“The idea to establish an EFORT FOUNDATION came up for the first time at the beginning of 2008”, says Karl-Göran Thorngren, chair and initiator of the new organisation. The project developed by the EFORT Executive Committee was then presented to the General Assembly in Nice. By the end of 2008, most of the bylaws had already been drafted. “However, various legal procedures took more time than expected”, says Karl-Göran Thorngren.

The new FOUNDATION will soon start to collect funds from donors such as institutions, industry and colleagues as well as from the public sector. First contacts with industry partners have already been established. Provided the fund raising proves to be successful, the FOUNDATION plans to publish first calls for application by early 2010.

Thus, first grants could be assigned during 2010.