This trial, conducted by the Austrian research promotion agency (FFG), aims to evaluate the impact of providing feedback generated from funding application evaluation scores to firms that successfully applied for R&D grants.
The process of applying and selecting whom to provide with innovation funding can take up a large amount of time within innovation agencies and for those applying. The process often involves appointed experts undertaking critical assessments of innovation proposals. Evidence from studies with other organisations suggests that receiving feedback on proposals can be helpful to businesses planning innovative projects. This has led FFG to consider providing feedback to SMEs and first-time funded applicants. However, it is unclear what the feedback should focus on regarding content or format. This trial assesses whether businesses are more likely to make improvements to their projects when they are given information about how their proposal compares to others.