Calculator

Funding Models Comparison Tool

Interactive worksheet and decision helper to size discovery runways, estimate burn, define milestone triggers, and match stage-gate, runway, venture-style or portfolio funding approaches to your portfolio and governance preferences.

Interactive Tool

Funding Models Comparison Tool

Find the right funding approach for your discovery work

This interactive worksheet helps you size pilot budgets and runways, capture governance preferences, and choose funding patterns that reduce waste while preserving early learning. Fill the numbers below, use the simple formulas provided, and record decision rules you can share with governance or finance.

Quick example: 3 experiments × $8,000/mo average burn × 4 months = $96,000 runway. If governance prefers frequent go/no-go reviews, a milestone (stage-gate) approach with small tranches is often better than a single large runway.

Portfolio or Team Name

Short name for the portfolio or team (used to identify saved worksheets).

Total discovery budget allocated (optional)

Enter the total budget earmarked for discovery/experimentation across the portfolio for the planning period (currency).

% of overall R&D or innovation budget for discovery

Enter a percent (0–100). Useful for portfolio allocation planning. Example: 20 means 20%.

Number of active experiments you plan

How many parallel experiments will run under this funding layer?

Average monthly burn per experiment (currency)

Direct experiment costs per month (people-time, tools, pilot materials).

Desired runway (months)

How many months do you want the funding to cover before re-evaluating?

Total monthly burn (auto-calc) - compute and enter

Formula: numberOfActiveExperiments × avgMonthlyBurnPerExperiment. Enter the result if you want it saved here.

Runway funding required (auto-calc) - compute and enter

Formula: Total monthly burn × desiredRunwayMonths. Enter the result to save the runway amount.

Acceptable failure rate for experiments

Helps indicate whether broad experimentation is acceptable (higher failure tolerance favors portfolio/runway approaches).

Low (aim <20% failure)

Moderate (20–50% failure)

High (>50% failure)

Governance rigor and oversight

Select the level of governance oversight you expect for these funds. More rigorous governance favors milestone funding and smaller tranches.

Strategic priority of this work

Is this exploratory blue-sky work, adjacent innovation, or core improvement? Higher strategic priority may justify larger runway or venture-style investments.

Preferred go/no-go review cadence (months)

How often would you like formal decision reviews? Use this to set milestone timing.

Which funding model best matches your inputs? (choose after reviewing guidance)

Read the guidance below then pick the best fit. This records your recommendation for stakeholders.

Proposed milestone triggers and go/no-go criteria

List 2–4 measurable triggers (metrics, demo, prototype readiness) that would unlock the next tranche or scale decision. Example: 'Prototype validated with 10 pilot customers and >60% engagement.'

Recommended guardrails (spend caps, decision owners, reporting)

Examples: max tranche size, approval authority, max cumulative spend without sponsor review, definition of 'pivot vs stop'.

Notes or example scenarios to capture for governance

Capture scenario descriptions you can share with finance — e.g., small pilot (3 months), medium pilot (6 months), rapid hack (1 month).

Final notes or next steps

Who will own follow-up? Which forum will review milestones?

You can explore this tool now. Sign in or create an account to save your responses and return to them later.

Make this tool part of your work

Save a personal copy, bring it to your team, or tailor the questions and workflow to fit what you are hungry to improve.

Member customization and team collaboration are coming soon.

Discuss Ask the Librarian

Discussion

Comments and conversation will live here.

Funding Models Comparison Tool