This year, early-stage entrepreneurs, start-up founders and innovative companies can once again apply for support from the Regional Innovation Programme for their ideas and projects. Support is available in the form of start-up, innovation and technology vouchers.
The rules are already available on the Liberec Region website, and applications for support can be submitted from 1 May to 15 May 2026.
“We want to help local companies turn their ideas into viable businesses more quickly — whether they are launching a new venture or developing an existing one. The key condition is innovation and added value, which is precisely what our programme has been focusing on over the long term,” says Edvard Kožušník, statutory Deputy Governor of the Liberec Region responsible for economic and strategic development. According to him, since the programme was launched, the region has already provided companies with more than CZK 33 million to support their start-up and development activities.
Applicants can receive up to CZK 200,000, with more than CZK 4.2 million available in total. Assistance with preparing applications is available both from staff at the Regional Authority of the Liberec Region and from the team at the Lipo.ink business incubator. The chances of success are far from negligible — last year, roughly four fifths of the 28 submitted applications received support.
Last year, funding from start-up, innovation and technology vouchers supported companies working on a very broad range of projects. These included the development of technology for producing environmentally friendly ski waxes free of fluorinated compounds, the design of a new structure made from recycled textile for fire-protection applications using advanced simulations, and electronics and software for a device intended for people with neurological and sensory impairments. One form of support is specifically aimed at connecting local businesses with the university and research organisations.
eSports and water purification
Thanks to support from the Liberec Region under last year’s Regional Innovation Programme, the company nullspaces is developing a prototype of a new interactive device that will make it possible to create a large-format digital surface, adapt to the conditions at the installation site, and at the same time offer simple controls and remote management. Its first intended use is in gaming and leisure activities.
“Our idea is to show that even a computer game can make you break a sweat. In our concept, gaming is not just about sitting in front of a monitor, but a social activity closer to sport and physical exertion,” says Jiří Kula, founder of nullspaces.
In cooperation with the creative group __STROY, the company is already developing not only the device itself, but also its first two-player game. In the future, the technology could also be used in schools, science centres or at public events.
At Photon Water Technology, support from last year’s Regional Innovation Programme is helping develop a project focused on smart, low-power IoT systems for monitoring surface water quality. The aim is to bring to market an affordable and flexible solution capable of monitoring multiple physico-chemical parameters simultaneously at a single location and at different depths of the water column.
The company has developed and tested prototypes of sensor units, including data dashboards, which are already operating in real-world conditions. The innovative aspect lies in the ability to provide detailed vertical profiling of water bodies and in the compact nature of the system, which replaces several separate measuring devices. This gives administrators more information at lower cost and, above all, enables them to respond more quickly to any changes in water quality.
The technology could be used by managers of ponds, reservoirs and watercourses, as well as by municipalities that need to monitor the condition of their water resources over the long term.
Applications for technology, innovation and start-up vouchers can be submitted until 15 May. All information is clearly available to applicants on the Liberec Region website.
