ACTPHAST is a unique one-stop-shop solution for supporting photonics innovation

ACTPHAST (ACceleraTing PHotonics innovAtion for SME’s: a one STop-shop-incubator) is a unique one-stop-shop rapid prototyping incubator for supporting photonics innovation by European companies, which is financially supported by the European Commission under Horizon2020 (Grant Agreement No. 779472).

ACTPHAST4.0 is

• particularly suited to the needs of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who do not have the financial resources to invest in in-house R&D expertise and state-of-the-art technologies, nor to undertake risky innovation projects.
   
• heavily subsidized for projects undertaken with SMEs (100% subsidy for the first 30K€ of costs for an innovation project and 75% subsidy for all project costs over 30K€ including follow-on projects with the same company. For large-scale companies, the subsidy is 50% on all project costs).
   
• designed to provide open access to photonics innovation support for all European companies who meet the eligibility criteria, and we have strict governance structures and systems in place around the key persons responsible for running the program to ensure that ACTPHAST4.0 remains true to its mission and mandate and that all decisions are open, transparent and properly accounted for.ACTPHAST provides photonics and non-photonics companies and researchers with one-stop-shop access to a wide range of existing cutting-edge photonics technology platforms from Europe’s top research centres.The ACTPHAST network offers a single streamlined way to access 200 of the best experts and technologies from 24 of Europe’s leading photonics research institutes, covering the entire supply chain to accelerate the demonstration of exciting new scientific breakthroughs towards a working prototype, and beyond into mass manufacturing.

  
  

  Who can apply?

  
  

  ACTPHAST is supporting both European companies and European researchers. 

  More specific,  ACTPHAST4.0  is an open-access program for any European company to apply for support with their innovation project using photonics.  ACTPHAST4.0 operates with an open call for innovation project support requests from companies.
   More info on who can receive support as a company 

  ACTPHAST4R is an open-access program for European researchers who would like to advance their promising breakthrough both on technology readiness level and on investment readiness level.
  More info on who can receive support as a researcher