BRIDGE

BRIDGE Proof of Concept

Funds young Swiss researchers moving research into practical demonstrations to strengthen real-world implementation.

BRIDGE Proof of Concept (PoC) is a joint programme of Innosuisse and the Swiss National Science Foundation that funds individual young researchers who want to transform the results of their academic research into a practical application, marketable product, or service. Three submission windows are available in 2026: 1 June, 7 September, and 1 December. The September 2026 window is the target deadline for this entry. The programme is operationally led by Innosuisse under the broader BRIDGE co-governance structure.

Projects run for 12 months, extendable once by up to six months (maximum total 18 months). The grant covers salary and direct implementation costs up to CHF 130,000 per year. Overhead and indirect costs are not eligible. Only individual submissions are accepted — group or consortium proposals are not permitted. The applicant's home institution must provide a letter assuring project support. Eligibility is restricted to young researchers meeting one of three criteria: holder of a bachelor's or master's degree within the last four years; doctoral student with thesis completion expected within six months; or doctorate completed less than four years before the submission deadline.

The PoC's emphasis on individual young researchers and 12-month implementation timelines distinguishes it from BRIDGE Discovery, which targets experienced researchers with multi-year consortium projects. PoC applicants typically enter with a defined research output — a material, a dataset, an algorithm, a prototype — and use the grant to test technical or market feasibility. The three annual deadlines allow applicants to align submission timing with the stage of their research readiness. Decisions are issued by Innosuisse following review; full submission conditions and the application form are available at the Innosuisse website.