The 2026 call for Take-off phase 1 Feasibility Studies WO is now open with a total budget of 4.5 million euros. Through Take-off, NWO supports innovative entrepreneurship from science, with financial resources from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Researchers can apply for funding to start a company and bring an innovative idea to the market. In addition to the opening of the 2026 round, 34 feasibility studies were allocated in the 2025 autumn round.

View the Call for proposals 2026 here

Changes Take-off phase 1 Feasibility Studies 2026

For this round, there are changes in the application and assessment process compared to 2025. 

  • Unlike previous Take-off phase 1 rounds, this Call for proposals applies throughout 2026. No separate Calls for proposals will be published for a spring or autumn round. Applications can be submitted continuously.
  • Applications are assessed in packages of 40 applications and about 15 applications are allocated per package, provided they meet the required quality.  A maximum of five packages will be processed.
  • Since autumn 2025, there is also no longer a cluster classification; applications are assessed by a broad committee. The interview has been replaced by a written response to the committees written comments. 

34 allocations Take-off phase 1 Feasibility Studies autumn round 2025

In the 2025 autumn round of Take-off, 34 feasibility studies were allocated. Feasibility studies allow researchers to investigate to what extent their innovative ideas are commercially applicable. If this turns out to be the case, the feasibility report provides a basis to possibly start a company.

View all allocated projects here

Take-off

The science-wide funding instrument Take-off stimulates entrepreneurship and business activity from Dutch knowledge institutions. Take-off is one of the knowledge utilization instruments that NWO carries out together with ZonMw. The program consists of two phases aimed at different stages of innovation: the feasibility studies and the loan for early phase trajectories.