Pre-announcement: Venture Challenge Fall 2025 – Increased budget and room for 6 additional teams
NWO is expected to launch the fall round of the Venture Challenge program in May 2025. For this fall round, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) has increased the budget. This increase is intended to allow 6 additional teams to participate that have a specific focus on innovations in the field of MedTech. Thus, a total of 12 teams can participate this round, increasing opportunities for more startup entrepreneurs.
Purpose of this call
With its mission-driven innovation policy, the Dutch Cabinet wants to use the innovation power of the top sectors to tackle major societal challenges. In doing so, the Dutch Cabinet also wants to strengthen the competitiveness of the Netherlands. One way to do this is to use scientific research to tackle societal issues. However, many scientific inventions do not make it to the market. This is due to the fact that researchers often lack the knowledge and experience to make their product marketable or to set up a commercial organization.
The Venture Challenge program offers a solution here. In the program, researchers work together with professionals, such as business coaches and experts, to develop a well thought-out business case within 8 to 10 weeks. This way, the researchers are prepared for a successful start-up of their company.
For whom
The Venture Challenge is aimed at teams of three or four people who have founded or are planning a new start-up in the field of Life Sciences & Health and MedTech. The product, process or service must fall under medical devices or other innovations within these broad fields.
Budget
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has set the grant ceiling for this round at €200,000. In this program, the grant covers the cost of participation minus the own contribution. The own contribution per team is:
- €2000,- in case of participation of 3 team members
- €2500,- for the participation of 4 team members.
Deadlines
The deadline for submitting applications is July 1, 2025 , at 14:00:00 CET.
Previous rounds
In previous rounds of the Venture Challenge program, several successful start-ups have gained valuable insights and coaching, helping them take their innovative ideas to the next level. Some winners share their experiences:
"At Sniper Therapeutics we want to help cancer patients survive the impossible. Winning the Venture Challenge has brought us one step closer to this goal and will help us to develop best-in-class engineered T-cell therapies."
- Amber Wezenaar, co-founder of Sniper Therapeutics, Venture Challenge Fall 2024 winner
"The Venture Challenge kick-started our ambitions to start a venture. We are now ready to revolutionize the lives of more than half a million new kidney patients each year."
- Michiel Stevens, founder of FETCH, Venture Challenge Spring 2024 winner
Disclaimer
This is solely an announcement of an intended NWO research programme. The possibility to apply for funding will open after the call for proposals has been published in the Staatscourant (Government Gazette).
