Deadline: 15-May-2026
The Proof-of-Concept Grant is a funding programme designed to support the early development and commercial validation of innovative business ideas emerging from students and researchers in Turku, Finland. It helps transform academic and research-driven ideas into viable business opportunities.
The programme focuses on reducing early-stage risk by enabling experimentation, testing, and feasibility assessment of new concepts.
Key Objectives
- Support early-stage business idea development
- Enable proof-of-concept testing and validation
- Assess commercial viability of innovations
- Promote research-based entrepreneurship
- Encourage innovation from higher education institutions
- Support ideas with potential for future growth and scaling
Focus Areas
- Early-stage innovation and idea development
- Commercial assessment of business concepts
- Validation of prototypes or solutions
- Research-driven entrepreneurship
- Market potential analysis
- Experimental testing of new products or services
Funding Details
- Up to €5,000 per team or idea
- Total programme budget (2026): €30,000
- Funding is provided through City of Turku RDI voucher system
- Flexible use of funds for development and living costs
What the Funding Can Cover
- Approximately two months of living expenses for one team member
- Costs related to proof-of-concept development
- Testing and validation activities
- Materials, tools, or prototyping expenses
- Early-stage business development costs
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be students or researchers
- Must be affiliated with a higher education institution in Turku, such as:
- University of Turku
- Åbo Akademi
- Turku University of Applied Sciences
- Yrkeshögskolan Novia
- HUMAK
- At least one team member must be institution-affiliated
- Teams or individuals may apply
Eligible Projects
- Early-stage business ideas
- Research-based innovations
- New product or service concepts
- Technological or scientific prototypes
- Ideas requiring validation of feasibility or market potential
- Concepts with commercialisation potential
How the Grant Works: Step-by-Step
- Identify a research-based or student-led business idea
- Ensure affiliation with a Turku higher education institution
- Develop a basic proof-of-concept proposal
- Optionally join an incubation or acceleration programme
- Submit application for funding
- If selected, receive up to €5,000 support
- Use funding for testing, validation, and development
- Assess commercial potential of the idea
Additional Advantage
- Participation in incubation or acceleration programmes strengthens applications
- Provides better chances during selection process
- Supports structured development and mentoring
Evaluation Criteria
- Innovation and originality of the idea
- Commercial potential and market relevance
- Feasibility of proof-of-concept development
- Strength of research or academic foundation
- Clarity of validation approach
- Team capability and institutional affiliation
Why This Grant Matters
- Bridges gap between research and commercialisation
- Supports student and researcher entrepreneurship
- Encourages innovation within universities
- Reduces financial barriers for early-stage development
- Strengthens regional innovation ecosystem in Turku
- Helps validate ideas before larger investment
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting ideas without clear proof-of-concept plan
- Lack of institutional affiliation with Turku universities
- Weak explanation of commercial potential
- Overestimating stage of development (not early-stage focused)
- Ignoring validation or testing strategy
Pro Tips
- Clearly define how the idea will be tested or validated
- Emphasize commercial potential and market need
- Show strong link to academic or research work
- Keep project scope realistic for early-stage funding
- Highlight team’s institutional affiliation and expertise
- Use incubation support to strengthen proposal
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is the maximum funding? Up to €5,000 per team or idea
- Who can apply? Students and researchers from Turku higher education institutions
- What is the total budget? €30,000 for 2026
- What can funding be used for? Living costs and proof-of-concept development
- Is team size limited? No, but at least one member must be institution-affiliated
- Is this a commercial grant? It supports commercial assessment but at early stage only
- Do applicants need incubation experience? Not required, but it improves chances
Conclusion
The Proof-of-Concept Grant in Turku supports students and researchers in transforming early-stage ideas into validated business opportunities. By funding experimentation, testing, and feasibility analysis, it strengthens the pathway from academic innovation to commercialisation within the regional innovation ecosystem.
For more information, visit Monttu Ventures.
