Prepare, for instance, a one page document which describes the invention and its effect in concise and precise terms.

The contents should be such that the document can be sent to the chosen companies without the receiver having to sign a confidentiality agreement.

The company cannot always be expected to give an active and affirmative answer to the inquiry from the research institution.

A follow-up can be necessary, and perseverance is often rewarded.

It is important that the inquiry goes to the right person or department.

In large companies you often find "licensing departments". Alternatively the inquiry should be addressed to "business development" or "management"

Beware that a research institution´s network is often very large and widely branched.

Contact may already have been established between the companies in question and the research institution. In that case reference to such contact can be referred to in the inquiry.