SCORE（University Promotion Type)

SCORE promotes the creation of ventures originated in universities and other institutions with high growth potential based on their excellent technology seeds.

There are 2 types of SCORE.

1) Team Promotion Type: JST directly supports researchers.
2) University Promotion Type: JST supports universities who, mainly Technology Licensing Organizations (TLOs), implement the program.

At SCORE（University Promotion Type）, universities promote the recruitment and selection of R&D projects as well as the operation of entrepreneurship support programs to create ventures originated in universities based on the technology seeds of principal investigators.

The period of support is a maximum of 5 fiscal years. However, even after this period, selected universities shall continue supporting university-originated ventures through a medium-to-long-term plan.

Features of the Program
Selected universities will be able to:
1) Conduct entrepreneurship support programs using the characteristics and strengths of the university.
2) Connect to the next stage at the joint Demo Day with SCORE (Team Promotion Type) every fiscal year. (Scheduled to be held jointly with (Team Promotion Type) from FY2021)
3) Work with multiple universities.
4) Continue to support the creation of university-launched ventures.

Framework

Entrepreneur support programs
  • The university’s main industry-academia collaborative department will aim to apply for START or develop a business from technology seeds such as from researchers in an affiliated university. The university promotes application, selection, and entrepreneurship activities of R&D topics within their university.
  • Establish a mechanism to accumulate experience and know-how at universities.
  • Activities for each R&D project will be for a maximum of 1 year (single fiscal year). Calls and selection of proposals and management of entrepreneurial activity support programs are implemented every fiscal year.
Initiatives to sustain entrepreneurial activity after support period
  • A medium-to-long term plan – including securing necessary GAP funds and maintaining the support system – ensures continued support for university-generated ventures even after the official support period ends.

TYPE

SCORE (University Promotion Type)
Application requirements
  • The principal institution is a national, public or private university in Japan. The cooperating institutions are national and private universities, national and private colleges of technology, Inter-University Research Institute Corporation, independent administrative corporations (including national R&D corporations), and local independent administrative corporations.
  • The principal institution and the cooperating institution must be able to manage a total of five or more R&D projects per year in the entrepreneurship support program based on the technology seeds of principal investigators.
  • The principal institutions and the cooperating institutions should be able to work out a medium-to-long term plan, including securing funds, to achieve sustainable entrepreneurial support after the official support period ends.
Application restrictions
(1)Restrictions on duplicate applications within the SCORE University Promotion Type.

①An institution can apply only as a principal institution or a cooperating institution.

  • An institution cannot submit multiple applications at the same time as a principal institution OR a cooperating institution.
  • An institution cannot apply as a principal institution AND a cooperating institution at the same time.

②If an institution is adopted as a principal institution or a cooperating institution, it will not be able to apply again as a principleinstitution or a cooperating institution.

(2)Other restrictions
4 universities funded by MEXT’s “Public-Private Innovation Program“ are not eligible to apply.
* Please see the call guideline for restrictions on overlap of PIs.
Period of support Maximum of 5 fiscal years
Amount of support
(direct expenses)		 Total upper limit of program promotion expenses and R&D expenses:
60M JPY/year (upper limit details)
‘Program promotion’ 30M JPY/year
‘R&D expense per project’ in principle 5M JPY/year
Contact information Department of Industry-Academia Collaboration
START Group
E-mail：score-u”AT”jst.go.jp
※Please contact via email.
（Please change ”AT” to ”＠”.）

SCORE (University Promotion Type)
Committee Chairman (Program Officer)

KITAOKA Yasuo Vice Director, Professor
Co-creation Bureau, Osaka University
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