Start-up Voucher & Coaching Program

Do you have an innovative idea and want to kick-start your own company? Do you need funding to build a prototype and coaching in the process of developing your own business? This is all possible through the Aerospace Start-up Voucher!

Aerospace Start-up Voucher
With the Start-up Voucher & Coaching Program, the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (AE) aims at scouting, creating, and supporting start-ups. By lowering the financial barrier, AE students can develop their innovative idea and turn it into a business. The Aerospace Start-up Voucher tries to bridge the gap between graduation and pre-incubation. Throughout the year a maximum of five teams is selected to start the Start-up Voucher & Coaching Program. The application moments vary each year; the deadline of the next round is yet to be established. More information to follow soon.

Funding
The basis of the Aerospace Start-up Voucher is a maximum financial support of € 2.500 in the production of a prototype, or for the making of a ‘proof of principle’ for new technologies. This idea needs to be research-based and the voucher must be used to develop a concrete result.

Coaching
Starting a company requires more than ‘just a brilliant idea’. To guide you to the next step on the exciting but also challenging road of launching your idea, the AE Faculty offers coaching and networking support. If you receive the Aerospace Startup Voucher, you will be linked to a professional who will help you throughout the first six months. He will improve your entrepreneurial skills, ask the critical questions that are so important and guide you through the process of developing the first steps to your successful start-up. Additionally, you will join the community of the Aerospace Innovation Hub @TUD which is full of ambitious and likeminded people that are willing to help you out.

Target Group
The Aerospace Start-up Voucher is available for both BSc- and MSc students, as well as PhDs at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. Those students should have an innovative and scalable idea related to Aerospace Engineering and an ambition to start their own company. Graduated BSc- and MSc students and PhDs can apply within 6 months after graduation or promotion. When applying, you should also be able to make clear what the synergy for TU Delft and your start-up would be.

Application Process
The process of the Aerospace Start-up Voucher consists of several steps:

Application: Apply by filling out the application form found on the Delft Campus website. The deadline for the next round is November 2024. Note that you can only receive one Aerospace Start-up Voucher per project. It is allowed to also apply for the other vouchers available on the Delft Campus website;
Pre-selection: After the application deadline, all application forms will be evaluated. A pre-selection will be made based on the adherence to program objective and target group criteria;
Pitches: The applications that passed the pre-selection will be invited to pitch their ideas to the selection committee, consisting of academia and professionals. Your application will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
- Ambition to launch a start-up, entrepreneurial skills, the team and attitude;
- Novelty, technical feasibility, and commercial potential of the idea;
- Project approach and planning.
The selection committee will decide upon the winners of the Aerospace Start-up Voucher.
Start Program: When your application has been approved by the selection committee, a contract will be sent to you and the program will soon be kicked off!