Funding

The Helmholtz Association has created a number of comprehensive funding programmes and instruments to support knowledge and technology transfer in its Centres. These mainly cover measures to help commercialise research findings (via the new Helmholtz Validation Fund) and to support spin-offs (via Helmholtz Enterprise and the HEFplus management support scheme). Since April 2011, the Shared Services initiative has offered support to several transfer points.

Helmholtz Validation Fund

The Helmholtz Validation Fund (HVF), which is financed by funds from the Helmholtz President’s Initiative and Networking Fund, aims to bridge gaps between scientific findings and their commercial applications, and between public research and private investment. In creating the Validation Fund, the Helmholtz Association wants to minimise gaps in financing and ease the transition from idea to application.

More information about the Helmholtz Validation Fund

Helmholtz Enterprise

Helmholtz Enterprise is a Helmholtz Association initiative to support spin-offs from its Centres. Setting up a successful spin-off requires careful planning and preparation.

More information about Helmholtz Enterprise

HEFplus

HEFplus is a Federal Ministry of Education and Research pilot scheme financed by the Helmholtz Enterprise Fund (HEF). It connects start-ups with external management partners so that they can benefit from their expertise. 

More information about HEFplus

Shared Services and sectoral commercialisation

Shared Services is a Helmholtz Association scheme aiming to increase technology transfer in the physical sciences sector. Funded by the Initiative and Networking Fund, this programme is another part of the new technology transfer strategy and will be complemented by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s Sectoral Commercialisation programme, which runs from 2011 to 2014. 

More information about Shared Services and sectoral commercialisation