Chemical Sciences

Technologiestichting STW

Call for proposals

Biobased Performance Materials

TA-BPM
2015

The Hague, March 2015

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

Contents

Contents
1

2
3

5
6

Introduction

1.1

Background

1.2

Available budget

1.3

Validity of this brochure

Aim
Guidelines for applicants

5
6

3.1

Who can apply?

3.2

What can be applied for?

3.3

When can proposals be submitted?

3.4

Preparing a proposal

3.5

Specific conditions

Assessment procedure

3.6

Submitting a proposal

10

4.1

Procedure

10

4.2

Schedule

12

4.2

Criteria

Contact

12

14

5.1

Contact

14

5.2

Other information

14

6.2

Scheme for in-kind contributions by private parties

18

6.3

Scope of BPM and focus topics in the call 2015

22

Annexes
6.1
IPR and arrangement for knowledge transfer; Project Agreement

15
15

1 Introduction
1.1

Background
NWO makes funding available for a TA Biobased Performance Materials call. This
TA call is strongly connected to the second Biobased Performance Materials call at
the applied research institute Wageninegn UR - Food & Biobased Research that
also receives financial support from Government through the Top Sector
Chemistry.
History
Active since 2009, the Biobased Performance Materials (BPM) programme, funded by the
Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and industry, is a national research programme aimed at
the development of high performance materials derived from biomass. Using a chain
approach, BPM has been aiming at creating technology for producing and processing new or
substantially improved biobased materials for amongst others application in packaging,
electronics and car industry, using a wide range of primary or secondary raw materials, such
as oil-crops, sugar beets, potatoes and high-fibre residues. The BPM programme was
established using a market-oriented approach, with the material requirements as the
starting point and governed by the companies wishes.
BPM
The objective of BPM is the conducting of pre-competitive research in private-public
partnerships (PPP), aimed at further development of biobased polymer materials and
products from these materials. Dutch knowledge institutions are working together with
researchers from the industry sector in conducting the research. It is a combination of precompetitive, applied research, aimed at answering questions leading to bringing the
implementation of biomaterials closer and fundamental, understanding-raising research as
well as research aimed at answering questions regarding which new classes of biobased
materials with unique properties are possible.
There are two main directions in the developmental movements towards biobased materials.
On the one hand, there is the development of polymer materials from building blocks
derived from biomass and on the other hand, there is the development of materials based
on polymers produced by plants and micro-organisms (natural polymers).
The second tranche of the BPM programme consists of an applied part to be carried out by
Wageningen UR - Food & Biobased Research. This applied part will be complemented by a
fundamental part to be carried out by Dutch universities through the NWO New Chemical
Innovations Fund (TA-BPM call). NWO, BPM and DPI work closely together to realize and to
execute this TA-BPM call.

1.2

Available budget
NWO will contribute up to M 1,5 and the private contribution will be minimal k 750.
Projects will be granted up to a total budget of M 2,25.

1.3

Validity of this call

This call for proposals is valid until the closing date, 12 May 2015, 11.59 CEST.

2 Aim
Aim of TA-BPM
The aim of TA-BPM is the execution of a coherent, demand driven, fundamental research
programme focusing on the research and development of biobased polymeric materials for
industrial applications. Dutch universities will execute the research in collaboration with
industry. The TA-BPM programme bears upon a combination of:
1.

Fundamental research leading to increased understanding and development of new

classes of biobased materials with unique properties;

2.

Demand driven research leading to accelerated industrial implementation of

biobased materials.
The drive behind the research of biobased polymeric materials is provoked by the possibility
to obtain (novel) materials from renewable resources and to expand the range of material
functionalities and their applications based on natures concepts and/or bioprocesses.
Topics of focus
To be more precise, the scientific research is preferably focused on the following topics (see
section 6.3 for more information):
1.

Polymeric Materials derived from biobased building blocks* or natural polymers**

with novel functionalities and/or with novel applications.

2.

Investigation of structure-property relationships, focused on polymers derived from

biobased building blocks* or on natural polymers**.

*Biobased building blocks
An important research direction is the production of biobased polymeric materials from
novel or modified building blocks, possessing an unique structure and, related to that, own
unique properties, thereby introducing new (multi-)functionalities.
**Natural polymers
This research direction focuses on the direct application of natural polymers, such as
cellulosics, starch, chitin, lignin, pectin, natural oils and polypeptides, such as silk and
collagen. It may concern both agricultural and horticultural (residual) streams as well as
industrially produced natural polymers.
Important research questions relate to:
-

Functionalisation of these polymers to develop new products, thereby using the

intrinsic properties of the natural polymer without breaking it down;

-

Development of new processing technologies to extract these embodied polymers

without loss of functionality.

The research lines set out above aim at creating new products based on renewable
feedstock and exhibiting new (multi-)functionalities to create novel and smart materials. An
example could be a new technology to produce carbohydrate-peptide links through
chemical/enzymatic synthesis, thereby yielding improved functional properties. Another
example concerns new methods to increase the hydrophobicity via chemo/enzymatic
modification to introduce improved surface properties which is important for e.g. the coating
and the compounding industry. Another research direction tangent to the design of
polymeric carbohydrates (water soluble or dispersible) to encapsulate unstable substances
for optimal delivery. Possible applications may be found in the paper & cardboard, coatings,
adhesives, nutrition, personal care (cosmetics) and health care (medical/pharma) sectors.
Other types of materials may include biocompatible polymers for biomedical implants and
new natural rubbers.

3 Guidelines for applicants

3.1

Who can apply?

Applications are always submitted by a researcher on behalf of a consortium of companies
and researchers.
Applications can be submitted by full, associate or assistant professors and other
researchers with a comparable faculty position as long as they:

are employed by (i.e. have a paid appointment at) a Dutch research university or a
research institute that is recognised by NWO 1 and

are in the possession of at least a master's degree (MA or MSc) or are otherwise
equally qualified and

have a position of employment that is secure for at least as long as the throughput
time of the application process and the research for which the funding is being
requested.

An exception to the required length of the appointment can be made for:

main applicants with a tenure-track appointment that covers at least half of the
required duration. In that case, the applicants must demonstrate in a letter that
adequate supervision will be guaranteed throughout the entire length of the
research project for all researchers for whom funding is being applied.

co-applicants if they can demonstrate that adequate supervision can be guaranteed

throughout the entire length of the research project for all researchers for whom
funding is being applied.

Researchers employed at the non-university part of Wageningen UR (WUR), DLO, the

Federation TO2 2 and RIVM are eligible to be co-applicants or members of a consortium. In
that way, they can contribute to a project and have access to the knowledge. They will not
be eligible for direct financing from NWO, however.
Researchers from at least two knowledge institutions are involved in the application as
applicant and co-applicant(s).
At least two companies must act as co-applicants. Companies are not eligible for direct
funding from NWO, but contribute to the research in cash and/or in kind. Commitment of
the participating companies must be clear upon submitting the proposal.
Other types of organisations that are not eligible for funding directly from NWO can
nevertheless also act as co-applicants or as members of a consortium. In this way, they can
contribute to a project and have access to the knowledge (for details, see Section 3.5)
NWO aims to encourage the participation of SME 3 in the projects and programmes on a
large scale. To that end, SMEs are cordially invited to take part in the consortia.

See the NWO Regulation on Granting www.nwo.nl/en/documents/nwo/legal/nwo-regulation-on-

granting-may-2011
2

The members of the Federation TO2 are TNO and the 'Grote Technologische Instituten' (GTIs: major

public research institutes): Deltares, the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), the Maritime
Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) and the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands (NLR).
3

In determining if a project participant is an SME entrepreneur the European Commission's definition of

SME is used. See ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/facts-figures-analysis/smedefinition/index_en.htm.

3.2

What can be applied for?

The costs that are eligible for compensation are those for:
-

scientific staff (PhD students, postdoctoral researchers) hired temporarily for the project
at the research institution;

analysts and technical support;

material costs directly related to the project. Those could include the costs of chemicals,
materials, equipment, knowledge transfer and knowledge utilisation, but also domestic
and international travel expenses.

Staff costs are eligible in accordance with the most recent Agreement for Funding Scientific
Research, signed by NWO, VSNU, NFU, ZonMw, KNAW and VFI. The agreement and the
maximum amounts for staff costs can be found (in Dutch) on
www.nwo.nl/akkoordbekostiging and www.nwo.nl/salaristabellen. A person-specific bench
fee will be granted to each PhD student or postdoctoral researcher to (partially) cover things
like travel expenses and the printing costs involved in publishing their PhD thesis.
The New Chemical Innovations Fund puts the emphasis on the appointment of new
scientific staff. The consortia are free to gear the mix of costs that they would like to see
reimbursed through the New Chemical Innovations Fund to match their project activities. It
will be necessary to present good arguments for the proposed mix in the application.
The participating knowledge institutions and companies will use their own resources to bear
the costs of the necessary infrastructure and for the supervision of the project staff.
In case an applicant or co-applicant works together with other institutions that are not
eligible for financing through NWO, for example TNO or a foreign university, those noneligible institutions will bear their own costs.

3.3

When can proposals be submitted?

The deadline for submission is Tuesday, 12 May 2015, 11.59 CEST.
Once submitted, proposals may not be revised or supplemented.

3.4

Preparing a proposal
If you would like to submit a project application, we advise you to contact one of the
individuals listed in Section 5.1. Note that no preliminary application is necessary for any
project proposal. The full application is to be submitted all at once. The application must be
written in English.
The grant application comprises four parts: a fact sheet, the application form, the list of
suggestions for referees and a letter of commitment of each participating company.
-

When filling in the fact sheet you may use only ASCII characters (plain text). It is not
possible to use formulae, cursive, etc. in the fact sheet, although those may be used in
the application itself.

The application form, the form for providing the names of referees and the
format for a letter of commitment can be found on the call website.

The form for providing the names of referees and the letter(s) of commitment must be
submitted simultaneously with the application form as separate PDF documents via Iris.

3.5

Specific conditions
To encourage the collaboration between industry and knowledge institutions, the private
sector and NWO will each finance the partnership projects in different proportions.
Every company participating in an application contributes in cash and/or in kind to the
project the consortium wishes to carry out. The total amount companies are contributing to
the project is of importance for the calculation of the NWO contribution.
Cash and in kind
Within a TA-BPM project, collaborations between at least two companies and at least two
knowledge institutions is required. The participating companies jointly contribute one-third
of the project costs; NWO contributes two-thirds. That means that for every euro
contributed by industry, NWO contributes two euros.
-

A preferred research proposal includes 2 - 4 PhD and/or postdoc positions for example
at different universities such that the proposal complies with the chain of knowledge
principle (complementary competences).

Companies contribute to a project in cash and/or in kind. See Annex 6.2 for specific
rules.

Only companies that (also) contribute in cash to the consortium count for setting the
number of company TA contributors and for the calculation of the contribution from NCI
Fund.

Next to the cash contribution, part of the in kind contribution counts for the calculation

If an SME contributes in kind, of this 1.8 times the cash contribution of the SME counts

of the contribution from the NCI Fund.

for the calculation of the contribution from the NCI Fund. So for a SME that contributes
with 3.000 in cash to a project, a maximum amount of (1.8* 3.000 =) 5.400 in
kind, and with that 8.400 in total, counts for the calculation of the contribution from
the NCI Fund. If an SME contributes less in kind then is maximal allowed, the lower
committed amount counts for the calculation of the contribution from the NCI Fund. See
Annex 6.2 for specific rules.
-

If an non SME contributes in kind, of this 1/1.8 times the cash contribution of this
company counts for the calculation of the contribution from the NCI Fund. So for a non
SME that contributes with 3.000 in cash to a project, a maximum amount of (
3.000/1.8 =) 1.666 in kind, and with that 4.666 in total, counts for the calculation
of the contribution from the NCI Fund.

In-kind contributions must be essential to the project and be included in the budget for
research costs in the project proposal. See Annex 6.2 for the conditions that in-kind
contributions will need to meet.

The approved projects will be monitored by the BPM office and the NWO office.

All private cash contributions will be provided to the project via NWO.

All in-kind contributions from private partners must be approved by NWO before the
start of the project.

The approved projects will be part of the project portfolio of the BPM programme.
Participants are thus part of the BPM consortium and will meet once a year in a private
setting, and once a year during a public symposium.

TKI allowance 4
The Ministry of Economic Affairs can contribute to the project budget of a public-private
partnership project. On the basis of the cash contribution of the companies, the TKI Chemie

The TKI allowance scheme initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs is carried out by the Netherlands

Enterprise Agency (RvO). Everything that this call mentions in that regard is based on the articles as
published in the Staatscourant (Government Gazette). In the event of any dispute, the official wording in
the Staatscourant is leading. This call assumes that the scheme will still exist at the moment that a grant
from the NCI Fund is awarded and the project concerned will meet the conditions of the TKI allowance
scheme.

can apply for a TKI allowance from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The TKI
allowance amounts to approximately 25% of the cash contributions of the companies to the
project budget. 5 TKI Chemie distributes the TKI allowance to the project that generates the
allowance. In other words: extra cash input from industry will be advantageous.
Thanks to the TKI allowance, projects can normally have access to greater budgets, after
the settlement of costs for project management by the NWO office. The project budget is
calculated using the tables in the proposal forms.
General terms and conditions
The following applies to this call:
-

The NWO Regulation on Granting (see

http://www.nwo.nl/en/documents/nwo/legal/nwo-regulation-on-granting-may-2011).
Projects that have been awarded grants are to start within nine months of the date of
the grant decision. NWO can decide to withdraw the grant in case this condition is not
met.

NWO charges 5% of the total cash project budget for project management. This
amount covers partly the organisation and execution of the activities of the New
Chemical Innovations Fund and also the organisation of meetings.

The IP-regulation as described in paragraph 6.1. The project partners (the knowledge
institutions and companies concerned) must sign a project agreement with each other
and with NWO prior to the start of the project; in this agreement, amongst other
things, specific arrangements on IP should be made. The project partners are advised
to have a draft project agreement ready prior to submitting their application. That will
help ensure a rapid start for the project once the grant has been awarded. As a
guide, NWO has made a model agreement available on the website of the New
Chemical Innovations Fund, www.nwo.nl/fondsnci > Projectbeheer.

3.6

Submitting a proposal
An application can only be submitted to NWO via the electronic application system Iris.
Applications not submitted via Iris will not be admitted to the selection procedure. A main
applicant is required to submit his/her application via his/her own Iris account.
If the main applicant does not yet have an Iris account, he/she must create one via the Iris
website of NWO http://www.iris.nwo.nl at least one day prior to submission. This is to
ensure that any problems with registration can still be resolved on time. If the main
applicant already has an Iris account, he/she will not need to create a new account to
submit a new application.
With questions of a technical nature, applicants can contact the Iris help desk, which is open
Monday through Friday from 11 am to 5 pm. Telephone number: 0900-696-4747.
Unfortunately, not all foreign providers support calls to 0900 numbers. Questions can also
be sent by email to iris@nwo.nl.

The precise amount of the TKI allowance depends in part on the extent to which amount that the Ministry

of Economic Affairs has budgeted for a given year has been exhausted. If TKIs apply for a larger number
of allowances than there is budget for, the percentage of the allowance will decrease proportionally. Other
factors are also of importance. An allowance percentage of 25% nevertheless gives a good indication.

10

4 Assessment procedure
4.1

Procedure
General
In accordance with the agreement between NWO and the VSNU, applicants are to inform
their institution that they are submitting a project application. The applicant is to give a
copy of the application to the scientific director or dean of the institution or faculty. For each
application submitted, NWO Chemical Sciences will assume that the applicant has informed
the institution and that the university or the institution accepts the conditions for funding
that are in effect for this programme.
The NWO Regulation on Granting states that any research financed by NWO must be carried
out in accordance with the nationally and internationally accepted standards of scientific
practice as stipulated in the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Scientific Practice of 2012
(VSNU). The Regulation on Granting can be found on the NWO website:
http://www.nwo.nl/en/documents/nwo/legal/nwo-regulation-on-granting-may-2011. More
information on the NWO scientific integrity policy can be found on the website:
http://www.nwo.nl/en/news-and-events/dossiers/scientific+integrity.
The NWO Code of Conduct on Conflicts of Interest is applicable to anyone (including NWO
staff) involved in assessing or making decisions about applications. See also:
http://www.nwo.nl/en/documents/nwo/legal/nwo-code-of-conduct-on-conflicts-of-interest.
Admissibility
The first step in the assessment procedure is a check to see if the application is eligible for
consideration. The application is checked for matching the aims of the New Chemical
Innovations Fund (Section 2) and meeting the conditions as described in Section 3 of this
Guide. The consortium can be requested to provide extra documentation/information of the
participating companies.
Referees
The applicant is invited to provide the names of (a maximum of) ten possible referees with a
foreign affiliation by filling in the referee list completely. To ensure confidentiality, the main
applicant is requested to upload the referee names in a separate annex via Iris.
This list may not include the names of anyone with whom the applicant has collaborated in
the past three years, is currently collaborating with or plans to collaborate with. This applies
not only to co-authorship, but also to other forms of collaboration. Only referees who are in
no way involved with the applying research team and the research proposal are eligible to
act as referees. The proposed referees may not be working in the Netherlands. In addition to
those proposed by the applicant, other experts can also always be invited to act as a
referee. 6
Non-referees
The applicant also has the opportunity to indicate the names of a maximum of three
individuals who should be EXCLUDED from acting as referees. This is not obligatory. To
ensure the confidentiality of the request for exclusion, the applicant is asked to submit those
names in a separate email to nci-ta@nwo.nl. This email must also include clear arguments
for requesting that this individual/these individuals should not be considered as referees.

The code of conduct regarding conflicts of interest can be found on the NWO website:

http://www.nwo.nl/en/documents/nwo/legal/nwo-code-of-conduct-on-conflicts-of-interest. This document

mentions potentially conflictive involvements.

11

Referee reports and rebuttal

International referees assess the applications on the basis of the criteria (see section 4.2).
Applicants will be given the opportunity to respond to the anonymised referees' reports
during an oral interview (rebuttal) with the PPP-Council (see below). If there is a high
number of applications, applicants shall be requested to send in a written rebuttal which will
supersede the oral interview. Also, the PPP-Council may invite selected applicants for an
interview.
Ranking
The NWO Chemical Sciences Division Board is advised to determine the quality and
prioritization of applications by a PPP-Council (PPS-Raad) consisting of experts from science
and industry. The PPP-Council meets several times a year to discuss applications and rank
them. The committee discusses and ranks the applications during a meeting. The members
of the committee have copies of the applications and referee-reports (and if applicable the
written rebuttals). The committee weighs the arguments of the referees (also between the
referees) and the applicant's (verbal) rebuttal and issues both a final opinion and a ranking.
If the committee considers the referee-reports insufficient to form its opinion, it can make
an additional assessment.
The PPP-Council uses the arguments of the referees and the applicant's rebuttal to arrive at
an independent assessment of the proposal. The role of the PPP-Council differs from that of
the referees in that:

the PPP-Council also weighs the applicant's rebuttal in its decision, whereas the referee
is not familiar with the rebuttal and thus cannot take that into consideration.

the PPP-Council can consider all proposals, referees' reports and applicant rebuttals,
whereas the referees normally never see more than one proposal, nor do they
coordinate their assessments with each other.

This means that the PPP-Council may arrive at a different assessment than the referees.
For this TA-BPM call, the NWO Chemical Sciences Board can decide to temporarily
complement the PPP-Council with additional experts.
Decision-making
The Board of NWO Chemical Sciences decides with regard to the acceptance and rejection of
research proposals on the basis of the ranking advised by the PPP-Council.
NWO assigns a qualification to all fully completed proposals. This qualification will be made
known to the applicant in the same letter that informs the applicant about NWO's decision
on whether or not to fund the proposed project. For more information about the NWO
qualification system, see:
http://www.nwo.nl/en/funding/funding+process+explained/nwo+qualification+system.
Procedural steps for proposals
1. The main applicant is to submit his/her proposal to the NWO Chemical Sciences Division
using the Iris electronic application system.
2. The NWO Chemical Sciences Division forwards the proposals to the PPP-Council.
3. The PPP-Council assesses if applications: match the scope of the call (section 2), match
the New Chemical Innovation Fund, contains a substantial chemical component, and
whether the application meets the conditions as described in section 3. DPI can advise
the PPP-Council whether proposals match the scope of the call. The PPP-Council sends its
advice regarding eligibility of the proposals to the Board of NWO Chemical Sciences.
4. Proposals that do not meet the above criteria are deemed not eligible by the Board of
NWO Chemical Sciences and will therefore not be considered for further processing.
5. The Board of NWO Chemical Sciences sends the eligible proposals to international experts
for comments.
6. The PPP-Council invites the applicants to further explain their proposals. They have the
opportunity to orally respond to the referees' reports and further questions of the
Council, or to respond in writing to the referees reports ('rebuttal') in case of a high

12

number of applications. In case of a high number of applications, the PPP-Council may

also invite a selection of applicants for an oral response.
7. The PPP-Council assesses the dossiers at hand, which comprise the proposal and the
referees' reports along with any input obtained from the oral explanation or the written
rebuttal, and ranks them.
8. The PPP-Council sends its ranking, along with its arguments for that ranking, as an
advice to the NWO Chemical Sciences Board.
9. The Board of NWO Chemical Sciences reviews the assessment procedure and based on
the advice of the PPP-Council and dependant on the resources available, assesses
whether the proposals that have been nominated for acceptance fit within a responsible
management of the Fund New Chemical Innovations and decides to make funds available
to the accepted proposals.
10. The Board of NWO Chemical Sciences informs the applicants of the decision about their
proposal.

4.2

Schedule
The indicative schedule for the TA-BPM call for proposals is as follows:

March 2014

Call, brochure, application forms, referee lists and

guidelines available

12 May 2015, 11.59 CEST

Final deadline for submitting proposals

16 June 2015

PPP-Council advices Board of NWO Chemical Sciences on

17 June 10 September 2015

Obtaining opinions from referees

24 September

deadline written rebuttal (only when there is a high

eligibility of proposals

number of applications)
1 October 2015

Interview with PPP-Council (in case of a high number of

1 October 2015

PPP-Council ranks the proposals & nominates proposals for

applications this step may be skipped )

funding to the Governing Board of Board of NWO Chemical
Sciences

4.3

20 October 2015

Funding decisions by Board of NWO Chemical Sciences

November 2015

Applicants are notified about funding decisions

Criteria
The following assessment criteria hold for this call:
1.

Match within the New Chemical Innovations Fund and the presence of a substantial
chemical component

2.

Match within the topic of the call

3.

Scientific quality
a. Novelty in chemical research
b. scientific approach;
b. scientific relevance;
c. clarity of focus and objectives;
d. feasibility.

4.

Quality of the consortium

a. track record of the university partners;
b. track record of the private partners;
c. complementarity and added value in the partnership;
d. availability of infrastructure within the consortium.

13

5.

Innovative potential and knowledge utilisation

a. Prospect for innovation and/or application of results: what is the (expected)
need/demand for the envisaged application and the products/processes? On what
term can application be expected? Is the anticipated feasibility realistic? What is
the success rate that the proposed innovation is realised? Is indicated what is
needed to achieve the innovation, either during the project or afterwards? What
are the possible bottlenecks in achieving the innovation? Which potential end users
has one in mind and how will these be involved?
b. contribution concerning content and involvement of private partners in the project
and the (actual) commitment (cash and in kind).

6.

Programmatic criteria
a. balance between goals and the available means (budget, staff);
b. effectiveness of the organisational structure and the project/programme
management;
c. clear pledge of collaboration and in cash contribution from the participating
industry.

14

5 Contact
5.1

Substantive questions
If you have substantive questions regarding this call for proposals, please contact one of the
following individuals:
Dr Marijn Hollestelle (NWO)
Telephone +31 (0)70-344-0968
Email: m.hollestelle@nwo.nl

Dr Peter Nossin (DPI)

Telephone +31 (0)40-2474162
Cell phone +31 612807994
Email: p.nossin@polymers.nl

5.2

Technical questions regarding the Iris electronic application

system
If you have technical questions concerning the use of Iris, you can contact the Iris help
desk. Please read the manual before asking the help desk for advice.
The Iris help desk is open for service Monday through Friday from 11 am to 5 pm.
Telephone number: 0900-696-4747. Unfortunately, not all foreign providers support calls to
0900 numbers. You can also send us your question by email to iris@nwo.nl

15

6 Annexes
The original Dutch-language text of Annex 6.1 and 6.2 as stated in the Gids voor
aanvragen uit het Fonds Nieuwe Chemische Innovaties (version November 2014) is the
authoritative version. Where the English-language text is open to a different
interpretation, no additional rights may be derived from it.

6.1

IPR and arrangement for knowledge transfer; Project Agreement

The NWO IP policy forms the starting point in all matters concerning intellectual property in
NCI. This leaves room for the parties involved in the project to make customised agreements,
for example depending on the composition of the consortia and the amount of the (financial)
contribution. The starting point is that the project parties (knowledge institutions, private
parties) jointly claim the results of the research project. To that effect, agreements are made in
advance as to who may claim which IP rights under which conditions. Prior to the start of the
research project, parties involved in the project will enter into a Project Agreement with NWO,
in which parties agree on matters such as IP and the transfer of knowledge (see further below).
Entering into a Project Agreement is one of the conditions for receiving a grant for the project
concerned. Approval from NWO is necessary before the project can start. The model Project
Agreement should be used. This can be found on www.nwo.nl/fondsnci.
Project Agreement
The Project Agreement contains agreements about:
-

(Private) funding of the project;

Ownership of knowledge and IP rights: background knowledge (contribution, access and

use); foreground knowledge (rights to claim, access and use);

Spending of income generated;

Reporting requirements and the exchange of results;

Publication;

Confidentiality / secrecy;

Settlement of disputes;

Indemnity/liability.

(Private) funding for the project

NWO pledges to provide the grant to the project concerned by means of an allocation to the
university main applicant conducting the research project. In the Project Agreement, the
participating party / parties commit to the pledged co-financing to NWO and the possible in kind
contributions.
Ownership of knowledge and IP rights
Background knowledge: Input of, access to and use of this knowledge
-

Prior to the start of the project, parties involved in the project shall check and/or agree with
each other on which relevant background knowledge they will provide to help realise the
project. During the project, supplemental background knowledge can be contributed.

Any background knowledge thus contributed will remain the property of the project party
who provided it. The knowledge may be used by the receiving project party / parties in
connection with the research project. The project party that provides the knowledge will
make the necessary background knowledge available, upon a written request to that effect,
at no cost to the requesting project party by means of a non-transferable and non-exclusive
licence for the duration of the project.

If one project party wishes to gain access to background knowledge from another project
party in order to commercially exploit the results, the latter project party shall, insofar as
this is legally possible, be granted a licence by the project party that provides the
background knowledge concerned, on market terms.

16

Foreground knowledge
Ownership of results and IP rights
-

Parties involved in the project in principle jointly claim foreground knowledge (project
results, hereafter: results). This implies that the inventing party does not automatically have
the right to patent these results. Joint claims also do not imply that parties on their own
may claim arbitrary results and patent those. Agreements on IP rights should be negotiated
prior to the start of the project.

NWO does not have the intention to build a patent portfolio; NWO will not claim results.
When making agreements on IP rights, the European Framework with regard to publicprivate partnerships should be taken into consideration 7. For the published NWO IP Model 1,
option 1, this means that on the distribution of rights, agreements are made in advance as
much as possible, i.e. it should be stated which project party may claim which IP rights. A
prerequisite for such a distribution is that the rights are allocated in a manner that
constitutes an appropriate reflection of the efforts, contributions and respective interests of
the parties in the project. Then, there is no unlawful state aid. If such agreements cannot
be made, at least it should be stated which party / parties may claim rights under which
conditions. In that case, the private parties in New Chemical Innovations Fund projects
have the first right to claim IP on results (right of first refusal). An important condition that
the European Framework prescribes here is that the private party involved pays a normal
market compensation for the actual patenting. The compensation must be achieved through
negotiation and the claiming private party may deduct its contribution to the project costs
from the compensation. An additional advantage of this IP Model 1 is that there is no legal
transfer of ownership, so no VAT has to be paid. If the private partners in advance or in the
course of a project waive the claim of (specific) rights, the research institution involved is
free to patent.

When agreeing on a distribution of IP rights between parties, the percentage categories used
by NWO should also be taken into account. These categories have been created to ensure
that companies receive more/more favourable use and access rights according to the
amount of their contribution. See the NWO IP policy.

Foreground knowledge must be freely accessible to all parties involved in the project for use
within the project. To that end, parties involved in the project should grant each other
royalty-free licences.

Parties involved in the project shall inform NWO about (supplementary agreements
regarding) the commercialisation of the project results, including mention of any
compensation paid.

Spending of income generated by the knowledge institution

The knowledge institution concerned that receives compensation for knowledge transfer shall
spend that compensation on further research to be conducted by the research group concerned.
If the knowledge institution wishes, part of that compensation can be spent in accordance with
that institution's policy.
Reporting / exchange of results
The parties involved in the project make agreements with each other about the reporting and
exchange of results. These are separate from the reports that NWO, the TKI and the Ministry of
Economic Affairs wish to receive in their capacity as research funders.
Publication
-

In principle, the results are to be published in scientific literature.

Publications can be delayed a maximum of six months to ensure the patentability of the
results.

See: http://www.rvo.nl/subsidies-regelingen/subsidiespelregels/samenwerking-en-

kennisoverdracht/eu-regels-kennisoverdracht

17

Confidentiality of information and secrecy

-

Foreground knowledge is strictly confidential and will only be made public after all parties
involved in the project have given explicit permission to do so.

Parties involved in the project promise each other to keep secret any information (including
background knowledge) that was provided on the basis of confidentiality and to use it only
within the framework of the project.

Settlement of disputes
Parties involved in the project shall agree to a scheme for settling disputes. In the event of
disputes, the parties shall make an effort to seek an amicable solution. NWO shall be notified of
any dispute that arises and will make a binding decision in cases that are directly connected
with the research and the grant.
Indemnity
NWO and the knowledge institution(s) shall be indemnified against claims by any private party
that is involved and/or third parties due to damage stemming from the use of research results
and/or IP by the latter.

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6.2

Scheme for in-kind contributions by private parties

Regeling In-Kind bijdragen door private partijen in Projecten gefinancierd uit het
Fonds NCI (in Dutch, with English translation)
Deze Regeling was reeds gepubliceerd in de Gids voor aanvragen uit het Fonds NCI

Definities
1.

Private partijen
Als private partijen worden in deze Regeling in kind bijdragen aangemerkt enerzijds
ondernemingen (definitie hieronder) en anderzijds instellingen die onder de voorwaarden
geldend voor private partijen mogen deelnemen aan NCI-projecten (zie paragraaf 3.1)

2.

Onderneming
Activiteit van een organisatorisch verband of een persoon gericht op duurzame deelname aan
het economisch verkeer met behulp van arbeid en kapitaal en met oogmerk winst te behalen.

3.

MKB
De MKB-definitie van de Europese Commissie wordt gehanteerd. Onder een MKB wordt
verstaan een onderneming die:
minder dan 250 medewerkers heeft, en
een omzet heeft die de EUR 50 miljoen niet overstijgt en/of
een balanstotaal heeft dat de EUR 43 miljoen niet overstijgt;
verder dient rekening gehouden te worden met participaties (25%) in en van andere
ondernemingen die effect hebben op de autonomie van de onderneming.
Documentatie DG Enterprise : http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/facts-figuresanalysis/sme-definition/index_en.htm.

Bepalingen
1.

Mogelijkheid tot deelname in projecten gefinancierd uit het Fonds NCI door private partijen
met in kind bijdragen:
In programmas gefinancierd uit het Fonds NCI kunnen private partijen, voor zover aangegeven
bij het desbetreffende werkvorm, participeren met een in kind bijdrage. Zie hiervoor paragraaf
3.5.
In kind bijdragen/inspanningen moeten:

essentieel zijn voor het project;

opgenomen zijn in de door NWO goedgekeurde begroting van de onderzoekskosten van de

projectaanvraag waarin de private partij participeert (zie voor in te brengen in kind bijdragen
bepaling 3) en vallen binnen n van de onder 3 a t/m c vermelde kostencategorien.
2. Committering
Indien een private partij zal participeren in het onderzoeksproject met een gedeeltelijke in kind
bijdrage zoals hierboven omschreven, zal de private partij zich voor de betreffende in kind bijdrage
plus de financile (cash) bijdrage aan NWO committeren middels een Project Agreement. De
toegezegde financile (cash) bijdrage zal door NWO worden gefactureerd.
3. In te brengen in kind bijdragen
In een onderzoeksproject mogen door private partijen als in kind bijdragen worden ingebracht de
volgende rechtstreeks aan het onderzoeksproject toe te rekenen en door de private partij gemaakte
kosten (zie ook bepaling 1):
a.

In het kader van het project gewerkte uren:

loonkosten, met dien verstande dat wordt uitgegaan van een uurloon, berekend op basis van
het jaarloon bij een volledige dienstbetrekking volgens de kolom loon voor de loonbelasting
van de loonstaat, verhoogd met de wettelijke dan wel de op grond van een individuele of
collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst verschuldigde opslagen voor sociale lasten, en van 1650
productieve uren per jaar. Hierover mag een opslag worden opgevoerd voor overige algemene
kosten, groot ten hoogste 50 % van de hierboven bedoelde loonkosten. Het hieruit volgende
aan het project toe te schrijven uurtarief, inclusief de genoemde 50% opslag voor algemene
kosten, is gemaximeerd op 100. Inbreng van kosten voor begeleiding of voor

19

b.
c.

projectmanagement is mogelijk bij actieve deelname van de beoogde begeleider of

projectmanager aan het onderzoeksproject (zie onder 1).
Kosten van te verbruiken materialen en hulpmiddelen, gebaseerd op de oorspronkelijke
aanschafprijzen.
Gebruik van apparatuur, machines en software:
Kosten van aanschaf en gebruik van machines en apparatuur, met dien verstande dat wordt
uitgegaan van de aan het project toe te rekenen afschrijvingskosten, berekend op basis van de
oorspronkelijke aanschafprijzen en een afschrijvingstermijn van tenminste vijf jaar; kosten van
consumables en onderhoud tijdens de gebruiksperiode.
Kosten van aanschaf en gebruik van machines en apparatuur die niet uitsluitend voor het
project zijn aangeschaft, worden slechts als projectbijdragen op de voet van het hier
bovenstaande naar rato in aanmerking genomen, indien een door middel van een sluitende
tijdschrijving vastgestelde urenverantwoording per machine respectievelijk van de apparatuur
aanwezig is.
In-kind bijdragen in de vorm van korting op de normale aanschafprijs in het economisch
verkeer (list-prijs) van machines en apparatuur. De korting dient dan minimaal 25% van de
listprijs te bedragen. De kosten die ten laste gebracht worden van het apparatuurbudget van
het project bedragen dan de listprijs verminderd met die korting.

4. Verantwoording van in kind bijdragen

Private partijen dienen hun in kind bijdragen aan NWO te verantwoorden middels een opgave van
ingebrachte kosten, te verstrekken aan NWO binnen drie maanden na afloop van het
onderzoeksproject waaraan de in kind bijdrage is geleverd. De aanvraag tot vaststelling van de in
kind bijdrage dient tegelijkertijd met de aanvraag tot subsidievaststelling door de universitaire
partner(s) te worden ingediend, vergezeld van een gezamenlijke eindrapportage. Indien de te
verantwoorden in kind bijdrage hoger is dan k 125 dient een accountantsverklaring te worden
aangeleverd; in andere gevallen volstaat een schriftelijke verklaring van de procuratiehouder dat de
ingebrachte in kind inspanningen daadwerkelijk aan het project zijn toe te schrijven.
Indien de private partij die zich met een in kind bijdrage aan een onderzoeksproject heeft
gecommitteerd (een deel van) deze in kind bijdrage uiteindelijk niet inbrengt dan wel niet kan
verantwoorden, zal NWO deze private partij factureren voor (dit deel van) de in kind bijdrage zodat
de totaal toegezegde bijdrage gestand wordt gedaan.

20

Arrangement for in-kind contributions by private parties in NWO Projects funded

from the NCI Fund (English translation)
The preceding original Dutch text in this Appendix 6 as well as in the Manual for application in
the NCI Fund is the authoritative version. Where the English translation is open to a different
interpretation, no additional rights may be derived from it.

Definitions
1. Private parties
Private parties are deemed to be either enterprises (see the definition below) or knowledge
institutes that are allowed to take part in NCI projects on the conditions that hold for private parties
(see Section 3).
2. Enterprise
Activity of an organisational unit or a person aimed at sustainable participation in economic
transactions by means of labour and capital and with the objective of generating profit.
3. SME
The SME definition given by the European Commission is the definition used. SME is understood to
refer to any enterprise which:
has a staff headcount of less than 250, and
has turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million and/or
has a balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million;
furthermore, account should be taken of holdings (25%) in and of other enterprises affecting
the autonomy of the enterprise.
Documentation: DG Enterprise, http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/facts-figures-analysis/smedefinition/index_en.htm.

Provisions
1.

Possibility of participation in NWO research projects funded from the NCI Fund by private
parties with in-kind contributions
Private parties can participate in NWO projects funded from the NCI Fund with an in-kind
contribution provided this is indicated in the specific programme or project type concerned. See
Section 3.5.
In-kind contributions / efforts must:

be essential to the project;

be included in the NWO-approved budget for the research costs of the project application in
which the private party participates (see provision 3 for permitted in-kind contributions) and be
within one of the cost categories referred to under 3 a through c.
2. Commitment
If a private party participates in the research project with a partial in-kind contribution as described
above, the private party will commit itself to NWO for the in-kind contribution concerned plus the
financial (cash) contribution by means of a Project Agreement. NWO will invoice the financial (cash)
contribution.
3. Permitted in-kind contributions
The following costs, directly attributable to the research project and incurred by the private party,
may be contributed by private parties as in-kind contributions (see also provision 1):
a. Hours worked within the scope of the project:

wage costs, it being understood that these are based on an hourly wage, calculated on the
basis of the annual wage at full employment according to the column loon voor de
loonbelasting of the wage statement, plus the surcharges for social contributions payable
by law or under individual contract or collective bargaining agreement, and based on 1650
productive hours per year. This amount may be increased with a surcharge for other general
costs, subject to a maximum of 50% of the wage costs referred to above. The ensuing
hourly rate to be attributed to the project, including said 50% surcharge for general costs, is
capped at 100. Contribution of costs for supervision or for project management is possible
in the event of active participation of the intended supervisor or project manager in the
research project (cf. under 1).
b. Costs of material and resources to be used, based on the original purchase prices.
c. Use of equipment, machines and software

Costs associated with the purchase and use of machines and equipment, it being
understood that these are based on the depreciation costs to be attributed to the project,
calculated on the basis of the original purchase prices and a depreciation period of at least
five years; costs of consumables and maintenance during the period of use.

21

Costs of purchase and use of machines and equipment that were not purchased solely for
the project will only be considered project contributions pro rata based on the foregoing if
there is a time log for each machine or for the equipment that conclusively establishes the
operating hours.
In-kind contributions in the form of a discount on the regular purchase price in economic
transactions (list price) of machines and equipment. The discount must be at least 25% of
the list price. The costs charged to the projects equipment budget will then amount to the
list price less said discount.

4. Accounting of in-kind contributions

Private parties must render account of their in-kind contributions to NWO by means of a statement
of the contributed costs, to be provided to NWO within three months after the end of the research
project to which the in-kind contribution was made. The application for approval of the in-kind
contribution must be submitted simultaneously with the application for approval of the subsidy
amount by the university partner(s), accompanied by a collective final report. If the in-kind
contribution for which account must be rendered exceeds 125,000, an auditors report must be
submitted; in other cases, a written statement by the holder of a power of attorney stating that the
contributed in-kind efforts can actually be attributed to the project will suffice.
If the private party that committed itself to a research project with an in-kind contribution ultimately
fails to make such in-kind contribution in full or in part, or cannot render account of the same, NWO
will invoice this private party for such part or the full in-kind contribution, such that the entire
contribution as pledged is fulfilled.

22

6.3

Scope of BPM and focus topics in the call 2015

Background
Within the Biobased Performance Materials programme, research is carried out based on organic
materials, originating from renewable (biobased) raw materials, such as bioplastics and ingredients
needed for its production mostly bulk chemicals that serve as a monomer in polymer synthesis),
hereafter biomaterials. These materials are used in plastics, coatings, printing ink and glues,
composites, textile, carpet, paper or other semi-manufactured products and in products from
numerous sectors, such as packaging, transport, building industry, biomedical and high-tech
systems.

Partnerships between many different parties in the chain are necessary. Each link in the chain plays
a part for the development of new biomaterials, from the production of biobased raw materials
agricultural industry) via biobased bulk chemicals (chemical industry), biopolymers and bio-additives
(large and small chemical companies, polymer processors), design of the materials (small and large
SME companies), right on up to the distributive traders and retailers. An integrated retro approach
is used within the BPM programme, in which the desired properties of the materials in the end
products are used to reason back to the biobased raw materials.

With this approach, the BPM programme intends to create momentum, eventually leading to a
strong increase in the usage of biobased materials. Where technically and economically possible,
new materials will also be developed by using natures functional properties. Examples can be
properties such as reduced toxicity, recyclability, antimicrobial and self-repairing or self-cleaning
properties. The sustainability contribution also consists of reduced depletion of the ozone layer,
lower product eco-toxicity and a contribution to the reduction of climate impact by creating CO 2
neutral materials.

Scope
The BPM programme distinguishes four development directions and four types of market questions
the research field addresses; as described schematically below.

Development direction

Biobased materials

from residual and

Market demands

secondary flows and

identical monomers

Smart materials
High-quality and effective
materials
Healthy, sustainable and
safe materials
Closing the chain

Natural polymers

similar

alternative sources

from primary

23

Market
Examples
deman
d
Smart materials Innovation in materials; developing new and additional functionalities
in polymers can contribute to smart applications.
Examples:

Extending life span by self-repairing and self-cleaning plastics.

New molecules and devices at the interface of nanotechnology and life

sciences, for example biosensors and selectively permeable membranes.

Materials with shape memory and materials of which properties change

under the influence of temperature, light, pressure or a magnetic field.

Bioactive materials, substrates for cell and tissue growth and medical
applications, foils with smart properties, molecules as building blocks in
synthetic biology and as molecular switches and memory banks.

Extending the shelf life of food by managing barrier properties.

High-quality
and effective
materials

Development of high performance materials with optimised polymer

properties that focus on extreme application conditions and enable an
efficient and effective application of materials.
Examples:

Composites

Polymer properties for ICT, machines and equipment, such as insulation,

temperature stability, conductivity, wear-resistance, rigidity as properties
of stronger fibres, polymers with application in high vacuum levels.

Polymer properties for textiles, such as regulating, absorbing, repelling,

signal/detection functions, release of materials, insulating, deformationresistant, environment-adjusting, self-dissolving/compostable, protective,
flexible in function and appearance, life span extending, durable.

Stronger and lighter materials by using strong fibres.

Healthy,
New or improved additives for polymers with positive environmental
sustainable and effects, contributing to a safe, healthy and sustainable living environment.
safe materials
Examples:

Biobased alternatives for alleged toxic additives such as phthalates (pvc),

bromine (halogen-containing fire retardants), lead and Ca/Zn heat
stabilisers.

Less toxic building blocks to replace materials such as BPA (in PC), styrene,
epoxy and formaldehyde (in resins) and counteract the emanations of
volatile toxic gases, such as styrene.

Improved dyes.
Closing the
chain

Taking the scarcity of raw materials into account, waste is a luxury the world
can no longer afford. Waste becomes raw materials in both the techno cycle
and
the bio cycle. By efficiently using and reusing polymers, we close the chain.
Examples:

Extending the shelf life of food using biodegradable or compostable

packaging materials.

Recycling of biobased plastics: back to material, polymer and monomer.

Alternative recycling routes (composting, fermentation, enzymatic

decomposition, etc.).

Decomposition principles of polymers (oxo-, photo-, bio-degradation)

Extending the life span of polymers by improving wear-resistance and

improved antioxidants and polymer structures

Reintroduction of smart materials to the chain (self-repairing and selfcleaning materials.

CO2 neutral materials.

Focus subjects in the call 2015

In the development directions towards biobased materials, two main directions can be distinguished:
on the one hand, the development of materials from biobased building blocks and on the other
hand, the development of materials based on natural polymers. The following focus topics have been
specified for the call 2015.

24

Biobased building blocks

It is common in the petrochemical industry to create monomers or building blocks such as ethane,
propylene and styrene from fossil raw materials using refining, from which polymers are
synthesised, such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. An important research direction
is to produce these building blocks from biomass. These are also referred to as drop-ins, because
the building blocks have a molecular structure identical to the building blocks for the current plastics
based on fossil raw materials. A distinctly different research direction is to make biobased materials
based on new building blocks, with their own unique structure and associated unique properties.
Both directions will become increasingly important in the coming years, with their relative
importance depending on the success of technological developments and the extent to which society
(business, consumers and NGOs) adopt either familiar or new biobased materials. Knowing that a
significant amount of the bulk chemicals and products currently used (phthalate plasticisers,
bromine-containing flame retardants, bis-phenol A, formaldehyde, styrene in some applications)
have proven to have alleged toxic properties, definitely not all materials will be greened based on
drop-in chemicals, but there will be an extensive market for new biomaterials with new, improved
properties. With regard to the first development direction, it primarily has application in the
agricultural and chemical industry. For the polymer producing and processing industry, these are in
any case important research questions; how the quality of the bio bulk chemicals (for example,
purity, type of impurity) compares to the accepted polymerisation and processing technologies. For
the second development direction (i.e. the biobased polymer materials with their own unique
structure), on the one hand, the biomaterials available should be improved greatly and on the other
hand, entirely new biopolymers should be developed. In this research direction, coordination of the
research will take place with Dutch research programmes into new building blocks, such as Catchbio
(chemical catalytic routes) and BE Basic (biotechnological routes).

Natural polymers
This topic focuses on the direct application of available natural polymers, such as cellulose, starch,
chitin, lignin, natural oils and proteins. It concerns both natural polymers currently perceived as
residual or secondary flows and industrially produced natural polymers. The aim is, amongst others,
to develop new products by functionalising these polymers and developing processes that can be
used to extract these polymers from, for example, waste, without loss of functionality. User products
will be created, based on renewable raw materials and at the same time possess additional
functionalities to, for example, create new smart materials. This involves, among other things,
technologies for making carbohydrate-protein compounds by means of chemical-enzymatical
synthesis. These new ingredients provide improved functional properties to biobased materials.
Methods are also being developed to make polymers more hydrophobic via new, clean chemical
modifications to process these polymers into bio-plastics and coatings with new mixing techniques
involving other raw materials. Another research direction is designing polymer carbohydrates that
can be processed into capsules to package instable substances and thus ensure optimal delivery.
This research direction will mainly be focusing on making water-soluble or water-dispersible
polysaccharide derivatives, which can be used in the paper, coating and adhesives sectors and in the
cosmetics industry.

Publication:
The Netherlands Organisation for
Scientific Research
Offices:
Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indi 300
2593 CE Den Haag

March 2015