Eligibility criteria

The project must involve a synthetic biology approach aligned with at least one of the four thematic axes of the Paris Biofoundry :

1. High-throughput DNA part synthesis and plasmid assembly (96-well plates, MoClo technology)

2. Engineering of living systems: genetic modifications, genotyping, and phenotyping (FACS, microscopy, fluorescence, proteomics, metabolomics) of PBF chassis (or closely related species)

3. Cell-free engineering: screening, bioproduction, biosensing (cell extracts or PURE systems)

4. Scale-up testing of biological production (from liter scale to tens of liters)

The research team benefiting from the grant must be located in the Île-de-France region.

Projects must start no earlier than June 2026 and end no later than June 2027.

The submitted project must not receive another grant from the Île-de-France Region (in particular through the Major Research and Innovation Domain “Bioconvergence for Health” – DIM BioConvS) or France 2030.

For any specific questions, applicants are invited to contact the Paris Biofoundry.

Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

The selection process will take place in several stages (see Table 1):

1. Pre-selection by the PBF Scientific Council, based on alignment with the thematic areas and research domains of the Paris Biofoundry. Project leaders are strongly encouraged to contact PBF prior to submission to discuss feasibility and cost, with the aim of improving their proposal.

2. Evaluation of pre-selected projects by two experts

3. Final selection by a jury composed of members of the PBF Scientific Council

Evaluation Criteria

• Scientific quality of the project
• Strategic relevance of the research topics and coherence with the services offered by the four Paris Biofoundry sites

Reminder: These exploratory projects are co-funded at 50% of the total budget (up to €50,000 from PBF plus an equivalent contribution from the project leader).

Table 1 – Call Timeline

List of Mandatory Documents

Each application file must include:

• A completed application form including administrative, financial, scientific, and technical information
(template available on the submission page)

• A scientific project description (maximum 3 pages) clearly explaining how the automated construction approach of PBF will enable achievement of the project’s objectives

Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.

Funding Characteristics

Depending on available resources, scientific feasibility, and with the agreement of the project leader, the Paris Biofoundry reserves the right to fund only part of the proposed project.

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs include personnel and operating expenses (consumables), excluding funding from the Île-de-France Region (in particular through DIM BioConvS) and France 2030.

All expenses are calculated excluding VAT.

Commitments

Publications

The French State must be acknowledged as a co-funder on an equal footing with the Île-de-France Region in any publication related to the call for projects.

Once a project is selected, each beneficiary must acknowledge support from the Sésame Filières program, the French State, the Île-de-France Region, and Bpifrance in any publication of results from the co-funded project, using the following single statement:

“This project was funded by the Region and by the Government as part of the France 2030 Plan,”

and accompanied by the logos of the French State, the Île-de-France Region, France 2030, and Bpifrance.

Communication Obligations

The Paris Biofoundry ensures that submitted documents are treated with the strictest confidentiality and are disclosed only within the framework of expert evaluation and governance of this call for projects.

The logos of the French State, France 2030, the Île-de-France Region, and Bpifrance must appear on all information, communication, and/or event-related materials associated with the funded project, whether printed, digital, or audiovisual.

The French State, the Region, and Bpifrance reserve the right to communicate on the general objectives, challenges, and results of the call for projects, based on information suitable for dissemination, with the agreement of project leaders.

Personal Data Management

The Sésame Filières Paris Biofoundry project commits to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), covering all rules relating to the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data, the free movement of such data, and the right to data protection.

Applicants to this call for projects authorize the Sésame Filières Paris Biofoundry project to process personal data collected during submission for the purpose of evaluating their application. The collected data will be retained for the duration of the project selection process and shared with staff of the host institution of the Paris Biofoundry (Sorbonne University) responsible for managing this call, as well as with the selection jury, composed of researchers from the Paris Biofoundry network (French or international), members of the Executive Committee of the Paris Biofoundry, and representatives of the Sésame Filières funding bodies.

In the event that funding is awarded, data related to successful applicants will be retained until December 31, 2027.

At any time, applicants may contact the Sésame Filières Paris Biofoundry coordination team (sciences-biofonderie-direction@sorbonne-universite.fr) to request deletion of their personal data.