Oncode Institute’s Clinical Proof of Concept (CPoC) programme aims to support promising innovations from the lab to the clinic by providing funding and expertise.
Background Creating Health Impact
Typical CPoC studies are early, clinical studies designed to determine if an innovation elicits the expected response in patients. The results help decide if further trials, such as dose escalation or efficacy studies, are warranted, and if there is a viable path towards implementation or commercialisation.
What We Fund
The programme aims to fund projects that focus on:
New or repurposed therapies (potentially in combination with biomarkers)
New treatment regimens
Innovations improving patient stratification
Clear route to the clinic and/or market
Process & Timelines
We ask Oncode Investigators, after discussing with their dedicated business developer and the CPoC programme manager, to submit a pre-proposal to determine whether the project meets the goals of the CPoC programme. After review of the pre-proposal and positive decision of the MB, the investigators are invited to submit the full proposal . Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of the necessary steps to take and documents required.
Step 1: Inform your assigned Business Developer (BD)
Step 2: Submission of a pre-proposal
Step 3: Review pre-proposal by CAB, RMC and valorization team
Step 4: OEDES workshop
Step 5: Submission of the Full proposal (on invitation only)
Step 6: Review Full proposal by CAB and valorization team
Step 7: Funding decision by MB
For any questions about the CPoC programme, contact Programme Manager Marlinde Smit from the Oncode Institute team.
Marlinde Smit
Marlinde is a programme manager at Lygature. After completing her biomedical studies at the University of Groningen, she did a Phd at the Pediatric Oncology department in the UMCG. Marlinde is passionate about oncology research and loves to bring people together and organize and manage projects. As a programme manager for Oncode, Marlinde supports Oncode researchers to translate their findings into the clinic. By organizing clinical workshops, she brings researchers and clinicians together to explore how fundamental research can address unmet clinical needs. She also focuses on the clinical proof-of-concept programme used to fund pre-clinical and clinical projects. She coordinates a team of experts to support and advice Oncode Researchers and clinicians who together applied for funding.
Eligibility Criteria for Full Projects
The project must detail an early phase clinical study for an innovation from an Oncode Investigator.
It must involve at least one Oncode Investigator and one practising medical specialist with relevant expertise. Support from external clinical groups is required, and assistance to organise this is available.
The project must address patient needs unmet by current or near-market treatments, aim to improve quality of life, and/or impact healthcare costs.
Clear milestones and timelines with go/no-go criteria must be defined (including METC approval, centre openings, patient recruitment, follow-up, and final reporting).
Patients or patient organisations must be involved in proposal and protocol development.
A well-defined valorisation perspective and downstream development plan must be included. The Oncode Investigator’s Business Developer can support this.
Full proposals require a letter of intent from project partners and a justified budget checked by both the Oncode Investigator’s and clinical PI’s finance departments.
Agreements must comply with European State aid law. If external parties are involved, a letter of intent is required.
Additional documents may be requested at the full proposal stage, depending on funder requirements.
Key Deadlines (2025 Call)
Full proposals: 20 June 2025 (Closed)
Project start: Before the end of 2025