Eligible applicants
Proposals for this call may be submitted as direct beneficiaries by a company that is 100% owned by a state-recognised higher education institution in Hungary or a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation responsible for managing public research centres. The company’s main activity must involve technology transfer and exploitation (TTC). Additionally, proposals may also be submitted by a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation that conducts scientific research through its public research centres or research institutions. For all applicants, the Funding Declaration can only be issued to a TTC. (If the applicant research and knowledge-dissemination organisations carrying out scientific research through its budgetary research centres or research institutions does not have a wholly-owned company at the time of submission of the project proposal, which carries out its main activity of technology and knowledge transfer/knowledge exploitation (TTC), it must set up such a company by the date of the funding decision 1). By the start of the project, the company is expected to prepare its proof of concept along the guidelines developed by the National Innovation Agency (hereinafter: NIÜ) in the framework of the “Technology Transfer Company” project. The agreement of the proof of concept with the NIÜ and its approval by the NIÜ is a condition for the issuance of the Funding Declaration.
The Call is open to both individual applicants and consortia. For the purposes of this Call, the term applicant refers to the organisation independently implementing the project specified in the project proposal or, in the case of a consortium proposal, the leader of the research consortium established for implementation (consortium leader). A consortium member refers to any additional participant in the research consortium. The applicant (in the case of an individual proposal) and both the applicant and the consortium member (in the case of a consortium proposal) are collectively referred to as applicants, while those receiving funding are referred to as beneficiaries.
In the case of implementation in a consortium structure, both the consortium leader and the consortium member must comply with the conditions set forth in the Call. A consortium consists of one consortium leader and one consortium member.
In the case of a consortium, the members must enter into a Consortium Cooperation Agreement for the establishment of the consortium no later than the submission of the project proposal. A separate Consortium Cooperation Agreement must be concluded for the implementation of the funded project before the Funding Declaration is issued.
The consortium member cannot be modified until the funding decision is made. During the implementation period, modifications are only possible in particularly justified cases and require the prior approval of the NRDI Office.
The additional conditions for applicants, including the list of ineligible applicants, are set out in point 6 of the Guidelines annexed to this call.
The TTC (direct beneficiary) must enter into an agreement with the institution or organisation holding 100% ownership rights over it (either a state-recognised higher education institution in Hungary or a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation that conducts scientific research through its public research centres or research institutions) (final beneficiary). Under this agreement, the final beneficiary commits to further developing its own research results for practical, technological and societal utilisation, contributing to the long-term growth of the Hungarian economy. The funding for this is derived from public financing provided through the NRDI Fund under this Call (re-granted funding), supplemented by the direct beneficiary’s own or market-based resources as specified in point 6.1 of the Call.
Detailed requirements regarding the direct beneficiary (TTC), the final beneficiaries (state-recognised higher education institutions or research and knowledge-dissemination organisations that conduct scientific research through their public research centres or research institutions), and the re-granted funding are set out in the Operations Manual, which is annexed to this Call.
Total budget and the maximum amount of funding
The call is financed from the Innovation Sub-fund of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund. In order to achieve the objectives of the call, the Funder provides a total budget of HUF 3,45 billion from the NRDI Fund.
Total expected number of funded projects: 8 to 12. The number is indicative and may change depending on the requested and awarded amount of funding.
The maximum amount of funding per proposal is HUF 350 million.
The maximum amount of funding per consortium is HUF 500 million.
The funding intensity for funded projects is 90%. The direct beneficiary undertakes to supplement the amount of funding at the TTC project level by 10% from its own resources or from market sources during the implementation of the project.
Duration of the project
Maximum project duration is 36 months, with no possibility for extension.
Two milestones should be planned for the whole project, at the end of month 12 and month 24. At the end of month 36, the project ends with a final milestone (only the final milestone can be less than 12 months).
Submission of proposals
Project proposals may be submitted online, by logging in and completing the online application form at the Participant Portal (Pályázati e-ügyintézés) available at www.palyazat.gov.hu. The finalised proposal must be submitted together with a duly signed (authenticated) declaration verifying the electronic submission of the proposal, in line with the Guidelines.
The declaration must be signed (authenticated) as follows:
- provided with the authorised signatory’s qualified electronic signature or advanced electronic signature based on a qualified certificate, or
- the declaration must be authenticated using the ePaper service.
The ePaper service is available free of charge, but requires electronic identification (e.g. ClientGate+ registration or DÁP ID). The ePaper service is available at https://epapir.gov.hu/ .
After applying an electronic signature or using the ePaper service:
- attach to the finalised proposal a declaration provided with a qualified electronic signature or authenticated using the ePaper service, and then
- submit the proposal in accordance with the instructions in the online form.
Proposals can only be submitted via the Participant Portal, without the need to send it on paper to the NRDI Office.
Deadline for submission
Proposals are accepted electronically on a rolling basis from the official opening of the online form until 12:00 (CET) on 10 April 2025. The expected date for the launch of the online form is 17 March 2025, the opening of which will be announced on www.nkfih.gov.hu.
Evaluation process
Applicants who meet the admission requirements and satisfy the eligibility and formal assessment criteria will be invited to present their project plan in person. The evaluation will consider both the written proposal and the in-person presentation.
The expected date of the funding decision is June 2025.
Project implementation
Projects can start between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2028.
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1 In this case, the applicant research and knowledge-dissemination organisations will not be the direct beneficiary of the funding, but the direct beneficiary will be the TTC established by the applicant under the terms of the Call
Customer service contacts:
email: nkfialap@nkfih.gov.hu
phone: +36 (1) 795 9500
Personal appointments (pree-booked only): H-1077 Budapest, Kéthly Anna sq. 1. (2nd floor)
Customer Service hours of operation: Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m to 4 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 12.00 a.m.
The call for proposals titled Proof of Concept (code 2024-2.1.3-POC), announced under the management of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (hereinafter: NRDI Office) by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, was published on 19 December 2024. The aim of the call is to bridge the most high-risk phase between basic research and commercial exploitation. Another objective of the programme is to strengthen the domestic deep tech ecosystem and to increase the number and value of deep tech companies. The programme primarily, but not exclusively, supports developments that promote the commercialisation of research results originating from previously funded and implemented research projects.
By the submission deadline of 10 April 2025, a total of 15 eligible project proposals were submitted, requesting HUF 4,524,360,735 in funding. The proposals were evaluated based on the criteria set out in the call, with the involvement of reviewers appointed by the NRDI Office. Given the higher-than-expected number of applicants, the total funding demand exceeding the original budget and the outstanding quality of the proposals, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation decided to increase the budget by nearly HUF 450 million compared to the original call. The funding decision was made on 23 June 2025 by the Deputy State Secretary for Innovation, acting under the designation of the minister responsible for science policy coordination. Under this decision, 15 proposals will receive a total of HUF 3,446,829,990 in non-refundable support from the NRDI Fund.
FUNDED PROJECTS
Funding organisation: Ministry of Culture and Innovation
Source: NRDI Fund
Date of decision: 23 June 2025
Project code | Name of applicant | Project title | Amount of awarded funds (HUF) |
---|---|---|---|
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00001 | MOME 925 Kreatívipari Innovációmenedzsment Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (MOME) | MOME Proof of Concept Kreatívipari Tudástranszfer Program | 100 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00002 | HUNRENTECH Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (HUN-REN) | HUN-REN Proof of Concept | 350 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00003 | BME InnoLab Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (BME) | Innovatív megoldások a holnapért | 349 999 999 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00004 | PTE Inno-Capital Kutatáshasznosító és Fejlesztő Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (PTE) | Proof of Concept támogatási program megvalósítása a Pécsi Tudományegyetemen | 349 999 999 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00005 | SZTE TTC Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (SZTE); 56% | Konzorciumi Proof of Concept Program – Szeged és Miskolc Együttműködése | 279 999 999 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00005 | InnoME TTC Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (ME); 44% | Konzorciumi Proof of Concept Program – Szeged és Miskolc Együttműködése | 219 999 993 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00006 | VET-INNO TTC Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (ÁOE) | INNOVET – piacilag hasznosítható állatorvosi kutatások Proof of Concept finanszírozása | 100 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00007 | Uni Inno Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (SZE) | "PROOF OF CONCEPT" PROGRAM 2025. az Uni Inno Zrt-nél | 349 830 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00008 | Semmelweis Technológia Transzfer Központ Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (SE) | Semmelweis PoC | 350 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00009 | Initium Venture Labs Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (ÓE) | ÓE_Initium_IVAP_2025-2028 | 200 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00010 | Ecotech Szolgáltató Nonprofit Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság (DUE) | Anyagvizsgálatok Informatikai Módszertani Alapjainak Továbbfejlesztése | 100 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00011 | Nyíregyházi Egyetem Technológia- és Tudástranszfer Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (NYE) | Tudásból érték – Proof of Concept program a Nyíregyházi Egyetemen | 100 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00012 | UD Catapult Nonprofit Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (DE) | UD THETA - Theory to Action a Debreceni Egyetemen műszaki, élettudományi és informatikai területen | 200 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00013 | Innosquare Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (PE) | Innosquare - Teret adunk az innovációnak | 150 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00014 | Neumann János Egyetem Technológia és Tudástranszfer Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (NJE) | Neumann János Egyetem Technológia és Tudástranszfer Kft. Proof of Concept programja | 147 000 000 |
2024-2.1.3-POC-2025-00015 | TF-MTSE Szolgáltató Nonprofit Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (TE) | Proof of Concept projektek megvalósítása a Magyar Testnevelési és Sporttudományi Egyetemen | 100 000 000 |
To ensure value-based professional evaluation of proposals arriving in large quantities from the fields of discovery and applied research and innovation, to assess professional reports of funded projects and to prepare policy opinions, the NRDI Office intends to expand its expert pool in all fields of expertise.
Professionals who have registered in the database of the NRDI Office can become responsible contributors, as independent peer-reviewers, to the evaluation process in which the professional quality, novelty content and commercialisation perspectives of the proposals as compared to the requested funding should be assessed as core considerations.
The registration process can be initiated through the registration form of the NRDI Office’s website. Registration is continuously open.
Requested data within the expert registration form include:
- personal data, contact details (necessary for contracting review assignments);
- classification of professional skills and competencies and research areas (to get review invitations fine-tuned to your field of expertise);
- topics of the previously reviewed proposals;
- present and past jobs, interest networks (in order to pre-screening of conflicts of interest in a given rview assignment), education, scientific titles, most important publications and intellectual works demonstrating your professional experience;
- language skills.
Professionals once registered in the database of experts may be invited by the NRDI Office to review submitted proposals, to assess professional reports of funded projects and to contribute to policy opinions.
Each proposal is reviewed by several independent experts at the same time. Experts selected from the database to review proposals, to assess professional reports and facilitate expert opinions will be contracted by the NRDI Office on a case-by-case basis. When concluding such a contract experts must declare that the review assignment is not obstructed by any conflict of interest whatsoever. Depending on the competition type, written expert reviews must be prepared in 15-28 work days and submitted electronically via the online review portal of the NRDI Office.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information contact at phone +36 1 795 9500 or email at szakerto_regisztracio@nkfih.gov.hu