Deadline: 07-Sep-20
STPI Next Initiatives has launched a call for applications for the CHUNAUTI – NextGen Startup Challenge Contest to address solutions for the emerging sectors and application domains post COVID.
NextGen Startup Challenge Contest (CHUNAUTI – Challenge Hunt Under NGIS for Advanced Uninhibited Technology Intervention) is an online Challenge under NGIS to find the products &solutions to address the issues/challenges faced during and post pandemic situation.
CHUNAUTI is looking to identify and support the solutions which can support Government, industries & public at large for their seamless operations and enabling them to face the varied difficulties& bottlenecks during and post pandemic situation.
Focus Areas
- Key Domains:
- Edu-Tech, Agri-Tech & Fin-Tech Solutions for masses
- Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation Management
- Infrastructure & Remote Monitoring
- Medical Healthcare, Diagnostic, Preventive & Psychological Care
- Jobs & Skilling, Linguistic Tools & Technologies
- Key Focus Areas:
- The products/solution can be proposed keeping in view the focus areas including but not limited to following:
- Edu-Tech products/solutions enabling Schools for Online Education, Training Teachers, E-learning, E-Assessments, Online collaboration, etc. Specific solutions focused on Government/Municipal/Tier-II/Tier-III/Rural Schools where there may be resource constraints (low bandwidth, limited digital infrastructure) and/or lower cost of adoption may be essential given that significant portion of users may belong to under privileged section of the society.
- Agri-Tech products/solutions & technology intervention focusing on better supply chain management for agriculture produce including storage, monitoring, packaging, movement and sale via various channels.
- Fin-Tech product/solutions enabling Peer to Peer funding App for Individuals MSMEs, other financing options to tide over the pandemic crisis by leveraging the power of JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhar Mobile), Digital Payment Infrastructure (UPI BHIM), Business Continuity Financial Aid, etc.
- Products/solutions & technology intervention for supply chain management to cater to increase in demand & supply of essential goods, medical supplies during crisis or disasters and thereafter.
- Product/ solutions using technologies like GIS, Big Data, AI, Drone, CCTV, Robot, etc. for contactless and remote surveying, quality assurance, monitoring, reporting etc.
- Products/ solutions for healthcare, diagnostic, sanitation and medical services to augment trust-based health care systems and to promote contactless delivery of healthcare.
- Products/solutions to support needy people with essential supplies and complete support to Senior Citizens through Market access & logistics.
- Jobs & Skilling – Products/Solutions to make unskilled, semi-skilled & skilled manpower employable by adequately skilling them viz. skilling fresh engineering graduates with latest global contemporary industrial tools & technologies, skilling semi-skilled & unskilled labour class with mechanical / employable skills.
- Linguistic tools & technologies – Products/Solutions focused on local languages & dialects for varied purposes viz. extending eGov services to citizenry in local languages, multilingual domestic BPO/KPO/LPO services, teaching regional languages as part of educational curriculum etc.
- Any other software product for handling the new normal due to the pandemic.
- The products/solution can be proposed keeping in view the focus areas including but not limited to following:
Themes for Challenges
- CHUNAUTI – Challenge Hunt Under NGIS for Advanced Uninhibited Technology Intervention.
Offerings
- Physical Incentives:
- Ready to work P&P incubation within the constraint of lockdown & thereafter.
- Full-fledged security & vulnerability testing of Software Products through the dedicated Software Product Security Testing (SPST) facility.
- Additional facilities and services of the pan-India domain specific CoEs of STPI may be leveraged.
- Soft Support:
- Mentoring support.
- Access to VCs for funding support.
- Networking opportunities/Industry connect and Go-to market support for exhibiting/showcasing products/solutions through various National/International events/workshops/exhibitions.
- Advisory Services such as HR, Legal, Accounting, IPR/Patenting and other support services.
- Incentives:
- Cloud Credits from leading third-party service providers.
- A seed funding of upto Rs. 25.00 Lakhs will be provided through Financial Institution to each beneficiary/supported Start-ups selected through CHUNAUTI under NGIS based on innovative idea, novel solutions, strong team & sound business proposal.
- Disbursal of seed fund to Start-ups will be based on milestones achieved, periodic review and recommendations.
- Seed funding to Start-ups will be against equity participation by STPI or its affiliate.
- Start-ups who are in ideation stage may be selected under pre-incubation programme & mentored for upto six months to evolve their business plan & solution around the proposed idea. Each intern (start-up under pre-incubation) will be paid Rs. 10,000/- per month for a period of 6 months.
Duration
- Duration of NGIS is 3 years.
- Selected individual beneficiary start-up can avail benefits of NGIS in three phases of Nurture, Develop & market extended over 2 years.
Eligibility Criteria
- The challenge invites the proposals/applications from Indian Start-ups who are working in domain related to software product development.
- Start-ups registered with DPIIT under start-up India programme are encouraged to participate in this programme.
- Individual Academicians, Researchers, Educators, Entrepreneurs, partnership firms, LLPs may also participate, however, if they are selected then they will have to register as private limited company in a stipulated time (preferably within 3 months).
Selection Process
- Stages:
- CHUNAUTI will be conducted in single stage. The Start-ups submitting the proposals/applications can be in any of the following stages.
- Ideation Stage: An individual or team of individuals has an innovative product idea and wish to focus on developing that idea into a business.
- Prototype Stage: A validated proof-of-concept exists in a way that the prototype is anticipated to be ready in the foreseeable future. Alternatively, the prototype is ready and awaiting testing and validation.
- Pre-revenue Stage: The product has been validated and the start-up needs support in establishing itself as a business.
- Revenue Stage: The start-up has initial revenue from customers and needs support in scaling its business & product portfolio.
- Screening, Evaluation & Selection:
- Designated Committee(s) shall be formed for Screening, Evaluation & Selection.
- All the applications received shall be subject to a rigorous centralized multi-tier screening process with involvement of appropriate experts from respective domain and/or location as deemed fit.
- Decision of the designated Committee(s) shall be final & binding on all.
For more information, visit https://innovate.stpinext.in/about-us/CHUNAUTI