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RFPs: Strengthening, Upscaling and Nurturing Innovations for Livelihood Programme (India)

Deadline: 30-Apr-25

The Empowerment & Development (SEED) Division in partnership with the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India are inviting project proposals for financial support under the programme titled “Strengthening, Upscaling and Nurturi ng Innovations for Livelihood”.

The programme aims to support need-based & action research projects for delivery of locally appropriate pilot-tested technologies and social enterprise creation of field-tested S&T models to strengthen the livelihood efficiency of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of society (such as small and marginal farmers, landless laborer, workers in non-farm sector,  traditional artisans (e.g. blacksmiths, mason, weavers, carpenters etc.) and skilled & semi-skilled rural/urban population working in unorganized sector (including construction, workers transgender and prisoners). It also encourages improving their S&T knowledge, skill enhancement, capacity building and socio-economic conditions.

The proposed geographical area should be identified on the basis of preliminary assessment of the people, availability of minimum infrastructural facilities particularly roads, water & sanitation, health centres, communication medium, marketing facilities, electricity and potential for irrigation; climate, land use pattern, crops & cropping patterns, natural resources & raw materials, availability of special skills/trades; and presence of local organizations like Panchayats, cooperatives, voluntary groups, FPOs, SHGs etc.

Thematic Areas
  • Precision Agriculture and farm automation:
    • Climate control agricultural practices and decision making through sensors, IoT, GPS, actuators, automated machinery, drone & robot-assistance to improve crop resilience, increase efficiency, minimize resource waste and ensure sustainable productivity;
    • Precision agriculture to monitor and manage biotic stress (pests, pathogens, weeds, parasitic plants) and abiotic stress (extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, flooding, and nutrient deficiencies) of crops for optimizing available resource.
  • Sustainability in traditional handicraft and handloom:
    • S&T solutions to benefit artisans with increased efficiency, prototyping, customisation, personalization, creativity, market access, maintaining craftsmanship and promoting sustainable practices in the region;
    • Sustainable, eco-friendly, organic, plant-based and biodegradable textiles materials (fabrics and dyes) to maintain traditional techniques of artisans.
  • S&T driven eco-tourism (including wildlife, cultural, adventure, marine, agriculture) for preserving natural ecosystems, supporting local communities, and promoting economy:
    • AI and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to support eco-tourism by monitoring tourist movement, environmental conditions like wildlife sightings, weather patterns, and natural resources etc.;
    • Low-cost chatbots, virtual assistants, smart check-in & check-out systems, self-service kiosks, mobile apps, automated warning and emergency response system, for easy access of information and safety of tourists.
  • Supply chain optimization in on-farm and off-farm ventures:
    • Low-cost techniques and solutions for refrigeration, advance storage, adequate processing and transportation facilities for remote areas;
    • Automation in demand forecasting, processing, inventory management, real time tracking, route optimisation, ethylene gas management for ripening, sorting & grading, packaging etc. of Agri-products.
Duration
  • The duration of project support will be for a period of 3-5 years based on the proposed activities and deliverables.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Project partners eligible for receiving financial grant under the SUNIL programme include:
    • Principal Investigator (PI) & Co-PI:
      • Scientists, engineers, technologist working in Knowledge Institutions (KI) such as IITs, NITs, Autonomous Bodies/Aided Institutions and other educational institutions/Universities under Central/State Governments, R&D institutions, laboratories having adequate infrastructure and project implementation experience at societal level.
      • Non-Governmental Organization/private institutions with minimum 3 years of relevant field level experience in S&T interventions and delivery of proven technology on field level applications.
  • Multiple organizations are encouraged to apply in a network structure such as ‘Hub & Spoke model’. It is mandatory to involve at least one NGO and one KI partner in the project implementation. In Hub & Spoke/ network project, total financial grant proposed under project will be released to Lead/ Hub agency. A signed MoU/ consent mentioning role of each partner in the project will be required for all shortlisted proposals.
  • The programme encourages the Land-Lab-Land approach of project implementation, first to identify regional/local and livelihood-centric issues or challenges being faced by target population and then, deployment of adapted technologies & sustainable scientific solutions from Lab to field.
  • The involvement of Knowledge Institutes (KI), NGOs, target community, local Govt., and other Community based organizations viz. Community Interest Groups (CIG), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Social entrepreneurs, Start-ups and community will be encouraged.
  • Before applying to new proposal, PI/ organization must ensure to maintain maximum two number of ongoing projects supported to Host Institution (HI) by SEED division at a time.

For more information, visit Department of Science & Technology.