Pre-announcement Call for Proposals: Create2Solve Phase 1

The basis for Create2Solve is several predefined challenges through which parties try to make the use of (laboratory) animals in biomedical research redundant by developing or implementing an animal-free innovation. In consulting with industry and the MKMD programme committee this new round of Create2Solve, 5 challenges have been formulated in which animal-free innovations could make an important contribution to the replacement of (laboratory) animals (see attachment under 'More information'). Together with industry, researchers from a Dutch research organisation can submit a solution for one of these challenges in the form of a research proposal.

• Phase 1: in this phase, public-private consortia submit a proof-of-concept project for 1 of the 5 challenges stated below. Per challenge, several proof-of-concept projects can be awarded funding. The consortia whose projects are selected will receive funding to collect data over a maximum period of seven months so that they can demonstrate their capability of providing an animal-free solution for the posed challenge.
• Phase 2: participating consortia from Phase 1 submit a project proposal in which the achieved results document that, within a subsequent period of 2 to 5 years, a prototype of the animal-free innovation can be built, developed or validated so that a concrete, scientifically and commercially interesting solution can be provided for the challenge.

The conditions for state support will be assessed in producing the upcoming call, and the projects must satisfy the conditions for state support. The precise conditions and procedures will be further explained and specified in the call.

Who can apply?

The main applicant should be affiliated with a Dutch research institution and is required to collaborate with a commercial party. Unlike during the previous round, this business does not have to be an SME, but it can also be a large business as long as it has a permanent office or at least a subsidiary in the Netherlands. An applicant may not submit a proposal for more than one challenge.

When will the call for proposals be published?

It is expected that the call for proposals for Create2Solve Phase 1 (Proof-of-Concept) will be published mid-April 2023, after which consortia will have about 10 weeks to submit a proposal.

Budget

This round is part of the ZonMw programme More Knowledge with Fewer Animals (MKMD), which has made a budget of about 2.6 million euros available for this. It is expected that with this project, 6 proof-of-concept projects can be awarded funding in Phase 1 (€100,000 per project), and two full proposals in Phase 2 (€1,000,000 per project). These contributions do not include the mandatory in kind and/or in cash contribution; the size of that contribution depends on the phase of the research and will be described in detail in the upcoming call for proposals.

More information about this pre-announcement

This pre-announcement is intended to inform researchers and companies about the upcoming call and, with that, give them the opportunity to begin thinking about a proof-of-concept research proposal. The actual call for proposals will be leading for the selection process, and no rights can be derived from the information in this pre-announcement. The call for proposals will be published via the usual ZonMw channels. For questions or more information, please contact Dr Martijn Nolte, senior programme manager MKMD, + 31 70 515 0375 or via nolte@zonmw.nl.

About the More Knowledge with Fewer Animals programme

ZonMw wants to contribute to high-quality and relevant, innovative (bio)medical research. We therefore encourage the development, acceptance and implementation of animal-free models. By doing this, we will achieve even more relevant research results for humans. With this, we strive to lessen the use of animal experiments wherever possible and wherever necessary. We seek to realise this by funding research into the development of animal-free models, connecting parties and encouraging the use of animal-free models in practice. We also seek to boost the more effective use of results from animal experiments by increasing the findability and reusability of such results. For further information, please see our website More Knowledge with Fewer Animals.

More information

• Read more about the 5 challenges

Wie kan er aanvragen?

De hoofdaanvrager dient verbonden te zijn aan een Nederlandse onderzoeksinstelling en er dient samengewerkt te worden met een commerciële partij. In tegenstelling tot de vorige ronde hoeft deze onderneming niet te behoren tot het midden- en kleinbedrijf, maar mag dat ook een grotere onderneming zijn, mits die een vaste inrichting of minimaal een dochteronderneming heeft in Nederland. Het is niet toegestaan om als aanvrager op meer dan één challenge een aanvraag in te dienen.

Wanneer gaat de call for proposals open?

De verwachting is dat de call for proposals voor Create2Solve Fase 1 (Proof-of-Concept) medio april 2023 opent, waarna consortia ongeveer 10 weken de tijd hebben om een aanvraag in te dienen.

Wat is het budget

Deze ronde  is onderdeel van het ZonMw-programma Meer Kennis met Minder Dieren (MKMD), dat hiervoor een budget ter beschikking heeft gesteld van ongeveer 2,6 miljoen euro. De verwachting is dat met dit budget 6 Proof-of-Concept projecten gefinancierd kunnen worden in Fase 1 (€100.000 per project), en 2 uitgewerkte projecten in Fase 2 (€1.000.000 per project). Deze bedragen zijn exclusief de verplichte In-Kind en/of In-Cash bijdrage; de hoogte hiervan hangt af van de fase van onderzoek en wordt uitgebreid beschreven in de call for proposals.

Over het MKMD programma

ZonMw draagt bij aan een hoge kwaliteit en grote relevantie van innovatief (bio)medisch onderzoek. Daarom stimuleren we de ontwikkeling, acceptatie en implementatie van proefdiervrije modellen. Zo bereiken we nog relevantere onderzoeksresultaten voor de mens. We streven hierbij naar minder gebruik van dierproeven waar mogelijk en waar nodig.  Om dit te bereiken financieren wij onderzoek naar de ontwikkeling van proefdiervrije modellen, verbinden wij partijen met elkaar en stimuleren wij het gebruik van proefdiervrije modellen in de praktijk. Ook zetten we in op effectiever gebruik van resultaten uit dierproeven door het verhogen van de vindbaarheid en herbruikbaarheid ervan. Zie voor meer informatie over MKMD de webpagina Meer Kennis met Minder Dieren.