In Lab Engineering

[Call for projects] - Published on January 27, 2026 in University-Business Partnerships

What if technology platforms became innovation hubs open to collaboration with businesses?

The In Lab Engineering call for projects, launched by the University Innovation Cluster, aims to support the sustainable development of the local economy by promoting collaboration with startups and SMEs.

Since 2023:

2023: 3 winning projects, €50,000 in funding each
2024: 2 winning projects, €145,000 each
2025: 3 winning projects, same funding

Following approval by the PUI Executive Committee (COMEX), a final session will be held in 2026. These sessions are organized by the CNRS on behalf of the Montpellier PUI.

Objectives

Research platforms as drivers of innovation

Research organizations can become drivers of innovation by offering their know-how and expertise to businesses. The goal is to overcome technological barriers, strengthen business competitiveness, and develop sustainable economic models that generate financial returns for research units and platforms.

A range of services tailored to SMEs

The Montpellier University Innovation Cluster (PUI) offers tailor-made services that facilitate SMEs' access to laboratory expertise and promote the creation of lasting partnerships between research and business.

Creation of innovation units

Within laboratories and research facilities, innovation units can be set up under the authority of directors, with a focus on financial sustainability. Platforms can also strengthen their human resources when demand, particularly from the private sector, warrants it. The call for projects also extends to institutions wishing to recruit clinical research attachés.

Concrete openness towards businesses

Candidate projects must demonstrate a concrete and sustainable opening up of platforms to businesses, measurable by an increase in contracts established with manufacturers over the duration of the project.

Target audience

This program is intended for research units (UAR, UR, UMR) as well as technology platforms and service centers affiliated with the PUI research clusters and the services of the FHU, Montpellier University Hospital, Nîmes University Hospital, orthe Montpellier Cancer Institute, which are open to the socio-economic world and have a pricing structure.

The project must therefore be led by one of the founding members of the PUI.

Allocated resources

Funding envelope and distribution

The total budget forthe In Lab Engineering call for proposals is €950,000 excluding tax, spread over three campaigns: 2024, 2025, and 2026.

For the third campaign (2026):

Financing period: up to a maximum of 18 months, with eligibility ending on March 14, 2028.
Amount: €124,000 excluding tax per project, broken down as follows:
- 1 fixed-term contract: up to €112,000 maximum, including all charges, for 18 months
- Operation: flat fee of €12,000

Terms and conditions

The recruitment of temporary staff must be completed in 2026.
It is also possible to apply for additional funding from the Occitanie Region via the PRIO call for projects.

Process

The structure identifies the PUI partner institution that will manage the funding, employ the platform engineer, and manage the contracts brought in by the engineer. This managing institution is the CNRS, as it is the supervisory authority for the structure, unless another supervisory authority or institution has been delegated management responsibility for the contractual activities of this structure in accordance with existing agreements with one or more PUI partners. The scientific manager of the structure shall send the completed and validated In Lab Engineering form to the Partnership and Development Department of the managing structure for review and approval, no later than one week before the submission date.
A panel of four rapporteurs from COMIN evaluates the applications according to the "Schedule" and the "evaluation procedures" below.
The final decision on the allocation of aid is made by COMIN according to the schedule set out in the "Schedule" section below.
The CNRS allocates funding to the organization whose project has been selected. If the CNRS is not the supervising body, it transfers the funding to the designated supervising body.

Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses are as follows:

non-permanent staff expenses (engineer, clinical research associate, assistant engineer, or platform technician);
laboratory operations;
small equipment.

Assessment methods

The projects submitted are evaluated by four rapporteurs who are members of COMIN:

Two scientists working at a research platform
Two experts from the field of commercialization/innovation

They are responsible for analyzing proposals, assessing their eligibility, and ranking applications. These assessments are then forwarded by the CNRS to COMIN, which makes the final selection of winning projects.

COMIN brings together key players in the innovation ecosystem, including:

representatives of the founding institutions of the PUI;
representatives of the recovery subsidiaries;
the directors of the Research Centers, or their representatives;
invited scientific or technical experts, appointed according to the projects being evaluated.

Evaluation criteria

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

the viability of the project (out of 6 points);
the platform's ability to achieve economic equilibrium at the end of the program period (out of 6 points);
the desire to continue the initiative beyond the funding program (on 6 points);
the ambition of the project (0 to 2 bonus points).

Point of vigilance

State aid regulations require platforms to ensure that economic activities do not exceed 20% of their overall activity in order to be eligible for a public aid rate of more than 50%. This involves monitoring the platforms' "economic ratio" by tracking machine usage time. Platforms must therefore be able to reliably report this information.

Application file

The completed and signed AAP ILE 2026 application form.

Calendar

Call for projects launched: January 30, 2026
Deadline for submitting applications: March 31, 2026
Announcement of results: May 2026

Project implementation and monitoring

At the end of the project, a report will be presented to the COMIN in the form of a written report.

This report, submitted by the management of the supporting structure, must specify in particular:

The use of the funding granted, via a financial report detailing the expenses incurred;
The volume of industrial contracts concluded within the framework of the project;
The platform's contribution to the scientific influence of its parent institutions.

In addition, one year after the end of PUI funding, the structure will be invited to provide additional feedback to COMIN in order to assess the impact of the scheme, particularly in terms of employment and results for the platform.