Frequently asked questions

This is a section created with the objective of guiding the research team, to facilitate the application to the R&D to Innovate Competition.

Applicants must complete a brief project profile through our online platform. During this first stage, the project’s eligibility will be assessed according to the program guidelines. Projects selected to advance to the next stage will be invited to submit a full project proposal.

No. Fundación Copec-UC does not require ownership of the project or the technology developed as a condition for funding. At later stages, if the project requires follow-on financing for scaling or commercialization, the Foundation may evaluate the possibility of participating in future funding rounds under terms that would be defined at that time.

No. Fundación Copec-UC does not claim ownership or participation in the intellectual property generated by projects funded through the I+D para Innovar program. Ownership of the project results—including technological developments, knowledge, prototypes, or inventions—will remain with the sponsoring institution and other relevant parties, in accordance with their internal policies and applicable legislation.

Yes. The sponsoring institution may be any legal or natural entity (such as companies, universities, research centers, excellence centers, start-ups, etc.) that is legally established and domiciled within Chile.

A project is eligible as long as it has developed at least one proof of concept with empirical evidence or intermediate results that can be verified. In other words, at the time of applying, the project must be at least TRL 3.

TRL (Technology Readiness Level) is a framework originally developed by NASA to assess the maturity of a particular technology. Each project is evaluated against the criteria associated with each TRL level and assigned a rating based on its level of technological development at the time of application. The TRL framework consists of nine levels of scientific and technological development, ranging from TRL 1 to TRL 9. A project is considered to have reached a given TRL level when it has successfully met all the requirements associated with that level and completed the corresponding validation activities. For example, a project reaches TRL 4 when its proof of concept has been successfully validated in a controlled laboratory environment.

Yes. The Project Director or Alternate Director may participate in more than one project within the same call or across different calls.

Although the letter of commitment from the sponsoring institution is not required in the first stage (Project Profile), it must be submitted in the second stage (Full Project Proposal). For this reason, applicants are encouraged to begin securing this support early in the process.

Applications must be submitted based on a project plan that can be executed within two years and within the budget specified in the guidelines (UF 4,000). At the end of this two-year period, projects that have successfully achieved their agreed milestones may be considered for an extension of up to two additional years and additional funding, following a procedure that will be communicated in due course.
For additional questions, please contact: concursos@fcuc.cl

Projects must demonstrate a minimum level of technological maturity at the time of application.
Specifically, they must meet one of the following conditions:
  • TRL 4: A proof of concept that has been experimentally validated at least at the laboratory level.
  • TRL 3 and BRL 2: Initial laboratory validation of the solution’s critical function, together with evidence of problem and market understanding through interviews with potential users or customers.