Innovation Fund Denmark has asked research institutions to filter and assess applications
for the Innoexplorer programme to ensure they meet the established criteria.
At Aarhus University, the business developers at Enterprise and Innovation are responsible for filtering and approving potential applications.
Innoexplorer is a programme under Innovation Fund Denmark that supports research-based projects with commercial potential. The aim is to mature early-stage ideas and bring them closer to the market – for example through validation, market analysis, prototyping, or team development.
You can apply for up to DKK 1.5 million in funding. In order to apply, you must be approved by the business developers at Enterprise and Innovation. We help assess and qualify your project before it is submitted to the fund.
1. Start early
Contact the business developers at Enterprise and Innovation several months before your planned application. The earlier we start the dialogue, the better we can support you.
2. Get a business developer involved
Active collaboration with a business developer significantly increases your chances of success. We help qualify your project and assess its readiness for Innoexplorer support.
3. Project approval
AU’s support requires that we understand and assess the project underlying the application.
If your project is not already part of our portfolio, you must contact AU’s Innoexplorer contact person and be prepared to submit a short project outline and possibly present it in a meeting.
To maximize your chances of approval, you can fill out our internal application template and send it to us.
Innoexplorer funding can be granted to projects aimed at starting a new company based on research results.
Project status | Evaluation and approval |
Portfolio project (know to the business developers at Enterprise and Innovation) | Assessed on a rolling basis – no pitch or internal application required |
New project (unknow to the business developers at Enterprise and Innovation) | Evaluated three times a year (Jan 7 / Apr 7 / Sep 7). Requires dialogue and possibly a short written outline and pitch |
The business developers at Enterprise and Innovation can help you with:
The business developers at Enterprise and Innovation assess applications based on the same criteria used by Innovation Fund Denmark:
Aarhus University operates with a fixed annual cycle of three application rounds, with internal deadlines on:
These deadlines typically fall a few weeks before the final submission deadline to Innovation Fund Denmark. During these rounds, new cases are primarily screened and evaluated collectively.
In parallel, rolling approval may be granted for certain project types, such as:
If you receive positive feedback from Enterprise and Innovation, you should do the following:
If you have any questions regarding the application process, feel free to contact Morten Holmager (holmager@au.dk).
Are you ready to apply for internal assesment for Innoexplorer at Aarhus University? Or do you have questions about the process? Then contact AU’s Innoexplorer contact person, Morten Holmager, or your business developer.
We look forward to hearing about your project.