The call aims to support innovative start-ups that are majority privately owned, while maintaining strong ties to the scientific sector. The NRDI Office is looking for companies that typically have a university or research institute background – whether through ownership participation, patent cooperation, the involvement of researchers or founders holding a PhD degree. 

Eligible projects are those aiming to develop a marketable prototype, product, technology or service based on scientific or technological novelty, aligned with one of the focus areas of the John von Neumann Programme. These may include the development of preventive, therapeutic and care systems necessary for a healthy life, solutions related to the green transition of the economy and sustainable resource management, or technological solutions contributing to the digital transformation of the economy and society. 

"The Fast Track programme further strengthens the entrepreneurial mindset within the university and research institute sector, contributing to the emergence of deep tech companies that are capable of rapid growth and international success. Forward-looking developments may receive support if they contribute to improving the health, environment and sense of security of the Hungarian people, thus having a real impact on social well-being and the competitiveness of the economy”, emphasised László Bódis, Deputy State Secretary for Innovation at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation. 

Under the Fast Track call, up to HUF 400 million in non-refundable funding per project may be awarded from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund. Unlike market investment logic, the state does not seek to acquire ownership stakes in the supported start-ups. A key criterion is that the state supports deep tech companies capable of attracting private capital. Therefore, applicants must commit to raising market-based investment to facilitate the commercial exploitation of their developments and must also ensure that the project results receive adequate industrial property protection.

In the most recent Fast Track call in 2023, which attracted significant interest, a total of 22 outstanding development projects received support worth around HUF 5.7 billion. The selected projects involve innovative developments that represent substantial scientific or technological novelty and have strong market exploitation potential. The enterprises’ projects address major societal and economic challenges, such as the innovative diagnosis of gynaecological disorders, the development of diagnostic methods for ageing processes, the creation of manufacturing processes for bacteriophage-based products targeting antibiotic-resistant hospital infections or the implementation of automatic collision avoidance software for the automotive industry.