NWO Take-off

Take-off Phase 1 — Feasibility Study (WO)

Funds Dutch academic entrepreneurs turning innovative ideas into commercially viable feasibility-focused technology studies.

Take-off Phase 1 funds feasibility studies of the commercial application of innovative ideas and the start of activity based on knowledge innovations from Dutch knowledge institutions. The grant amount is EUR 30,000 to EUR 60,000 per project, with a maximum study duration of 6 months.

The feasibility study deliverable is a report including the possibilities of a start-up — covering customer demand validation, market analysis, IP and freedom-to-operate assessment, initial financial projections, and the strategic decision on whether to proceed to Phase 2 Vroegefasetraject.

In 2026, Phase 1 transitioned from a fixed-round format to continuous submission. The 2026 grant ceiling is EUR 5,400,000 for the year, distributed across ten processing packages of twenty proposals each, with an awarding rate of 45 percent per package. The 2025 fall round granted 34 feasibility studies.

Proposals are assessed by a broad committee on a single set of criteria (no cluster classification since 2025). Minimum qualification requirements: total average score of 4.0 and average score of 5.4 on each assessment criterion. There are no interviews; applicants may submit a written rebuttal to the committee's written comments.

Take-off Phase 1 is implemented by NWO (Domain AES coordinator) together with ZonMw. The programme is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.