EU Member States, as long as they are led and represented by the Beneficiary. In case of a consortium, all stakeholders must abide by the eligibility criteria.

Project Leader

The Project Leader (PL) must be an individual with tertiary qualifications (university graduate, professor, or doctor).

The Project Leader may or may not be the leader of the research Project (i.e., Principal Investigator) that generated the Assets

The Project Leader may be involved in more than one application, but can be Project Leader in only one.

Application Process

To initiate the submission process, Project Leaders will need to complete the online application forms available on the LCBF application platform and provide the required documentation.

Applications must be completed in English

The application process will entail two steps: the initial submission of a Letter of Intent, and the subsequent submission of a Full Proposal. Only pre-selected Projects will be invited to submit a Full Proposal.

The Letter of Intent will be available on the LCBF application platform or in the FSJD Research's Department.

The following information and documentation will be requested:

» General information and Project description

» Team and Scientific and technical feasibility

» Transferability and potential to reach target beneficiaries

» Social relevance and potential impact on the COVID-19 and future pandemic crisis.

» Letter from the Beneficiary informing about the link with the Project Leader and its commitment in regard to the Project.

Financial resources

EUR 300,000 for a maximum of 24 months

The Grant may cover expenses such as:

» Technological development of the Asset.

» Consulting, feasibility, and market study services.

» Evaluation studies needed for regulatory approval.

» Clinical Trials.

» Hiring of personnel destined to the development of the Project.

» Management of intellectual property strategies.

» Specific strategies for stakeholder engagement (patients, practitioners, etc)

» Overhead expenses up to a maximum of 10% of the total budget.

» Travel or representation expenses

In case of interest, contact with FSJD Research's Department no later than April 3rd.