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Funding your prototypes

Call for Applications

The Innovation Network.ch is funding innovative product-oriented student projects in a joint activity with the Product Development Group Zurich (pd|z) and the ETH Student Project House.

What you can get?

  • Up to 5’000 CHF funding for prototype development from the Innovation Network.ch
    First, projects get 3’000 CHF. With the submission of an intermediate report, projects can apply for another 2’000 CHF
  • Coaching and access to makerspace & co-working space at the Student Project House

Who can apply for funding?

  • ETH students who are passionate to push their own project and realize their own ideas
  • BSc and MSc students from all disciplines at ETH (preferably as a team of two people min.)
  • Early stage and product-based ideas with a hardware component (no pure software, apps or services)
  • Short or medium term market perspective (no long-term research projects)
  • Funding for a proof of concept or feasibility study

How does the process work?

  • You may apply at any time
  • Please prepare project description based on the attached application guideline and be ready for a 4 min pitch.
  • To apply, use the application form below.
  • The Innovation Network.ch and the Student Project House will review your application and decide if the project is funded
  • You will receive feedback within 2 months
  • You can already start working at the Student Project house, even before the funding decision has been made.

What if my project is funded?

  • The Student Project House will be your new home
    • You can use the makerspace and get help from maker experts
    • You get regular coaching sessions supporting you in project management and product development
    • You can use the co-working space to work on your project
  • The funding is administrated by the Student Project House. The core purpose of the funding is to enable you to build prototypes. Process:
    1. You pay the costs by yourself
    2. You hand in the bills
    3. The Student Project House reimburses your prototyping costs
  • You will present your prototypes and your new insights in front of members from the Innovation Network.ch and the Student Project House at a fixed date

Deliverables by the project

  • The funding through the Innovation Network must be visible (on SPH website and project website)
  • You have to submit a final report of the project to the Innovation Network
  • The project has to present at an evening event of the Innovation Network

Application Guideline

Please hand in a pragmatic project description of max. three pages (pdf). Additionally, you have the option to hand in a short video of your project (max. 2 min).

Please use the following structure to describe your project:

  • Short abstract: 3-5 sentences
    • What problem do you want to solve?
    • Why is this a relevant problem?
    • How do you plan to solve the problem?
  • Introduce your team
  • Problem Statement:
    • Who is the potential user of your idea?
    • What is his/her need(s)?
    • Why is it relevant/important to solve this need?
  • Idea
    • How do you want to solve the problem? What is your idea?
    • What makes your idea exiting/special?
    • Are there other solutions addressing the same need resp. (direct/indirect) competitors. What differentiates your idea from their solution?
  • How much money do you need and how would you spend it?
  • Rough timeline including:
    • An overview: when are you planning to achieve what?
    • A short statement: how you would arrange your work in the project (also considering your lectures, exams, holidays, exchange semester and so on)
Apply now
Application Form

Funding Your Prototype
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If you have any question
> just contact Moritz!