Proposals and Partnerships: Corporate RFPs in Cross-Sector Collaborations
Nov. 19, 2024—For companies looking to stay at the leading edge of technology R&D, external partnerships can bring fresh ideas and new ways to solve challenges. Corporate requests for proposals (RFPs) offer a mechanism for companies to cast a broad net and engage new research collaborators while avoiding unaligned proposals, while universities can better evaluate existing opportunities for corporate engagement. RFPs can serve as efficient matchmakers because both parties know the other’s interests before they even meet. While there’s no guarantee it will be a match made in heaven, it certainly improves the odds.
Strategic intent
Like a call for proposals issued by a government agency or other funder, corporate RFPs seek project ideas from talented investigators. They outline the necessary components of a proposal, like the project scope, anticipated outcomes and deliverables, and technical requirements, and provide clear financial terms regarding budget and indirect cost allowance. Unlike some research grants that seek exploratory or basic research, corporate RFPs tend to focus on immediate market challenges, making them valuable tools when technology is quickly developing and changing the industry landscape. RFPs allow companies to identify the best partner for a specific goal, offering a direct channel to deliver real-world impact.
Engaging with companies through RFPs begins with finding the right opportunities. University connectors who know the research interests of their faculty can discover RFPs through direct outreach and by connecting with existing industry contacts or networks. Some companies promote their RFPs on social media or distribute them on external networks or partnering platforms. Companies will sometimes publish RFPs in their newsletters, so subscribing is an easy and efficient strategy to get notifications delivered to your inbox. Beyond funding, corporate RFPs can open the door to long-term strategic partnerships. Academic researchers offer value to companies by bringing specific expertise and a fresh perspective and can be a path to identify new talent for future collaboration.
Real-world RFPs
Releasing a corporate RFP can help a company address specific challenges or explore emerging technology areas with open questions. For example, UIDP member Sanofi’s iDEA-TECH Awards provide seed funding of up to $150,000 to projects focusing on cutting-edge digital and data tools. The projects are chosen, in part, for their potential to launch continued collaborations. The 2024-2025 iDEA-TECH Award request for pre-proposals is open until Dec. 12, 2024. To learn more about the RFP, see the preproposal instructions or the recording of the UIDP webinar, Sanofi R&D’s Scientific Relations & Initiatives: Overview and insights into the new external award call for proposals.
Since 2018, UIDP member Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has offered research grants to spur investigation in critical technology areas. The grants range in size and scope, but some are as much as €500,000 per year for up to three years. The topics in the 2024 call for proposals included discovery strategies for molecular glue degraders and other protein-protein-interaction stabilizers, augmented reality digital twins, and artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery. Each of the research awards specifies that funded projects have the potential to become a continuing collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. See more about the 2024 topics and previous calls here.
Why it matters
Corporate RFPs allow companies to publicize select areas of research interest, inviting potential researchers to bring their expertise and collaborate. Companies benefit by tapping into talented new research partners to help address key challenges, while academic researchers have the opportunity to advance use-inspired projects with a partner clearly invested in their success. Like any research endeavor, RFP matchmaking can’t guarantee perfect solutions, but it does increase the odds of positive outcomes and the chance to build a long-term partnership.
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