Spin Out Support Programme

Our Spin-Out support programme offers up to £20,000 towards HEI costs for spin-out projects focusing on innovative applications of biotechnology and addressing a real market need or commercial opportunity.

Spin-Out Support Programme

The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) invites applications for proof-of-concept projects from researchers with an ambition to spin-out a company within 1-2 years of the project ending.

Spin-out projects should focus on innovative applications of biotechnology and address a real market need or commercial opportunity. The projects must be led by at least one of Scotland’s talented Higher Education Institutes (HEI). Applicants can be at any career stage, but successful projects must demonstrate a route to company creation, follow on funding and/or commercial application.

Spin-out project funding criteria

  • Spin-out projects are expected to be short term (<1 year) with a plan to spin-out within 12 months of project completion.

  • Applications will be assessed by IBioIC Scientific and Commercial advisors according to defined criteria.

  • The project must have the potential to lead to larger scale funding from, for example, Scottish Enterprise High Growth Spin-out Support, Innovate UK, RSE Enterprise Fellowship and/or private investment.

  • The award from IBioIC must not exceed 33% of the total project cost with other funding covering the remainder.

  • Where an application for funding is successful, the spin out created during (and up to one year following project conclusion) the project will be eligible for free IBioIC membership for one year. For membership enquiries please contact carol.badger@ibioic.com.

  • The project must demonstrate a clear market need / commercial opportunity through the innovative use or application of biotechnology.

  • The project must include at least one of IBioIC’s HEI Partners.

  • The project must demonstrate an economic, societal and/or reputational benefit to Scotland.


To date, the IBioIC Industry led funding programme has supported >90 collaborative research projects with a total project value of over £12 million and an application success rate close to 50%.

This call invites applications from academic researchers addressing challenges that could be addressed with a biotechnology solution with the near-term ambition of forming a spin-out or start-up company.

Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis as they are submitted.

Please contact the Projects Team on projects@ibioic.com to apply.

Spin Out Support, Open CallValerie Evanshome