BIRAC BIG Grant: How to Apply for the Biotechnology Ignition Grant

The Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) is the flagship early-stage scheme of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). It funds biotech startups to take an idea to proof of concept. Here is who can apply, what it pays for, and how to apply.

This guide is based on the official guidelines as of October 2026; always check the portal for the latest rules.

Is a call open right now? No. As of late October 2026, BIRAC's call for proposals page lists no open BIG call. The most recent one, the 25th BIG call, was announced on 1 November 2025 and closed on 30 November 2025. Use the gap to get your company and proposal ready.

What BIG gives you

According to the BIRAC BIG scheme page, BIG provides grant-in-aid of up to INR 50 lakh for up to 18 months to turn an innovative idea into proof of concept.

The BIG Scheme Guidelines, Version 9 (October 2025) explain how the money is released. Funding is tied to milestones and paid in 3 to 4 instalments:

1. INR 20 lakh when you sign the Grant Agreement.
2. One or two further instalments of up to INR 20 lakh each, based on progress against milestones.
3. Up to INR 5 lakh after the project is complete and the Final Technical Report is submitted. This last tranche is a reimbursement, released once your final Utilisation Certificate, Statement of Expenditure and Project Completion Report are accepted.

The total cannot exceed INR 50 lakh. Budget heads include manpower, consumables, incubation space and services, travel, IP costs, outsourcing, contingency and equipment.

BIRAC and the BIG Partners also mentor you on technical, IP, legal, regulatory and business matters. During the 18 months you must meet at least 2 investors and include their feedback in your final report.

What BIG supports, and what it does not

The guidelines list seven categories for proposals:

• Devices and diagnostics
• Drugs, including drug delivery
• Industrial biotechnology, including secondary agriculture
• Agriculture
• Biosimilars and stem cells
• Vaccines
• Bioinformatics

BIRAC also encourages proposals that combine biotech with engineering, AI, sensors, automation or robotics.

BIG does not fund basic or exploratory research, low-novelty projects, projects without a strong biotech component, or late-stage work such as systematic clinical trials, field trials or certification. It is not a research fellowship and cannot support PhD or other academic research.

Compare other health and life sciences programmes and government schemes.

Who can apply

Under the Version 9 guidelines, the applicant has to be a company or LLP:

• Registered entity: a Company or LLP registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956/2013.
• Age: incorporated no earlier than 5 years before the date a BIG call is launched. The 25th call, for example, accepted startups incorporated on or after 1 November 2020.
• Indian ownership: at least 51% of the capital beneficially owned by resident Indian citizens and/or Indian companies ultimately owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens. The guidelines count NRIs as Indian citizens; OCI/PIO cardholders are not eligible.
• Lab access: you need your own working, adequate R&D facility. If you don't have one, you must be incubated at an incubator. Your BIG Partner checks this.
• Project Leader: every proposal names a Project Leader who is technically qualified, has at least a basic undergraduate degree, and is a shareholder in the company.
• Once only: BIG support is given only once to any startup, and past BIG recipients cannot apply.
• Other exclusions: you are ineligible if a promoter holding 20% or more of your shares is a co-promoter of another ineligible company or a partner in another ineligible LLP, unless that other entity works outside biotech. Companies that have defaulted on loan repayment to BIRAC, and their promoters, are also ineligible.

Individuals vs companies: BIRAC's older BIG FAQ (2020) says individual entrepreneurs can apply. The current Version 9 guidelines and the 25th call only list registered Companies/LLPs, and the current online form treats the applicant as a startup company in which the Project Leader must hold shares. If you are a researcher or an individual, plan to incorporate a company or LLP before the next call, and confirm the entity types in that call notice. The FAQ also confirms that proprietorships, societies and institutes cannot apply.

Call timing

The scheme page says BIRAC announces BIG calls twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July, and that a call stays open for about 45 days. The guidelines say "at least twice a year" and typically 30 days open.

Recent calls have not followed that calendar. BIRAC's call listing shows deadlines in February 2023 (22nd call), August 2023 (23rd), June 2024 (24th) and November 2025 (25th), with some of them extended. Watch the call for proposals page rather than planning around fixed dates.

The system closes automatically at the deadline, and you cannot change a submitted proposal.

The BIG Partners and what they do

BIRAC runs BIG through BIG Partners, incubators it has signed an MoU with. Annexure 1 of the guidelines lists the current partners:

1. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru
2. Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), New Delhi
3. IKP Knowledge Park, Hyderabad
4. KIIT BioNEST, Bhubaneswar
5. Venture Center, Pune
6. FIRST, IIT Kanpur
7. Society for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay
8. a-IDEA, Technology Business Incubator of NAARM, Hyderabad

You choose a BIG Partner in your application. Each call names the partners taking part in that round.

Your BIG Partner helps with grant writing, receives your application, checks eligibility and scheme fit, runs the online review and gives one-on-one mentoring before your final pitch. After selection it does the due diligence, signs the grant agreement on BIRAC's behalf, releases funds against milestones and monitors progress.

Your BIG Partner doesn't have to be your incubator: the guidelines say you can choose any bio-incubator in the country. The FAQ adds that you don't need to be incubated when you apply; a Letter of Intent from your incubator is enough. To find one, browse incubators on Startup Grants India.

How to apply on the BIRAC portal

All applications are made online through the BIRAC website. BIRAC's BIG registration guidelines describe these steps:

1. Go to birac.nic.in, click Login/Register, then Click here to Register.
2. Pick the registration link for the BIG Scheme and click Next.
3. Fill in the required details and click Register. You will get an email with a link to set your password. Set it, then log in.
4. If your company doesn't appear in the drop-down, register the company with the link on the registration screen. BIRAC says the company name is activated within 24 hours, so don't leave this to the last day.
5. Log in and fill in the proposal. Per the FAQ, an account you use for another BIRAC scheme (such as BIPP) won't work here: use a different username and email for BIG.

BIRAC's proposal proforma and user manual shows the form sections: Basic Information (title, duration of up to 18 months, thematic area, BIG Partner, earlier applications), Startup Details, Project Leader Details, Team Members, Scientific Advisors or Mentors, Proposal Details, Any Other Relevant Information, Objectives and Work Plan, Equipment, Human Resources, Budget and Declaration.

Two things trip people up:

• If the Project Leader answers "No" to holding shares in the company, the form won't let you continue.
• If your product is meant for clinical settings, the manual says a clinician must be on the team or among your advisors or mentors.

Under Proposal Details you write a summary of up to 200 words, then cover objectives and approach, novelty against existing products, the opportunity, risks, preliminary work, end-outcomes, commercialisation plan, IP and freedom to operate, and references.

Documents checklist

Uploads in the online form, per the user manual:

• Registration (incorporation) certificate of the company (mandatory)
• Company PAN card (mandatory)
• Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Details of foreign shareholders and NRI shareholdings, if any
• Resumes of the Project Leader, team members and advisors, in the prescribed format
• Concept note with figures and diagrams
• Novelty or comparison table
• Declaration on ethical, legal, safety or regulatory issues, if any
• Presentation in BIRAC's format (mandatory)
• Signed declaration in the prescribed format, as PDF

Before the Technical Expert Panel, the guidelines say you should be ready to show:

• Undertakings from your scientific advisors or mentors and key technical team members
• Letter of interest or intent from your incubator
• Proof of access to any special facilities or key samples

After results, you will need:

• Letter of acceptance or MoU with your incubator
• Agreements with key facility providers or suppliers
• Anything else your BIG Partner asks for during due diligence, such as IP clarifications or an NOC from your institute

You must also give an undertaking that no other agency has funded the same objectives and deliverables.

How proposals are evaluated

The guidelines set out a multi-step selection:

1. Eligibility check: your BIG Partner screens for legal and technical eligibility, scheme fit, enough technical detail, and plagiarism.
2. Online review: 3 to 5 subject experts review each eligible proposal, and the BIG Partner's Review Committee examines it.
3. Technical Expert Panel (TEP): BIRAC calls shortlisted applicants for a face-to-face presentation. The Project Leader presents.
4. Due diligence: the BIG Partner checks finances and technical claims, and may visit your site. You have up to 45 days to accept the offer and complete due diligence, or the offer is treated as withdrawn.

The indicative scoring weights are unmet need (max 20), value proposition and differentiation (max 20), technical viability (max 30), team strength (max 15) and business perspective (max 15). The FAQ says final results typically come out about 4 months after a call closes.

FAQ

Is the BIG grant equity or a loan?

Neither. The guidelines describe BIG as grant-in-aid. The 2020 BIRAC FAQ adds that grantees who reach commercialisation pay a 5% royalty on net sales of the product or technology until the royalty equals the grant disbursed. The Version 9 guidelines don't repeat this, so check your grant agreement for the terms that apply to you.

Can I apply to more than one BIG Partner?

The form asks whether you have applied through another BIG Partner in the same call and whether it is the same proposal. The FAQ says you can submit more than one proposal, but only one will be funded, and BIRAC encourages you to submit your best one.

Do I need DSIR recognition or DPIIT recognition?

The FAQ says DSIR recognition is not needed. The BIG guidelines do not list DPIIT recognition as an eligibility condition. Check the current call to be sure.

I am a faculty member or employed. Can I apply?

The 2020 FAQ says faculty and researchers need an NOC from their institute or employer, and employees must commit to leaving their job and working on the project full time if selected. Under the current rules the applicant must be a company or LLP in which the Project Leader holds shares, and your BIG Partner may ask for an NOC from your institute during due diligence.

If you want help preparing a BIG proposal, see our grant application services.

Sources

• BIRAC: Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG)
• BIRAC: BIG Scheme Guidelines, Version 9, October 2025 (PDF)
• BIRAC: Call for proposals (all calls)
• BIRAC: 25th Call for Proposals under BIG
• BIRAC: FAQs, BIG Scheme (PDF)
• BIRAC: Registration guidelines for BIG Scheme (PDF)
• BIRAC: Proformas for online submission of BIG proposals (DOCX)

Cover photo: Trust "Tru" Katsande on Unsplash