National IP Deal Term Principles
Building a transparent and efficient ecosystem for academic spin-offs
The National IP Deal Term Principles strengthen the Dutch ecosystem for knowledge-driven entrepreneurship. They provide a clear, transparent, and balanced framework for agreements between knowledge institutions and spin-oƯs regarding the use of intellectual property (IP).
In 2023, the Universities of the Netherlands and several University Medical Centres (UMCs) introduced the first version of the IP Deal Term Principles, designed to streamline, clarify, and balance collaborations between researchers and emerging entrepreneurs, and to support the subsequent growth and development of spin-offs.
Based on practical experience and feedback from the field, this framework was further developed in 2025 into the National IP Deal Term Principles: a national standard that builds on international best practices. It was created with input from universities, investors, and entrepreneurs, and supported by Techleap.nl.
The Principles make the process more efficient and agreements clearer regarding access to intellectual property rights (IP) when researchers, staff, or students establish a company based on knowledge originating from a research or academic institution. In doing so, they accelerate the spin-offs process, improve the scalability of spin-offs, and contribute to both societal impact and a sound financial foundation for continued innovation.
The Knowledge Transfer Offices (KTO's) of the participating institutions collaborate with Techleap.nl,
entrepreneurs, and investors to regularly review and further refine the Principles.