The foundation supports the following purposes

Use the Otto Mønsted Foundation’s online application system – link to the system can be found at the bottom of the page.

Below you can read about the foundation’s conditions for each purpose.

Please read all the information before applying to ensure that you are eligible and fulfil the necessary requirements.

There are different application deadlines for each purpose, which are listed under the specific purpose.

Reasons for rejection are not given and specific questions about the assessment of the application and outcome are not discussed.

It is a requirement that all grant recipients upload a report and accounts at the end of their stay/project.

Any surplus funds from a grant must be returned to the Otto Mønsted Foundation’s account at Nordea bank on reg: 2191 account no: 5497449520. Please state the journal number in the reference.

Applicants must complete and submit the application themselves.

If you or your project does not fall within the purpose of the foundation, or generally need inspiration for which foundations you can apply for, please refer to the search tool at www.legatbogen.dk.

Application deadlines and response time

Purpose of the fund Applicationperiod Expected response*
Study-enhancing stays 10 January – 1 March During the month of May
Congress participation Ongoing throughout the year 2-10 weeks after reception
Research stays Ongoing throughout the year 1-3 months after acceptance
Foreign visiting professorships 15 February – 15 June During the month of October
Special Purpose Ongoing throughout the year 2-6 months after receipt
The Bright Idea 15 April – 15 August During the month of November

* Please note that the processing time is indicative and is calculated from the time all relevant information is received. You will receive an email immediately after the board has processed your application.

Credit-bearing study or internship programme

Eligible to apply:
– Engineering students at DTU, AAU, AU and SDU.
– Business Administration students (Bachelor/Candidate – MSc) at CBS, AAU, AU and SDU.

Requirements:
– Credit-bearing study or internship abroad of at least 3 months (one or two semesters).
– To be eligible for the current application period, the stay must be completed after 1 May 2025.
– Grade point average of at least 8.
– Credit-bearing subjects corresponding to a minimum of 15 ECTS.
– The foundation supports a maximum of DKK 10,000.

Documentation requirements when submitting the application:
– Updated transcript of records.
– Approved prior credit – can be uploaded after 1 March 2025.
– Admission document – can be uploaded after 1 March 2025.
– Attachments such as motivated application, CV, recommendations etc. are not a requirement, but are appreciated.

Application period: 10 January – 1 March

Congress participation abroad

Eligibility:
– Bachelor/Candidate students, PhD students, postdocs, academic staff and permanent teachers (assistant professor, associate professor, professor, etc.) in business administration and engineering programmes at DTU, CBS, AAU, AU, and SDU.
– In special cases, support is provided for emeritus and newly graduated candidates’ congress participation, and for summer school stays for PhD students.

Conditions:
– Applicants must have a Danish CPR number and a Danish bank account.
– A maximum of two congresses within a five-year period will be subsidised.
– Congresses that do not have a clear mercantile or technical purpose will be rejected.
– The applicant must be actively participating at the congress, for example through oral/poster presentations.
– A maximum of two participants per oral contribution/poster will be subsidised.
– The congress participation must lead to a publication.
– It is a prerequisite for funding that the institution contributes financially to the congress participation.
– The foundation supports a maximum amount corresponding to the institution’s contribution, and a maximum of DKK 7,500.
– There is no support for conference participation in Denmark and virtual participation.

Documentation requirements when submitting an application:
– Scientific article/abstract
– Invitation to the congress.
– Signed statement of support from the department confirming the support and its scope.
– Documentation for publication – can be uploaded after the congress has been held (for example in the form of the specific publication, proceedings, or confirmation of publication from the congress).

The application and required documents must be received by the Foundation no later than 31 days before departure.

In cases where all documents (or uncertainties with VISA or the host conference) are not in place 31 days before departure, please submit the application before the deadline anyway and then forward the missing documents. Please note this in the application.

Application period: Ongoing

Research stays abroad

Eligibility:
– PhD students, post-doc. and academic staff and permanent teachers (assistant professor, associate professor, professor, etc.) on business administration and engineering programmes at DTU, CBS, AAU, AU, and SDU.

Requirements:
– The applicant must have a Danish CPR number and a Danish bank account.
– The research stay abroad must be a minimum of 3 months
– A maximum of 1 research stay within a 5-year period is subsidised.
– The employment relationship must remain unchanged during the stay abroad, i.e. salary conditions etc. must be the same before, during and after the stay abroad.
– It is a prerequisite for funding that the institution contributes financially to the research stay, in addition to salary.
– The fund supports a maximum amount corresponding to the institution’s contribution and a maximum of DKK 5,000 per month.
– The fund does not support costs for test subjects etc. in connection with research stays.
– The fund only supports expenses related to the stay, i.e. additional expenses (no support is provided for ordinary living expenses, such as food).
– Funding is not available for accompanying family members, nor for travelling to and from the country during the stay.
– Research stays in Denmark are not subsidised.

Documentation requirements when submitting the application:
– Recommendation from the institution/supervisor.
– Invitation from the host institution.
– Signed statement of support from the department confirming that support (in addition to salary) and the extent of the support is provided.

The application and required documents must be received by the Foundation no later than 2 months before departure.

In cases where all documents (or uncertainties with VISA or the host institution) are not in place 2 months before departure, please submit the application before the deadline anyway and then forward the missing documents. Please note this in the application.

Application period: Ongoing

Foreign visiting professorships

Foreign visiting professorships at DTU, CBS, AAU, AU and SDU.

Applications can only be submitted by technical (engineering) and commercial departments.

It is the institution that recommends the departments’ applications for foreign visiting professorships to the foundation.

Announcement in Danish 2025
Announcement in English 2025

Announcements for visiting professorships are sent to the institutions in January.

Application period: 15 February – 15 June

Special purposes

Special Purposes that can promote Danish trade and industry or otherwise be in honour of Denmark.
Special Purpose must be interpreted broadly. The projects must be non-profit and the activity must contribute to strengthening Danish trade and industry.

Among other things, support is granted to:

  • International congresses with a focus on trade and technical areas. Funding is only available for congresses organised in connection with DTU, AAU, SDU, AU and CBS.
    Funding for international conferences/workshops is only granted in very special cases if no participation fee is paid. The support will typically be in the form of a deficit guarantee.
  • Projects where Denmark’s honour is considered, provided that it strengthens Denmark’s trade and industry.
  • Projects that combine trade and technology, for example collaboration across CBS and DTU.
  • Projects that cross educational institutions.
  • Teaching programmes/activities that promote teachers’ competencies.
  • Foreign teachers for Danish institutions.
  • Concrete events/activities that promote entrepreneurship.
  • Initiatives that build bridges between students/startups and the Danish business community.
  • Permanent cultural initiatives with a focus on technology and trade.
  • In special cases, projects that promote Denmark’s socially beneficial purposes.

Support is NOT granted to:

  • Entire educational programmes
  • MBA/EMBA programmes
  • Equipment purchases for research and teaching purposes
  • Research projects or basic research
  • General benefits and pension
  • Artist support
  • Group travel for students
  • Political party projects
  • Book publishing, film projects, journals, magazines etc.
  • Projects where the majority of activities have already taken place
  • Projects that are primarily developed by private/commercial companies, including consultancies
  • Activities that only serve a profit-making purpose for the applicant
  • Product development
  • Projects where large parts of the budget are made up of high operating and labour costs
  • The fund does not support state and municipal projects or core tasks

Documentation requirements when submitting an application:
– Project description.
– Budget for the project/activity.
– Documentation of bank details.
– Attachments such as financial statements, recommendations etc. are not a requirement, but are appreciated.

The application and required documents must be received no later than 4 months before the start of the conference/project.

As a general rule, the same project/activity/conference will not be funded more than 3 times within a 5-year period (often with decreasing support).

If a deficit guarantee is issued, the guarantee is valid for a maximum of 6 months after the end of the conference/event.

In general, we prefer to support non-profit initiatives and projects initiated and developed by associations and organisations, as well as the 8 Danish universities. The Otto Mønsted Foundation supports initiatives throughout Denmark.

The foundation is risk-averse and strives to ensure that the funds awarded go to non-profit, innovative and future-oriented projects.

In our annual reports HERE, you can find overviews of the Special Purposes that have received support.

Application period: Ongoing

The Bright Idea 2025

The Otto Mønsted Foundation will award the Bright Idea Award again in 2025. With this award, the Otto Mønsted Foundation wishes to reward, recognise and celebrate ideas that can create value for Danish society and business and serve to honour Denmark. Two ideas with great business potential are awarded a total of DKK 500,000.

Businessman Otto Mønsted made a difference and wanted to give others the opportunity to do the same. Supporting young talent and providing better conditions for them to fulfil their potential was something Otto Mønsted valued highly.

The Otto Mønsted Foundation’s Bright Idea Award recognises talent with the right innovative idea, product, process or solution. The award will not only honour the work, but also encourage and inspire the winners in the further development of their idea.

In continuation of this, the Otto Mønsted Foundation wishes to award two prizes in the following areas:

– dKK 250,000 for the best Early-stage idea
– dKK 250,000 for the best Late-stage idea

Candidates:

  • Nominations are generally accepted from undergraduate/graduate students, PhDs, and postdocs affiliated with one of the eight universities in Denmark. Applications can be submitted individually or on behalf of a group.
  • A bright idea with commercial potential that has managed to combine high academic insight with strong business acumen.
  • Applicants who have previously been rejected are eligible for nomination of the Bright Idea again in 2025.

Nomination procedure

  • The nomination must be completed and submitted via the Otto Mønsted Foundation’s application system
  • The nomination must include a video pitch and a short answer to 5 points.

The jury will assess the nomination based on the following parameters:

  • Excellence in thought, communication, analysis and documentation
  • The degree of business vision and understanding
  • The likelihood that the Bright Idea can be implemented
  • The value and importance of the idea to the Danish business community
  • The extent to which the idea can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Next application period: 15 April – 15 August 2025

The jury will select two winners of the Bright Idea, which will be awarded and announced in October at the Digital Tech Summit 2025.

All information, including descriptions and uploaded documents, will be treated confidentially by the Otto Mønsted Foundation and the jury. However, there will be obligations if your idea is nominated for The Bright Idea (a consent form with further information must be accepted before the nomination can be submitted).

If a project fulfils the conditions to be treated as scientific work, the funds are tax-free. If the recipient uses the amount for anything other than scientific work, it will be their responsibility to declare the part of the award that is used for something else.

Please note that, as a general rule, no reason will be given for any rejection.

Questions about the award can be directed to: omf@omfonden.dk or to CEO Nina Movin at: ncm@ottomoensted.dk.

Read the announcement about The Bright Idea 2024 here.

Read the brochure about The Bright Idea here

Read more about the winners of the Bright Idea 2023.

Watch the video presenting some of the previous Bright Idea winners.

OTTO MØNSTED INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMME

Every year, the Otto Mønsted Foundation sends 20 people to participate in an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme.

The Foundation does NOT grant funds for

  • Entire training programmes
  • Research projects or basic research
  • General benefits and pensions
  • Group travel for students
  • Book publications, film projects, journals, magazines, etc.
  • Projects primarily developed by private/commercial companies, including consultancies
  • Product development
  • The foundation does not support state and municipal projects or core tasks
  • MBA/EMBA education
  • Equipment purchases for research and teaching purposes
  • Artist support
  • Political projects
  • Projects where the majority of activities have already taken place
  • Activities that only serve a profit-making purpose for the applicant
  • Projects where large parts of the budget are made up of high operating and labour costs
Online application system