Applications are now open for UPGRADE 2026, a program by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) that provides €50,000 to support the transformation of scientific results into proofs of concept with market potential. The initiative is part of the UI-TRANSFER 2.0 project, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through COMPETE 2030.
The call will select five projects, each receiving up to €10,000 in support, awarded in the form of goods and services necessary for the development of proofs of concept, pilot projects, or demonstrators. The objective is to foster new technologies and bring research produced at UTAD closer to the business sector, promoting the economic and social valorization of scientific knowledge.
Faculty members, researchers, students, and scholarship holders with an active institutional affiliation with UTAD are eligible to apply, provided that the projects result from R&D activities carried out at the university. Proposals must demonstrate potential to evolve into new products, processes, or services, show impact on technological maturation as measured by the TRL scale, and present a market approach strategy.
The competition will take place in three phases: (i) evaluation and selection of applications; (ii) development of proofs of concept by the five funded projects; and (iii) selection of two projects to represent UTAD in a national competition.
Applications must be submitted by February 28, 2026, by sending the application form to ui.transfer@utad.pt. Selected projects must be completed by December 31, 2026, and must submit a final report providing evidence of increased technological maturity and a strategy for valorization and market transfer.
More information at https://uitransfer.pt/upgrade/
