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Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme

The “Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG)” is a flagship scheme of BIRAC which recognizes and invests in innovative ideas in the biotech sector. BIG scheme supports individual entrepreneurs/ start-ups from ideation to Proof of Concept.

Ministry / Department
Ministry Of Science And Technology
Level
Central
Benefit type
cash
Last verified: Recently

What is Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme?

The “Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG)” is a flagship scheme of BIRAC which recognizes and invests in innovative ideas in the biotech sector. BIG scheme supports individual entrepreneurs/ start-ups from ideation to Proof of Concept.

Benefit
Support provided to grantees under the scheme: 1. Under the BIG scheme, BIRAC provides a grant-in-aid of up to INR 50 lakhs (approx. USD 75,000) for a period of 18 months. 2. BIG Partners and BIRAC provide continuous mentoring support to the grantees, including but not limited to the following: • Technical Mentoring (Connect with Technical Experts) • IP Support • Legal Support • Networking and Outreach • Trainings • Regulatory Advice • Business Mentoring • Connect with Investors • Any other assistance on a case basis
Level
Central
Ministry / Dept.
Ministry Of Science And Technology
Benefit type
cash
Key eligibility
> **Eligibility criteria for an Individual:** 1. The individual applicant should be an Indian citizen. 2. The primary applicant should be the Project Leader. 3. The applicant has to be incubated in an incubator (Incubator could be located anywhere in the country and may/may not be supported by BIRAC
Last verified
Recently

Benefits

Support provided to grantees under the scheme: 1. Under the BIG scheme, BIRAC provides a grant-in-aid of up to INR 50 lakhs (approx. USD 75,000) for a period of 18 months. 2. BIG Partners and BIRAC provide continuous mentoring support to the grantees, including but not limited to the following: • Technical Mentoring (Connect with Technical Experts) • IP Support • Legal Support • Networking and Outreach • Trainings • Regulatory Advice • Business Mentoring • Connect with Investors • Any other assistance on a case basis

Eligibility

> **Eligibility criteria for an Individual:** 1. The individual applicant should be an Indian citizen. 2. The primary applicant should be the Project Leader. 3. The applicant has to be incubated in an incubator (Incubator could be located anywhere in the country and may/may not be supported by BIRACArea: IndiaBenefit: cash

Documents Required

    How to Apply

    1. Step 1: Online application — step 1

      Application process: Step 01: BIRAC issues a national call inviting applications under BIG at least twice a year (1st of January & 1st of July). The Call for Proposals is advertised through one or more means that may include the BIRAC website, newspapers, journals, and magazines. The Call for Proposals is typically open for a period of up to one and a half months. Step 02: Application for BIG needs to be submitted online ONLY through the BIRAC website www.birac.nic.in . Step 03: For proposal submission, the applicant can register on the BIRAC website under “BIG User”. Step 04: The eligible applicants can fill up and submit their applications by visiting the official website. Note 01: The BIG Scheme is implemented across the country through BIRAC’s BIG Partners. The Call will mention the names of BIG Partners for the particular call. Names of the BIG Partners and their responsibilities are mentioned in Annexure 2. Note 02: Applicants are advised to provide sufficient details in their applications to allow for an informed and fair evaluation/review. Note 03: Requests for changes in a proposal once submitted will not be entertained. Note 04: Providing incorrect information intentionally is viewed adversely and may lead to disqualification. Selection process: BIG selection is a multi-tier process involving the following steps: Step 01: Eligibility Check: BIG Partners screen the applications for eligibility requirements as laid out in the scheme document and appropriateness under the BIG scheme. Step 02: Examination by Preliminary Selection Committee (PSC): The PSC examines all eligible proposals on the following contours: • Scheme fit • Availability of adequate technical details which are minimally required for online review • Plagiarism Step 03: Online review by subject matter experts: Proposals recommended by PSC are reviewed online by 3 or more subject matter experts. Step 04: Presentation before Thematic Technical Expert Panel (TEP): Based on expert reviews, shortlisted applications are called for a Face-to-face presentation before the Technical Expert Panel (TEP). The TEPs are conducted in a thematic manner where all proposals of a particular theme are evaluated together by a common committee. All proposals are scored by individual TEP Experts and the Geometric Mean of Individual Scores is used to arrive at the final score for a particular proposal. • Proposals with score ≥60 are considered at the next step (ESC) • Proposals with score <60 are not considered further Step 05: Scoring Cut-off decision by the Expert Selection Committee (ESC): ESC takes the final decision with regard to the cut-off score for final selection. Proposals above the decided cut-off will be considered for further due diligence. ESC may choose to have either the same or differential scoring cut off across the themes. Step 06: ESC-recommended applications are then subjected to final financial and technical due diligence by the BIG Partner. This may require a visit by BIG partner representative(s) to the applicant’s site and involves the following steps: • Reconfirming eligibility by verification of original documents • Legal, technical, and financial due diligence • Confirming applicant’s claimed resources: Space, equipment, manpower, advisors, incubation services, samples, etc. • Confirming compliance strategy with regard to safety, ethics, waste disposal, etc. • Confirming for any special guidance by ESC • Justification of budget (usually by verifying quotations); meeting budget caps and other requirements • Finalization of milestones, budget, and payment schedule; defining clear measurable milestones. Indicative evaluation criteria: BIG Proposals are reviewed on the following parameters during online review and TEP Stage: 1. Unmet Need (max 20) 2. Value Proposition/Differentiation (max 20) 3. Technical Viability (max 30) 4. Team Strength/Passion (max 15) 5. Business Perspective (max 15) • Potential • Clarity/Team’s view • Commercialization Potential (Yes/No) Registration guidelines for BIG Scheme(Company/Individual)

    Sources & References

    Ready to apply?

    Applications are accepted only on the official government portal.

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