India: NIDHI i TBI Inclusive Technology Business Incubator Program

Deadline: 25-Jun-21

The Department of Science & Technology (DST) is pleased to launch a call for proposals for the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) i TBI Inclusive Technology Business Incubator Program.

Inclusive TBI is a three years duration initiative supported by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) for educational institutions who are likely to foster innovation and entrepreneurship culture among the students, faculties, entrepreneurs and nearby communities.

The initiative aims to inculcate the spirit of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) amongst the students, innovators and entrepreneurs, encourage and support innovative ideas, start- up creation through incubation. It is expected that students, innovators and entrepreneurs will take up innovative ideas/projects and with mentoring support from the academic and startup ecosystem, try to build a startup around the innovative idea/project. The outcome of the i-TBI shall be converting ideas into startups. i-TBI (Inclusive TBI) would also create a culture of innovation & entrepreneurship in the Host Institution (HI) and nearby geographies. I-TBI will be equipped with grants-in-aid funding support to innovators to convert ideas to prototype and prototype to startups.

Objectives of the i-TBI

To motivate and encourage institutions primarily from the technical domain to create a culture of innovation driven entrepreneurship among academia including students and faculties.
To focus on institutes specially in the regions which do not have the desired innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
To build a vibrant innovation ecosystem that leads to the creation of a startup culture in the nearby regions.
To enable and build a network between academia, investors, mentors, industries and other institutions.
To provide grants-in-aid funding support to innovative ideas and convert them into Prototypes and further to startups.

Criteria

The i-TBI should function as a separate legal entity.
The Host Institute should support independent administrative and financial status to the i-TBI for ensuring effective and speedy implementation of the programmes and activities.
I-TBI should have effective linkages with different Departments, centers and other facilities of the institution. It should network with other agencies and industry to bring out market relevant innovations and startups. Also, it has to be noted that physical presence of the startup while prototyping is highly desirable.
The proposal should be accompanied by both forwarding letters by the Host Institute (HI) and endorsement from the Head of the Institution.
The release of grants after the first year and each subsequent year is subject to satisfactory performance of i-TBI. For this purpose the progress of activities and achievement of milestones is to be submitted by i-TBI to DST in the prescribed format.
It is desirable to submit the signed guideline, along with a signed bond and MoU by the HI after the approval from NEAC (National Expert Advisory Committee on Innovation, Incubation and Technology Entrepreneurship) and before the release of funds.
The HUTBI shall ensure that goods (consumables/equipment) available in GeM portal are to be procured mandatorily online through GeM only
The grantee organization will furnish to the Department of Science & Technology,
financial year wise Utilization Certificate (UC) in the proforma prescribed and audited statement of expenditure (SE) along with up-to-date progress report at the end of each financial year duly reflecting the interest earned / accrued on the grants received under the project.
This is also subject to the condition of submission of the final statement of expenditure, utilization certificate and project completion report within one year from the scheduled date of completion of the project.
Host Institutions (HI)/ iTBI will be required to use the EAT (Expenditure, Advance and Transfer) module under PFMS (Public Financial Management System) and the next release will be made only after mapping and following EAT modules by the GI.
The grantee organization will have to enter & upload the Utilization Certificate in the PFMS portal besides sending through email scanned copy to nodal officer of NSTEDB secretariat.
In regard to retention of the equipments / assests by the private bodies, a decision will be taken in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee constituted by this Department to formulate guidelines on this issue later.