The 2026 spring round of Take-off Phase 2 Vroegefasetrajecten is now open for proposals. Take-off, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and managed by NWO, supports innovative business activities based on scientific research. Researchers and early-stage entrepreneurs can apply for funding to launch a business and bring their innovative ideas to market.
Several changes have been introduced for the 2026 spring round. The pre-registration step has been removed, and applicants are now required to submit the full proposal directly. The period allowed for correcting administratively inadmissible applications has been extended from 2 working days to 10 working days. A minimum qualification threshold has also been established, requiring an average total score of at least 4.0 and a minimum average of 5.4 for each individual criterion. Applicants must also ensure that all mandatory appendices are included, such as a cashflow prognosis, feasibility study, and knowledge transfer agreement, along with separately submitted documents including the SME test, KvK Business Register Extract, and GEBR declaration.
NWO is organizing online information sessions for the 2026 Take-off calls. On Wednesday, 14 January 2026, the session for Take-off Phase 1 Feasibility Studies will run from 09:30 to 10:30, followed by the Take-off Phase 2 Vroegefasetrajecten spring round session from 11:00 to 12:00. Interested participants can register to attend these sessions to learn more about the application process and new requirements.
