Program Description

The Korea-Israel Fund (KORIL RDF) invites proposals for its Lighthouse Program, focused on advancing cutting-edge research and development in the field of semiconductors. The objective of the Lighthouse Program is to combine Industry and Academia in joint R&D to achieve a significant breakthrough in the field of Semiconductors.

Funding:

• Project Duration – Projects may span up to three (3) years in total.
• Funding Limit –Financial support of up to USD 3,000,000 per project, or 30% to 50% of the total eligible project cost, whichever amount is lower.
• Self-Funding Option and Royalty Obligations:
  • Royalty Payments – All participants receiving funding from KORIL-RDF are subject to royalty payment obligations upon commercialization.
    • Korean companies must adhere to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) royalty policy.
    • Israeli companies must comply with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) royalty policy.
  • Commercialization Reporting – Royalty payments are triggered upon the submission of Commercialization Reports, in accordance with the applicable national policy.

Criteria

Precondition for both R&D and Pilot programs: 

To be eligible for funding under both the R&D and Pilot tracks, proposals must meet the following preconditions: 

• The consortiums must involve at least one company and one research institution (university or institute) from each country (2 or 3) x (2 or 3), no more than 6 entities in total. 
• Academic or research institutions participating as subcontractors may be allocated up to 30% of the total budget (per side). 
• The proposed project must target the development of a commercial product or technology. 
• Companies must be able to fund the supplementary part to their project budget after a grant. 

Evaluation Criteria for both R&D and Pilot projects: 

All submitted proposals for both R&D and Pilot programs will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

• Level of Innovation/Novelty  
• Technical/ Financial Capabilities   
• Commercialization/Marketing capabilities  
• Synergy between entities (Complementarity)  
• Potential for Commercialization Success, including a Letter of Intent (LOI) from a prospective buyer or end user.

Application Process

Proposals must be jointly prepared and submitted by both companies to the KORIL-RDF offices. Each partner is required to submit the proposal simultaneously via their respective designated platforms:

1. For Israeli partners – Submission must be completed through the Israel Innovation Authority’s online system no later than the final submission deadline stated above.
2. For Korean partners – Submission must be completed through the KORIL-RDF Korea office online system no later than the final submission deadline stated above.
3. All required documents are available for download on the KORIL-RDF website under: KORIL Guideline & Forms
4. If you already have a project idea and are seeking a partner, or if you are interested in joining a project based on your expertise but do not yet have a defined proposal, please visit the KORIL-RDF Webpage for additional information and collaboration opportunities.

*If a company wishes to participate in a KORIL program without receiving a grant from KORIL, while its partner company will receive up to 50% funding, please contact the KORIL offices for additional information.