News
2024/02/07
GTIE GAP Fund 2024 - Applications for the Explore (2 years) and Explore (3 years) courses are now open!
Purpose and Intent:
Under the GAP Fund Program, the GreaterTokyoInnovationEcosystem (hereinafter referred to as “GTIE”), entrusted with the Startup Ecosystem Co-creation Program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) New Industry Creation Fund for University Startups, will provide support to researchers affiliated with universities participating in the GTIE platform. GTIE will provide support through the GAP Fund Program to researchers affiliated with universities participating in the GTIE platform.
GTIE GAP Fund Program 2024 “Explore (2 years), Explore (3 years) (hereinafter referred to as “the Course”) The GTIE GAP Fund Program 2024 “Explore (2 years)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Course”) is now open for applications. This course will support research proposals that aim to create university-launched startups with the potential for significant business growth, including international expansion, by generating significant social and economic impact based on innovative technological seeds from universities participating in the GTIE platform.
The selected research projects will be jointly conducted by the principal investigator responsible for the research and development and the commercialization promotion organization (VC, etc.) responsible for the business development of the technology seeds, and the research and development will be promoted under the project management of the commercialization promotion organization. Milestones (interim milestones and business and R&D milestones) will be set for the promotion of the project, and business development and R&D will be conducted in an integrated manner to achieve these milestones.
Outline of this course:
R&D Proposals to be solicited
1. subject
Research proposals (GAP Funds) that will advance the brush-up of business models, prototype production, acquisition of data (experimental and computational results) for hypothesis testing, market validation, etc., with the aim of commercializing the research results of the research institute.
*This program does not apply to research that does not aim at commercialization or company business and preparation (registration, etc.).
<Guideline for the end of this program
Proposals selected for this program are expected to have reached the stage where venture capitalists can make investment decisions by the end of the program. When applying for the program, please refer to the examples of achievement goals and set appropriate achievement goals, taking into consideration the characteristics of the issue and the field.
Outline of Application:
1. Eligibility
① Researchers affiliated with the following universities on the GTIE platform
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Waseda University, University of Tsukuba, Chiba University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa University of Health and Welfare, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Keio University, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo University of Science, Shibaura Institute of Technology, University of Electro-Communications, Ibaraki University, Tokai University
(2) All other conditions related to technology seeds, etc. must be met (for details, please refer to the application guideline). 2.
2. application period and selection schedule
[ Application deadline ] Noon, Monday, March 11, 2024
[ Schedule ]
Application submission deadline Monday, March 11, 2024 at noon
Interview screening Late March/early April 2024 (tentative)
Notification of interview results Mid-April 2024 (tentative)
Start of Research Around May 2024
*Approval by JST is required after the GTIE is adopted. 1 month to 1.5 months after the submission of the proposal to JST is the target. 3.
Number of projects to be adopted
Exploratory (2 years): about 4
Exploratory (3 years): about 9
4. research and development expenses (total R&D period, direct expenses)
①Explorals (2 years): Up to 60 million yen
( 30 million yen for the first year, 30 million yen for the second year)
Explore (3 years): Up to 60 million yen
( 15 million yen for the first year, 15 million yen for the second year, and 30 million yen for the third year)
*Progress evaluation will be conducted every fiscal year for the selected proposals, and depending on the results of the evaluation, the proposal may be cancelled, the R&D budget may be increased or decreased, or the R&D period may be extended or shortened.
Application Documents
(1) Application Outline
(2) Application documents
Applications must be submitted jointly with a commercialization promotion organization.
(1) Submitted by the Principal Investigator: Forms 1 – 3 (The prepared file must be in PDF format)
(1) Form 1_Application Form (*Revised 2/20/20, 2024)
(2) Form 2_Budget Plan
(3) Form 3_Intellectual Property Confirmation Form
GTIE GAP Fund_Form 3_Intellectual Property Confirmation Form
(4) Supplementary Explanatory Material for Technology Seeds (optional, maximum of 10 PowerPoint pages, PDF file of the created file)
(2) Submitted by the commercialization promotion organization: Forms 4 and 5
(1) Form 4: Outline of the commercialization promotion organization and commercialization promoter (person in charge)
(2) Form 5 Financial Status of the Organization to Promote the Commercialization
Financial Status of the Organization
(3) Financial reports (for the most recent three fiscal years) or annual securities reports (for the most recent three fiscal years) of the organization to promote the commercialization of the project
*Please submit only Form 4 for GTIE (candidate). (Form 5 and financial reports (for the most recent three fiscal years), etc. are not required). 6.
How to submit application documents
Please fill out the following application form and upload the documents downloaded and prepared in “5.
Application form (for Principal Investigators) https://forms.gle/X5C3v1CX7Kb8spV36
Application form (for commercialization organizations) https://forms.gle/TeAjErLf7m9gHggC6
Application Restrictions
JST has established restrictions on duplicate applications for the same Principal Investigator in JST projects. Please refer to the application guideline for details.
The same Principal Investigator cannot simultaneously conduct the “Fund for New Industry Creation from Universities” and the “New Industry Creation from Universities Program for Research Results Deployment”. Also, with the exception of the final year of the program, it is not possible to apply for one fund while implementing the other fund. There are no restrictions at the application stage, but if you have applied to more than one fund, you will be asked to choose whether to implement the fund that has been selected and withdraw from the fund for which you have applied, or to withdraw from the fund that has been selected in order to wait for the results of the review of the fund for which you have applied. The same PI is not allowed to apply for more than one proposal in the same fund.
In principle, there are no restrictions on the application by the commercialization promotion organization.
If you are a researcher affiliated with Waseda University or Tsukuba University and have been selected (or are currently applying) for a university-promoted R&D project, please check the restrictions on application depending on the course content before submitting your application. You can apply for the 2-year Exploratory Research Program and 3-year Exploratory Research Program in this application.
8. Contact
If you have any questions, please contact the “Contact” of your university listed in the application guidelines.
9. Notification of Selection Results
Applicants who have passed the written selection process will be notified in late March 2024 via e-mail of the written selection results, and applicants who have passed the written selection process will also be notified of the interview schedule (in early April). Final selection results will be notified by e-mail in mid-April 2024.