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Develop your innovative projects with Companies & Campus!

] - Published on in University-Business Partnerships, Major Programs

Want to bring an innovation project to fruition with a research laboratory or company?

Montpellier's PUI has considerable potential to help reduce the region's economic contrast. Supported by the University of Montpellier and a consortium of players from the research and innovation ecosystem, it stimulates the creation of start-ups, promotes innovation in SMEs and enhances the region's attractiveness to outside companies.

Launched in 2018, the "Companies and Campus" call for projects has established itself as a key initiative of the PUI. Supported by the ISITE Excellence Program (PEI), it promotes collaborative research and stimulates technology transfer.

Sixteen sessions have already supported 63 winning projects and awarded more than €2,500,000 in funding.

Objectives

Promoting mobility

Mobility can be formalized both by welcoming private partners into the Campus's research units and by welcoming researchers from our research units into partner companies. Acting as a bridge between the public and private sectors, the "Companies and Campus" call for projects aims to facilitate the establishment of new collaborations between research units and private partners. This incentive for mobility provides greater visibility for innovation skills.

Initiate a long-term collaboration

In order to continue the technological developments initiated as part of the Companies and Campus program, each project must seek appropriate funding mechanisms such as LABCOM ANR, ANR Industrial Chair, or POC Région Occitanie. Ultimately, the goal is to establish a long-term collaborative approach between the research team concerned and the private partner.

Strengthening a transfer and valorization approach

For funded projects, the results of the collaborative research program will be subject to a declaration of invention by the research team to their partnership and commercialization department. In the event that these results are exploited, the terms of transfer will be discussed between the institution and the company.

Target audience

This program is aimed at research units of IEP partners and departments of the FHU, CHU of Montpellier, Nîmes or the Montpellier Cancer Institute.

The project must be led by one of the 14 founding members of the PUI, in collaboration with a private partner (existing company or business start-up project leader).

List of founding members of the PUI University of Montpellier, BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières); CHU and FHU of Montpellier (Montpellier University Hospital); CHU and FHU of NIMES (Nîmes University Hospital); CIRAD (International Center for Agricultural Research for Development); CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research); ENSCM (Montpellier National School of Chemistry); ICM (Montpellier Cancer Institute); IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea); INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment); INRIA (National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology); INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research); Institut Agro de Montpellier; IRD (Research Institute for Development).

Allocated resources

The 2026 budget for this "Companies and Campus" program is at least €450,000.

Thegrant will be awarded to the research unit and will be between €10,000 ex VAT and €50,000 ex VAT for a maximum of 2 years.

Conditions of eligibility

Two main conditions must be met:

1) The existence of a new research collaboration: the research unit must provide evidence of a new research collaboration agreement involving the sharing of intellectual property between the research unit's supervisory bodies and the private partner; the provision of services is excluded. Research contracts already signed no later than two months before the project submission date are eligible provided that the research unit and the private partner agree on the terms and conditions relating to "Companies and Campus" in an addendum to this contract. At the time of submission of the "Companies and Campus" application, the research collaboration agreement or its amendment must have been validated by the partnership department of the supervisory authority of the PEI member unit that will enter into a contract with the company or project leader.

2) The commitment to host a member of staff from the private partner or a business project leader on campus , and/orthe commitment to host a member of staff from the research unit on the private partner's premises for a minimum continuous or split period of six months. In the case of CIFRE theses, the doctoral student will be considered as an employee of the private partner hosted on campus.

Process

  1. The project leader and their private partner agree on a collaborative scientific research program . This program must include a clearly identified "Companies and Campus" funding option to be offered in addition to the basic program.
  2. The sponsor identifies a PUI partner institution that will manage the research collaboration agreement. At least one week before the submission date, the sponsor sends the completed and validated "Companies and Campus" form to the partnership department of that institution for review, approval, and signature.
  3. A panel of scientific advisors and PUI promotion advisors analyze the applications according to the "Schedule" and "evaluation procedures" below.
  4. The final decision on the award of funding for the collaborative research project is made by the COMIN (PUI Investment and Innovation Committee) during an oral hearing and in accordance with the schedule set out in the "Schedule" section below.
  5. The private partner and the PUI institution of the selected project sign the research collaboration agreement and send a signed copy to the Directorate of Innovation and Partnerships (DIPA) at the University of Montpellier at rf.re1765833359illep1765833359tnomu1765833359@supm1765833359ac-dn1765833359a-sei1765833359napmo1765833359c1765833359 ;
  6. The partnership department of the PUI's partner institution must ensure consistency (scientific, financial, etc.) between the "Companies and Campus" application file and the related research collaboration agreement.
  7. The University of Montpellier allocates funding to the research unit or the lead institution (only for healthcare institutions or if the University of Montpellier is not the supervisory authority for the research unit) of the research collaboration contract for which the project has been selected.

Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses are as follows:

  • Expenses for non-permanent staff recruited by the University of Montpellier or, where applicable, by a supervisory body of the research unit, when the University of Montpellier is not the supervisory body (e.g., research engineer recruited on a one-year fixed-term contract to collect data in the field);
  • Gratuity for trainees;
  • Purchase of equipment, including parts for prototypes and equipment required for reception (office, computer equipment, etc.) by one of the unit's trustees;
  • Provision of services directly linked to the scientific project or the partner's reception, including the fitting-out of premises required to receive the company's personnel;
  • Operating costs and purchases of consumables for the unit's scientific project ;
  • Business trip expenses.

Permanent staff expenses are not eligible. The financial assistance granted is intended exclusively to support the development and implementation of the project within the research unit. Under no circumstances may it be used as indirect funding for the private partner associated with the project.

The project leader has six months from receipt of the notification of selection to provide all the information required for the funds to be made available. Failing this, COMIN may decide to cancel the funding.

Assessment methods

The Companies and Campus program manager, along with the valuation advisors and scientific advisors, are responsible for evaluating the applications. The program manager will submit the applications to COMIN for a decision.

COMIN is a body made up of : 

  • Representatives of the PUI's founding establishments ;
  • Representatives of value-added subsidiaries ;
  • Research Center Directors or their representatives ;
  • Invited scientific or technical experts.

Evaluation criteria

Applications are evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Personal contribution to the project (out of 5 pts) ;
  • Scientific interest of the project and compatibility with one or more themes of the PEI - Feed, Protect, and Care - (out of 5 points);
  • Financial balance of the project (out of 5 points);
  • Project's potential for added value (out of 5 points);
  • Bonus criteria: type of partner company, length of relationship, and location of private partner (0 to 2 points).

To participate

1. 2026 Calendar

Call for projects launched: December 2026

Three application deadlines for greater fluidity:

  • Session 1: February 2, 2026 (6 p.m. Paris time)
  • Session 2: May 29, 2026 (6 p.m. Paris time)
  • Session 3: October 5, 2026 (6 p.m. Paris time)

Results announcement :

  • Session 1: March 2026
  • Session 2: June 2026
  • Session 3: December 2026

2. RESOURCE documents:

3. Submit the Application Form

In PDF format, in French or English, at the following address rf.re1765833359illep1765833359tnomu1765833359@supm1765833359ac-dn1765833359a-sei1765833359napmo1765833359c1765833359

PAYMENT OF FUNDING

Grants will be paid in accordance with the above schedule once the research collaboration contract signed by both parties has been sent to the University of Montpellier's Innovation and Partnerships Department (DIPA).

The collaboration contract or its amendment must mention the commitment to host the research unit and/or private partner, as well as the financial support from the Companies and Campus call for projects.

For research units under the supervision of the University of Montpellier, grants will be paid via the University of Montpellier budget line dedicated to the unit. For research units not supervised by the Université de Montpellier, except in exceptional circumstances, doctoral students will be hired by the Université de Montpellier and made available to the research unit via a hosting agreement. A repayment agreement will be drawn up to transfer the balance of the financial aid granted.

FAQ

  • Should the call for projects be responded to before or after the collaboration agreement is signed?
    The collaboration agreement does not need to be signed when submitting the application for the call for projects. Therefore, it is possible to respond before or after signing, as long as it is a new research project. To add to this, an amendment to an existing collaboration is possible if it provides for a new research program with the associated budget.
    However, if the project is approved, the collaboration agreement or signed amendment will be requested by the University of Montpellier's Department of Innovation and Partnerships (DIPA) in order to allocate the grant.
  • Who applies and who puts together the application? The unit or the company?
    The scientific manager will put together the project application with the support of the partnership and development department of the research unit's supervisory body. (Example: for a collaboration with the LIRMM laboratory, the researcher from the unit, with the support of a Partnership & Development Service (SPV) officer from the CNRS or UM, will put together the application file).
  • Who receives the funding? The company or the research unit?
    It is the research unit's supervisory authority that receives the funding for the collaborative project. Even though it is ultimately the company that benefits (the aid reduces the costs incurred by the company for the additional part of the project financed by Companies and Campus), for regulatory reasons, this funding cannot be paid directly to the company.
  • Regarding the hosting of company staff on campus, does the company remain the "employer"? How long can staff be hosted and how many staff members can be on campus?
    Yes, the company remains the employer of the employee hosted on campus. The minimum duration is six months throughout the entire collaboration period. The company may choose to involve several of its employees in the campus project (for example, some companies have made three employees available for 12 months each).
  • Would the funding obtained be sufficient to pay the salaries of company staff during their time on campus?
    No, as the company remains the employer and administrator of the employee's employment contract, the funding does not cover the employee's remuneration.
  • You mention among the eligible expenses those related to the recruitment of temporary staff by the University of Montpellier. What does this involve? How does it benefit the company?
    As part of a collaborative research project, a unit and its partner (the company) may identify the need to recruit temporary staff (research engineers, design engineers). For example, Beauval Zoo, which has committed to hosting one of its employees on campus for a period of three years, has used Companies And Campus funding to recruit a research engineer for one year. In addition to being able to take advantage of the opportunity to have a skilled person work on the collaborative project, some companies recruit the staff at the end of the fixed-term contract to join them.
  • You mention service financing among the eligible expenses. What does this involve? What type of services?
    As part of a collaborative research project, a unit and its partner (the company) may identify the need to call on service providers to successfully complete certain stages of the project. These services may be provided by companies or by internal service providers, in particular technical platforms and healthcare establishments.
    For example, Nîmes University Hospital offers to evaluate a research product or conduct a medico-economic evaluation. The steps to be taken are detailed on the Nîmes University Hospital website.
    Another example is Montpellier University Hospital, which offers access to health data from its data warehouse (EDS). The steps to be taken are detailed on the Montpellier University Hospital website.
    You can also access the biological resources of Montpellier University Hospital and Nîmes University Hospital via the BBLRO platform by sending an email.
  • What level of intellectual property sharing?
    Given that this is a research collaboration, costs and results are shared. As part of this call for projects, we are not required to assess the level of sharing. This work is carried out in advance by the Partnership and Commercialization Services in conjunction with the partner company when the collaboration agreement is drawn up. Companies And Campus funding does not affect the IP sharing previously negotiated as part of the collaboration agreement.
  • The company and/or unit has already received Companies And Campus funding. Is it possible to apply again?
    Yes, this is entirely possible, as long as the project is based on a new research collaboration.
  • The project leader would ideally like to involve a second laboratory. Is it possible for the three parties (company and two research units) to collaborate, or would it be better to set up two separate collaborative projects? In this case, given that the company will be involved in two applications, will its chances of success be reduced or limited?
    In the application form, it is possible to list several units involved in the same collaborative project. To illustrate this, we can cite the winning NEOCEAN project, which collaborated with four different PEI units (IES, LMGC, LIRMM, ISEM) on the same project.
  • Is this program complementary to the CIFRE thesis? How can the two be combined?
    Yes, it is possible to apply to the Companies And Campus call for proposals in addition to the CIFRE thesis. When preparing the scientific appendix, it is important to mention the "optional" part of the research program, the funding for which will depend on the allocation of the Companies And Campus budget. To facilitate the process, the application for the call for projects will be submitted just before sending the signed collaboration contract to the ANRT for the CIFRE thesis.

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