Start-up Program 2.0: An Evaluation License Program at NCI
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), through the NCI Technology Transfer Center (TTC), now offers a term-limited, exclusive Start-Up Evaluation Option License to start-up companies developing early-stage vaccine, therapeutic, device, and certain diagnostic technologies. The previous Start-up Program offered by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer will apply if companies submitted a license application for a start-up agreement on or before October 15, 2017.
Start-Up Evaluation Option Agreements are available to companies that meet the following criteria:
- less than 5 years old;
- have less than $5 million in capital raised; and
- have fewer than 50 employees.
Features of the NCI Start-Up Evaluation Option License include:
- 24-month option period;
- $5,000 execution royalty within 60 days of the effective date;
- $5,000 patent royalty due on the one year anniversary of the effective date;
- Eligible technologies are claimed in patent applications or patents that are at least four years old from the earliest priority application filing date;
- NCI and NCI client Institutes pay on-going patent expenses for licensed patent rights during the option period; and
- Option to convert to an Exclusive Patent License, not automatic, but conditioned upon a) meeting the milestones in the Option Agreement and b) a revised Commercial Evaluation Plan that supports commercial advancement of the technology.
Please see the Startup 2.0 page on the NCI TTC website here: