Innosuisse Innovation Project: how to structure it

The Innovation Project is the main instrument of Innosuisse, the Swiss agency for the promotion of innovation. It funds projects of applied research and development conducted by a company together with an academic research partner (university, university of applied sciences, federal institute of technology or recognised institute). The logic is precise: Innosuisse co-finances the work of the scientific partner, while the company puts in its own resources. Those who understand this architecture set up the application in the right way; those who ignore it get the funding model wrong.

The logic of co-financing

The mechanism is not a direct cheque to the company. Innosuisse covers the costs of the research partner (scientific staff, partly materials), while the company — the implementation partner — bears its own costs and provides a contribution. In practice:

the Innosuisse contribution goes to the academic partner;
the company finances its own activities and pays a cash contribution, as a rule equal to at least a part of the public contribution;
the outcome of the project must have a concrete prospect of economic exploitation for the company.

This structure orients everything: you need a real research partner, with relevant expertise, and a problem that genuinely requires applied research, not mere product development.

Who participates and in which roles

A well-structured project clearly distinguishes the roles:

Implementation partner (company): defines the market need, puts in the resources, will exploit the results. It must demonstrate the ability to bring the innovation to market.
Research partner: conducts the scientific part, ensures methodological rigour and novelty relative to the state of the art.
Multiple implementation partners or multiple research partners are possible, provided each has a substantial role.

The relationship between the two worlds is the heart of the project: the evaluation rewards genuine collaboration, not consultancy in disguise.

The evaluation criteria

Applications are examined by experts and evaluated on recurring axes:

Innovative character: what is new relative to the current state of science and technology.
Scientific content: the research part is real, with a technological risk to be solved.
Market and exploitation potential: there is a credible economic prospect and a plan to realise it.
Competence of the partners: team, experience and suitability of the research partner.
Work plan: objectives, work packages, milestones, coherent budgets.

An all-development project without real research is rejected; just as is excellent research without a market prospect.

Building the work plan

The plan is the backbone of the application. Some principles:

Define the technological risk: what is the open scientific question the project solves.
Structure into work packages: clear objectives, assigned responsibilities, measurable deliverables.
Set verifiable milestones: control points that demonstrate real progress.
Align budget and activities: every cost must correspond to an activity in the plan.
Link research and exploitation: show how the results become a competitive advantage.

Frequent mistakes

Presenting as research what is pure commercial development.
Choosing a research partner for convenience and not for relevant competence.
Underestimating the company’s cash contribution in financial planning.
Describing the market generically, without data or entry strategy.
Treating the academic partner as a supplier rather than as a co-author of the project.

Beyond the Innovation Project

Innosuisse also offers other instruments — coaching, mentoring, vouchers for feasibility studies, support for internationalisation. The Innovation Project is the one with the most demanding co-financing structure, but also the one that leads to substantial R&D results. It is worth framing it within a broader path of company development.

How we help you

We help companies and startups assess whether the project meets the requirements for an Innovation Project, identify and involve the right research partner, and build the work plan, budget and exploitation case consistently with Innosuisse’s criteria. We also set up the financial planning of the share borne by the company. Let’s talk about your project.