We are open in our choice of topics as long as they are based on our humanistic European values and are non-military. All scientific, technological, economic and social challenges of our time offer potential for breakthrough innovations. You can find examples among our projects and all further information under Submit project.

SPRIND sees itself as an incubator for breakthrough innovations in Germany and Europe. It identifies, validates, finances, and supports projects and plans that have the potential for producing breakthrough innovations. In contrast to pure research funding, SPRIND aims to support new marketable products, technologies, business models, and/or services that sustainably improve the lives of as many people as possible. The focus is on social and economic added value. This added value includes, in particular, the potential for major economic value creation and for solving significant technological, social, or ecological problems.

SPRIND is characterized by its focus on innovations with breakthrough potential that address major technological, social, economic, and ecological challenges. Its target group is primarily innovators and project teams who are prepared to take high risks in order to successfully develop their innovations towards marketability. SPRIND focuses on projects that are often still too risky to obtain financing on the private capital market due to a lack of market maturity.

In order to determine the potential of a breakthrough innovation, SPRIND has developed and established an in-depth analysis, evaluation, and selection process. Based on specific criteria and parameters, all project submissions and projects undergo the same process, which leads to a holistic assessment of the technological basis and entrepreneurial potential. The criteria are divided into seven general categories:

• potential for change in the product and service market • macroeconomic, ecological, and social benefits • opportunity and risk profile of the project • positioning between research & economy • resources of the submitters and their teams • type of innovation • social development goals

The assessment is determined through internal and external consultations and evaluations.

Validation is used to check the breakthrough innovation potential of a project. In particular, technical and scientific aspects are validated. This validation helps SPRIND to evaluate options for possible follow-up financing or funding.

SPRIND bases its projects and technologies on Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). The TRLs indicate whether a technology is still at the basic research stage (TRL 0-2) or has already achieved full product status (TRL 9). SPRIND generally focuses on TRLs 3 to 7, that is, projects that are between experimental feasibility and a marketable prototype.

Please find all relevant information here.

To submit your project proposal, please use the submission form.

The SPRIND Challenges bring together visionary teams who are working on radically new solutions with the goal of finding the best way to overcome the major challenges of our time through competition. The topics for the SPRIND challenges are developed through targeted internal considerations and external consultations. SPRIND sets itself ambitious innovation targets and the topic is always checked for its fit with SPRIND’s mission. The final decision on a topic is made by the internal project committee and SPRIND’s Supervisory Board. Do you have an idea for a new challenge? Please send it to challenge@sprind.org.

SPRIND is not a traditional funding agency and therefore does not have dedicated funding guidelines. Funding guidelines normally require a standard program according to which grants are awarded. SPRIND, however, is a new kind of instrument that aims to identify and support potential breakthrough innovations. This requires deviating from the norm and finding individual answers and bespoke solutions to questions and problems in relation to the projects it supports.

For the start-up phase 2019-2022, funds of at least 151 million euros are budgeted. The agency is initially planned as an experimental phase for a period of ten years. For this ten-year term (from 2019), a total budget of around 1 billion euros is expected. Further information in German can be found on the BMBF website.

SPRIND acts with the legally stipulated goal of creating new value through new, highly innovative products, processes, or services, particularly in Germany and the EFTA states. For this reason, SPRIND focuses primarily on promoting and financing projects with breakthrough innovation potential in Germany and the EFTA states. In exceptional cases, SPRIND can also operate outside these regions, for example as part of the SPRIND innovation competitions (Challenges and Funken).

The decision on possible support is made by a project committee of experienced innovation managers who accompany the analysis, evaluation, and selection process, as well as by SPRIND’s management team.

Since the SPRIND Freedom Act, SPRIND has had a wide range of instruments at its disposal. SPRIND uses various forms of financing and funding, for example validation contracts, equity investments, mezzanine financing, or grants. SPRIND uses the various instruments in a targeted manner to support projects with breakthrough innovation potential as precisely, flexibly, and unbureaucratically as possible in order to ultimately transfer the projects into mostly private-sector financing. In the case of equity investments and mezzanine financing, 30 percent of the financing round must come from independent private investors.

In general, the innovators or companies decide independently on the co-investors. SPRIND can act as a pari passu investor within the framework permitted under state aid law if there is insufficient private sector capital available or if the investors insist on this due to the interface that SPRIND provides with the state.

SPRIND attracts private investors instead of pushing them out. It invests in projects that the private market would not yet finance due to a lack of market maturity. In this way, the project gains exactly the momentum it needs for the transition to commercial exploitation. SPRIND typically withdraws as soon as the projects can be transferred to private financing.

SPRIND’s return on investment (ROI) is measured in particular in terms of impact, not exclusively in financial returns. The focus is on long-term, sustainable economic value creation with the goal of supporting products, technologies, or business models that create new markets and industries and significantly improve people’s lives. SPRIND acts boldly and takes risks that purely yield-oriented investors cannot take. Half of the income resulting from the sale of company shares or the exploitation of intellectual property rights is to be allocated to SPRIND funds and the other half to the federal budget. The annual budget law regulates all further details.

SPRIND sees itself as a partner for very early-stage innovation projects that still involve high development risks. It bridges what is referred to as the valley of death, that is, the time between basic research and market maturity. It helps start-ups get ready for private-sector investors. SPRIND facilitates the transition to private financing by cooperating with private investors at an early stage and promoting crowding-in, in other words, attracting private investors instead of crowding them out. SPRIND also strengthens the German and European start-up and venture capital ecosystem by specifically addressing regulatory or systemic obstacles through strategic initiatives. The aim is to remove these obstacles, for example by facilitating the transfer of intellectual property (IP) from universities and non-university institutions.

SPRIND pursues the goal of being as founder-friendly as possible. The regulations for intellectual property (IP) vary depending on the instrument used to promote innovation. In the SPRIND Challenges, the IP always remains with the participants. However, for reasons of state aid law, SPRIND regularly reserves a free, non-exclusive right to use the results. Details can be found in the respective participation agreements.

Leipzig is a beacon of innovation policy. We deliberately chose a location in an East German federal state – without compromising on the other criteria: urban spirit, entrepreneurial and innovative power, scientific orientation and excellent transport connections were the decisive factors. We are convinced that Leipzig is an attractive and powerful location for the agency.

www.bmbf.de

SPRIND sees education as the mother of all breakthrough innovations, and social innovation in education is part of SPRIND’s mission. It is thus responding to the growing challenges facing the education system.

SPRIND focuses on the common good and social issues. This is why it primarily supports civil innovations. It also supports dual-use innovations that can have both civilian and military applications.

In addition to representatives from our shareholder, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Supervisory Board also includes prominent personalities from business and science who contribute their expertise in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship. It was also important to us to have equal representation, which is why we are very proud that five women and five men have accepted the appointment to this important body.

Please check here: Corporate Governance.

Alternatively, you can send your project proposal to projects@sprind.org

Please use the following guiding questions to describe your project. In addition, you are welcome to submit supporting documents.

In order to be able to evaluate and process your documents, we require a short, informal agreement to our data protection declaration from you. To give your consent, please simply add the following sentence to your mail:

I/we declare that I/we agree to the processing of my/our data in accordance with the SPRIND GmbH data protection declaration dated 10.06.2020.

If you are unable to submit your project digitally, you also have the option of submitting the proposal by post.

Please understand that we can only accept project submissions digitally (by submission form or e-mail) or by post. Unfortunately, a proposal of your project is not possible in person. All further information can be found here: Submit Project.

To describe your project, please use the guiding questions we have compiled. You will also find them in our submission form. This will enable us to best assess the breakthrough innovation potential of your project.

In order to give us an insight into your project and thus facilitate the thorough analysis and evaluation of the project, we ask you to answer the guiding questions in the submission form in as much detail as possible. You are also welcome to send us further documents, e.g. your pitch deck, pictures of the project or a patent.

You do not need a patent to submit your project. However, if a patent is available, you are welcome to send it along with your project or note the patent number in the submission.

Overall, we give top priority to the confidentiality of your data. At SPRIND, all employees or, if applicable, called-in experts are therefore bound by a non-disclosure agreement.

Any type of institution is eligible to apply. Therefore, among others, small and medium enterprises, large companies, research centers, individual researchers or universities may submit a project.

Projects can be submitted by individual applicants as well as by a consortium. It is important, however, that a contact person is specified for analyst queries.

Due to the large number of project submissions and with regard to equal opportunity, an initial assessment of your project is not possible. We therefore ask you to submit your project via the submission form in full with all requested information.

You may add new information to your submission at any time. If you would like to add new findings or documents, for example, please send them to projects@sprind.org.

If you wish to revise your submission completely, please fill out the submission form once again and notify us via projects@sprind.org about your updated submission.

Yes, you can submit a project to SPRIND at any time on the SPRIND website. If a project has been further developed after rejection, it can be resubmitted. Where possible, the progress made since the last submission should be described.

The projects that we want to pursue are selected by a panel of experts. We are open in our choice of thematic fields as long as they serve civil purposes.

Details of the selection process can be found here: Submit Project.

You will get a confirmation after your submission within a few days. Each project submission is presented to our experts and assessed by them. All submitted documents will be considered and careful research will be carried out. If it turns out that the idea does not fit into SPRIND's field of activity, we will inform you. The selection process may take up to 12 weeks.

You can request the current status of your project at any time by emailing projectsatsprind.org.

It is in the nature of breakthrough innovations that they are very rare and furthermore difficult to predict. Therefore we only support a small percentage of the projects submitted, at the moment about 2 %.