Deadline: 31-Dec-20
Do you have an innovative solution that can impact India’s smallholder farmers? If yes, then apply for this Social Alpha Agritech Innovations Challenge 2.0 Program – supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Tata Trusts, in partnership with the Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT Kanpur).
The core objective of the Social Alpha Agritech Innovations Challenge 2.0 is to curate innovative technologies that positively impact the lives of smallholder farmers. Winners will receive support in their lab to last-mile journey, including sponsored pilots in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The initiative envisions to create an enabling ecosystem for innovators and entrepreneurs developing solutions for smallholder farmers in order to help them become more productive, profitable and empowered. In the first edition of the Social Alpha Agritech Innovations Challenge which was launched in 2019, 13 start-ups received incubation support, investments and piloting opportunities under IAIN.
Programs
Winners of the Agritech Innovation challenge will form a part of one of the following programs:
- Incubation Program for early stage start-ups – managed by SIIC, IIT Kanpur: The program aims to support entrepreneurs in primarily in the areas of product development and testing. This would target the following in terms of Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
- TRL 3 – Proof of Concept stage / Active R&D has been initiated. This includes analytical studies and laboratory studies to physically validate the analytical predictions of separate elements of the technology;
- TRL 4 – Basic technological components have been integrated to establish that they work together;
- TRL 5 – Technology has been put together and can be tested in a simulated environment;
- TRL 6 – Prototype is being tested in simulated operational environment or in a high-fidelity laboratory.
- Venture Acceleration Program for mature stage start-ups – managed by Social Alpha: Start-ups will receive support with pilots, product validation, product management and Go-To-Market Strategy. This would target the following start-ups in terms of Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
- TRL 7 – Actual system prototype is near completion or ready and has been demonstrated in an operational environment or is at pilot level;
- TRL 8 – Technology is proven and developed but not yet operational or applied anywhere;
- TRL 9 – Technology has been applied in its final form and is operational;
- The product is already in the market and can be scaled or replicated.
Benefits
- Programme offerings for Venture Acceleration Program for mature stage start-ups:
- Access to paid pilots in Uttar Pradesh with practical on-the-ground feedback;
- Credits worth up to 10 Lakhs to avail incubation services;
- Access to Social Alpha’s seed investment and / or grants funding;
- Access to state-of-the-art technology incubation centre at IIT-Kanpur and incubation infrastructure at Social Alpha;
- Dedicated Portfolio Management to assist with developing go-to-market strategy and overall business advisory;
- Product development support including assistance with designing, rapid prototyping and design for manufacturing.
- Programme offerings for Incubation Program for early-stage start-ups:
- Product development support and access to equipment and technical expertise from IIT-Kanpur;
- Access to shared office space and amenities at IIT Kanpur;
- Access to grants such as BIRAC, PRAYAS, PRISM etc.;
- Access to state-of-the-art technology with high quality labs, equipment at IIT Kanpur’s Incubator facility.
Duration
- The program is a typically a 12-24-month long engagement. However, it will vary from case to case based on the needs of the incubatees. Promising Early-stage start-ups supported will also have the opportunity to move to the Matured stage, upon successful completion of milestones and may continue to receive incubation support for a longer duration.
Eligibility Criteria
- Social Alpha Agritech Innovations Challenge 2.0 is a search for innovators and entrepreneurs with transformative technologies that address a curated set of challenges faced by the smallholder farmers. Individuals, group of individuals, social enterprises and start-ups registered in India (whether for-profit or not-for-profit) are eligible to apply for the program.
- Applicants are requested to select the most appropriate category based on the development stage/technology readiness level of the product. TRL 3 to 6 need to apply to the Physical Incubation program for Early Stage start-ups. TRL 7 and above would need to apply to the Venture Acceleration Program for Matured Stage start-ups.
- In case you apply to the wrong category they will shift you to the right category based on your product’s stage of development. However, you may have missed some questions that had to be answered as a part of the correct category since both the application forms have certain unique questions. So, you are advised to please choose carefully.
- Applicants are encouraged to submit applications for technology-based. The Innovation may be a product, platform or service, but must be aligned to the focus areas outlined in the program. There is a preference for technology-based innovations that have a high social impact potential.
For more information, visit https://www.socialalpha.org/agritech-innovations-challenge2-0/