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PIPE Innovating Small Businesses puts together information on small companies Fapesp – the State of São Paulo Research Foundation, in Brazil – supports through the Technological Innovation in Small Business Program (Programa Inovação Tecnológica em Pequenas Empresas, PIPE). From 1997 to August of 2006, when the program was created, 531 companies have received funding from PIPE – at a pace of one a week. Read below the program’s norms and regulations. And keep in mind that only companies that engage in research in the State of São Paulo are eligible.

1. Goal and objectives: The program is aimed at supporting the development of innovating research on important problems in science and technology, to be carried out in small businesses, that have high potential for commercial or social returns.

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2. Modalities: grants and fellowships: two types of fellowship and one of grants are available.


3. Requests:

• May be submitted three times a year (from February 1 to March 31, from June 1 to July 31, and from October 1 to November 30);

• Must be endorsed by the small business;

• The requests that promote technological development of sectors of the economy will be given priority.

4. Analysis’ time: average of 120 days for initial analysis.

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5. Program’s phases: there are 3 (three) phases:

    5.1. Phase 1 – for studies on the feasibility of the proposed ideas.

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    5.2. Phase 2 – for the development of the research’s main part; resources will be granted to the most successful projects in Phase 1.

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    5.3. Phase 3 – for the development of new products based on Phases 1 and 2.

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6. Duration:

Phase 1: 6 (six) months.
Phase 2: up to 24 (twenty-four) months.


7. Applicant’s requisites:

• Having a bond with the small business or be associated with it;

• Dedicating at least 20 hours a week to research;

• Dedicating himself/herself primarily to the project’s execution.

Click here to know all the requisites (in Portuguese)

8. The small business’ requisites:

• Having at most 100 (one hundred) employees;

• Being interested in carrying out scientific research with high level of technological content.

• NOTE: in case the company has not been constituted at the time of the project’s application, the applicant will only be entitled to sign the Termo de Outorga (Granting Term), in case of approval, after its constitution.

9. Researcher duties:

• To examine the Termo de Outorga to know his/her rights, duties and obligations;

• To be sure that, upon the signature of the Termo de Outorga, the resources that have been granted are enough;

• To verify if there’s need for a patent.

Click here to know all the requisites (in Portuguese)

10. Required forms:

PHASE I

• Registration for the Auxílio Programa PIPE – Support PIPE Program – (Form 13), filled and signed;

• Researcher record (cadastro);

• Detailed and justified budget (read instructions on the forms);

• Two disbursement chronograms, one for the initial analysis and one to be handed in the signature of the Termo de Outorga;

• Registration for the Bolsa de Pesquisa – Research Grant – (Form 13a), if necessary.

The forms below should be handed in only with the submission of the final Relatório Científico (Scientific Report) of PHASE 1, along with the research project for PHASE 2 and the Plano de Negócios (Business Plan).

• Formulário de Apoio (Support Form) for Phase 2 (Form 13 II);

• Opening page for submission of Phase 1 report and request for support for Phase 2.

11. Budget

The budget submitted to Fapesp must be detailed and justified.

Click here to read more (in Portuguese)

12. Necessary documents:

• Projeto de Pesquisa (Research Project);

• Chronogram for project execution;

• Judgment of the ethics commission (Comissão de Ética) in the cases of research that involve experiments with human beings or animals, or environmental risks (chemical residues);

• Certification of quality in bio-security, if the research involves genetically-modified organisms.

• Bolsa de Pesquisa (Pequenas Empresas) – Research Fellowship (Small Businesses): it may be granted to the project coordinator (main researcher). There are three levels of fellowships: PE-I, PE-II and PE-III. The decision on the appropriate level will be Fapesp’s, based on the researcher’s academic formation, his/her experience in the area in which the project is going to be developed and on his/her level of dedication to the project. Applicants may not hold a job or have any other kind of remuneration, with the exception of owners of recently-incubated companies with no income and retired researchers, observed the minimum dedication time of 20 hours a week to the project’s execution. Fellowships should be requested along with the submission of the support request to PIPE.

• Bolsa para Pessoal de Apoio (Capacitação Técnica/Treinamento Técnico) – Grant for Support Personnel (Technical Capacitation/Technical Training): it is granted to mid-level or superior level recently-graduated technicians, and to students of mid-level or superior level technical courses that dedicate themselves to the activities of training and support of the development of research projects. Five levels of grants are available: TT-I, TT-II, TT-III, TT-IV and TT-V. Grants must be requested after the approval of PIPE’s support.

To access forms and instructions, click here.