Israel Innovation Authority expects funding boost will help upgrade skills in advanced technologies

In the framework of a new call for proposals that is currently being launched as part of the High-Tech Human Capital Fund:
The Israel Innovation Authority will provide NIS15 million to various entities to develop innovative and groundbreaking programs for increasing human capital in Israeli hi-tech.

The Innovation Authority will provide grants of up to 70% for programs, innovative and groundbreaking platforms and models that will help to add Israeli skilled and quality human capital to high-tech by bringing skilled manpower from abroad to Israel . Also, as part of the Authority’s vision to promote the bio-convergence sector in Israel, which aims to connect life sciences and biology with the worlds of engineering and software, financial grants will be provided to promote the training of  relevant manpower to work in this field. 

Dror Bin, Israel Innovation Authority CEO: “The State of Israel is one of the leading technological centers in the world. To preserve its status in the frequently changing world of technology and considering the growth of international competition from other innovation centers, the Israeli government is investing great amounts in innovative programs to increase quality human capital for the local high-tech industry. Because of this, with the current call for proposals the Innovation Authority is placing an emphasis on programs designed to bring skilled workers from abroad – olim, returning citizens, those eligible under the Law of Return, and foreign experts. We are sure that this diversification of manpower in the local ecosystem will help maintain local high-tech's position as a global leader. At the same time, the Innovation Authority is working to promote ground-breaking training, career retaining and placement programs for the high-tech professions and is also developing technological platforms that will help increase the volume of relevant human capital and provide upskilling for the existing high-tech professionals. A prominent example of a complex technological field that would benefit from training and enriching the human capital is the that of bio-convergence, which is basically the connection between developments in the field of biology with software and engineering, for a range of different uses. The field of bio-convergence can become another growth engine for the Israeli high-tech industry. To do this we need to train quality human capital that combines different disciplines such as biology and engineering.” 

Two types of grants will be awarded as part of the human capital fund program:

• For a requested budget of up to NIS1 million – (programs at the start-up/Seed stage) – the Authority will provide up to 70% of the approved budget. 
• For a requested budget of between NIS1 and 15 million (programs at the scale-up stage) – the Authority will provide up to 50% of the approved budget and under exceptional circumstances even up to 70%. 

The goal of the call for proposals is: to identify and place skilled human capital from abroad in the local high-tech: olim, those eligible under the Law of Return, returning citizens, and foreign experts, expanding the knowledge of new and existing staff in order to improve their professionalism, while studying advanced technological fields such as: Semiconductors & VLSI, Quantum, AI, climate-tech, food-tech; expanding the knowledge of new and existing staff from the life sciences and developing suitable training programs for bio-convergence, which combines disciplines such as computational biology/ physics / nano-technology / materials science / advanced genetic engineering / electronics / software / algorithmics / AI and other relevant areas of engineering; expanding the knowledge of new and existing staff from the area of engineering and software, and/or those with security backgrounds and developing appropriate training programs for the world of bio-convergence, combining disciplines such as computational biology / physics / nano-technology / materials science / advanced genetic engineering / bio-devices / personalized medicine / medical and clinical knowledge and more. For example, the possibility of presenting programs that will provide knowledge and practical training for qualified high-tech employees in the world of health, specifically contents that combine various disciplines. For example, a program that will allow practical experience in the industry and the creation and support of new companies, development of life-long learning training in all professions relevant to high-tech, customizing platforms and digital solutions that will help to increase and retain human capital in the high-tech industry. 

Criteria for evaluating requests include:

• The level of innovation and uniqueness of the program.
• Company's capability including relevant experience, management capabilities, the ability to build relevant partnerships, and the evaluated ability to complete and realize the program in a pre-defined timeframe.
• Level of response the program provides to preferred areas. 
• The relative growth of new or existing staff with high salaries:
• The estimated number of those joining, being upgraded, or retention level of employees.
• Scale-up potential and ability to implement the program in Israel, including presenting a sustainable business model for the next phases of the program.
• The effectiveness and ability to implement the program (costs vs. benefits).
• Diverse communities:
  • Carrying out the program activities (in full or in part) in the periphery.
  • Preference will be given to programs where women constitute at least 50% of the participants

This article was first published on 21 July by ISERD.