Starting a business? : Evaluation

The White Rose University technology transfer staff can help construct a preliminary business proposal which as an extension of the Initial Opportunity Disclosure. In this way, you begin to map out the general framework of how the company will be structured, what its funding needs are, what size of activity is envisaged.

The evaluation process will also involve the development of a plan describing how the idea will be developed though key stages and define important milestones and goals in the company formation and direction.

A commercial assessment system is typically used to score the proposition. In detail they vary between the three universities but they all have several categories for consideration, including the originality of the concept, commercial aptitude of the team and market requirement. Please contact your local White Rose Business Manager for more information.

Not all ideas lead to spin out companies and in the evaluation process it may be come apparent that a different exploitation route is better (licensing or research collaboration for example) or that further in house research is needed. It may be that the University will decide it does not wish to pursue the idea and if so, arrangements will be made to assign intellectual property to the member of staff so that he/she may, at their own risk, attempt to take the idea forward.