21 Startup Grants and Seed Funds Closing This Week (27 Jul – 1 Aug 2026)

Twenty-one startup grants, seed funds, incubation programs, and competitions close this week, with deadlines ranging from July 27 to August 1, 2026. The opportunities cover deep tech, agriculture, healthcare, defence, and general startup support.

The lineup includes Y Combinator's Fall 2026 Batch, multiple agri-incubation programs from ICAR-CIRCOT and CCSNIAM, the SIDBI-iDEX Seed Fund for defence startups, and competitions like SLINGSHOT 2026 and Bharat Ke Super Founders.

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At a Glance

SLINGSHOT 2026 Deep Tech Startup Pitching Competition (Enterprise Singapore) Closes 27 July

SLINGSHOT 2026 is Asia's leading deep tech pitching competition, organised by Enterprise Singapore as part of the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH). It offers a total grant prize pool of over ₹15.84 crore. The Grand Winner receives ₹2.88 crore, with prizes for runners-up and top 10 global startups. Categories include Advanced Computing & Intelligence, Advanced Manufacturing, Digital Technologies, Environment/Energy/Sustainability, and Health & Biomedical. Registration closed 30 June 2026, but the competition deadline is 27 July for final submissions.

Y Combinator Fall 2026 Batch (Y Combinator) Closes 28 July

Y Combinator's Fall 2026 Batch is a seed accelerator for early-stage companies globally. Selected startups receive up to ₹4.15 crore in funding, hands-on mentorship, and a three-month in-person program in San Francisco. Y Combinator focuses on product-market fit, growth, and fundraising. The program is open to any startup with a strong founding team and a clear idea; it takes equity in exchange for funding. Applications close 28 July 2026.

SHITIJ 2.0 National Incubation Programme (ICAR-CIRCOT) Closes 28 July

SHITIJ 2.0 is a virtual incubation platform by ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai, under the National Agricultural Innovation Fund (NAIF). It targets innovators, startups, and MSMEs working on farm mechanisation and post-harvest technology solutions. The program offers incubation support, mentorship, and access to facilities; funding amount varies.

CIRCOT SHITIJ 2.0 – New Horizon in Farm Mechanisation (ICAR-CIRCOT) Closes 28 July

CIRCOT SHITIJ 2.0 is a hub-and-spoke incubation programme for farm mechanisation and post-harvest technology. Led by ICAR-CIRCOT Mumbai with seven regional spokes, it provides support to early-stage startups. Funding amount varies; the program focuses on reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmer incomes.

Student Orientation Program (SOP) - PM-RKVY (IEF CCSNIAM) Closes 30 July

The Student Orientation Program (SOP) under PM-RKVY offers up to ₹4 lakh in grant funding, no equity taken. It targets students with innovative ideas in agriculture. The program provides orientation, incubation, and expert mentoring. Only students are eligible.

Startup Agribusiness Incubation Program (SABIP) - PM-RKVY (IEF CCSNIAM) Closes 30 July

SABIP provides up to ₹25 lakh in grant-in-aid for early-stage agri-startups. It includes structured incubation and expert mentoring. The program is open to startups developing scalable products or services for agriculture.

Agripreneurship Orientation Program (AOP) - PM-RKVY (IEF CCSNIAM) Closes 30 July

The Agripreneurship Orientation Program (AOP) offers up to ₹5 lakh in grant funding for aspiring agripreneurs. It is a pre-seed program to transform ideas into viable enterprises. Individuals and teams can apply.

APIIC 2nd Incubation & Ignition Call 2026 (AIIMS Patna) Closes 30 July

APIIC is AIIMS Patna's DST-recognised NIDHI i-TBI incubator. This call offers up to ₹10 lakh in grant funding for health-tech and medical device startups. It aims to bridge 'Concept to Clinic' by providing clinical expertise and incubation support.

Vande Bharatam Innovation Challenge (Adani Group) Closes 30 July

Vande Bharatam is a nationwide innovation movement by the Adani Group. It seeks to discover entrepreneurs from underserved regions. The program offers visibility and support; prize amounts are not specified.

SIDBI-iDEX Seed Fund 2026 (PIEDS) Closes 31 July

The SIDBI-iDEX Seed Fund provides up to ₹1.5 crore in equity or equity-linked investment for deep-tech defence and aerospace startups. It targets startups that have participated in the iDEX challenge. The fund includes incubation support from PIEDS.

Genesis by IKP – Cohort 1 (IKP Knowledge Park) Closes 31 July

Genesis by IKP is a 12-month venture-building program for deep science startups at TRL 2–3. It offers up to ₹30 lakh in funding and hands-on support from IKP's in-house experts. Focus is on translational research from lab to market.

Student Orientation Programme (SOP) - Cohort 14 under PM-RKVY (IEF CCSNIAM) Closes 31 July

This is another SOP cohort under the same PM-RKVY scheme, offering up to ₹4 lakh grant. It is a separate application called Cohort 14 for student agripreneurship ideas.

UdyogTech Synapse 2026 (IHFC, IIT Delhi) Closes 31 July

UdyogTech Synapse 2026 is a flagship initiative by IIT Delhi's IHFC, in partnership with Tech Mahindra, CMTI, and COLORJET. It offers up to ₹5 crore in funding for deep-tech innovations in industrial robotics, cobotics, and advanced manufacturing. The program targets researchers, startups, and industries.

Bharat Ke Super Founders — Season 2 (Rusk Media) Closes 31 July

Bharat Ke Super Founders S2 is a reality series where revenue-generating founders pitch to investors for a share of a ₹100 crore+ pool. Hosted by Suniel Shetty, the show airs on Amazon MX Player. The deadline is for casting.

AWE Tech Innovation Challenge 2026 (AWE Funds) Closes 31 July

The AWE Tech Innovation Challenge is an investment initiative by AWE Funds, supported by Bayer Foundation and others. It offers up to ₹2.49 crore for tech startups building impact solutions for underserved communities in India.

India High School Exoplanet Data Challenge (Celesta) Closes 31 July

This hackathon is a beginner-friendly, low/no-code competition for high school students. Participants use real astronomical data. Prizes total ₹9.58 lakh across top submissions.

BASK Monthly Pitch Competition (BASK) Closes 31 July

BASK is a monthly online pitch competition for kids. It encourages entrepreneurial thinking. Total prize pool is ₹55,800; deadline for July is 31 July.

FICCI R&D Awards 2026 (FICCI) Closes 31 July

FICCI R&D Awards recognise outstanding industrial R&D across sectors. Prize amounts vary. The awards aim to boost private sector R&D engagement.

DropHack (SIEC Community) Closes 1 August

DropHack is a 10-hour coding sprint for elite student developers. Problem statements are revealed at zero-hour. Teams of 2-4 compete for prizes up to ₹50,000.

Hack the Arts Closes 1 August

Hack the Arts is a one-month online hackathon at the intersection of art and technology. It is beginner-friendly and open worldwide. Total prize pool is up to ₹90,000.

Before Applying

Several programs have specific eligibility constraints. The CCSNIAM programs (SOP, SABIP, AOP) are restricted to agri-focused ideas and require applicants to be students (SOP) or early-stage startups (SABIP). APIIC targets health-tech and medical devices, leveraging AIIMS Patna's ecosystem. The SIDBI-iDEX Seed Fund is limited to defence and aerospace startups that have participated in iDEX challenges. Y Combinator takes equity and requires a strong founding team. Competitions like SLINGSHOT and Bharat Ke Super Founders have significant prize pools but require submission of detailed pitches or applications by their deadlines.

Deadline patterns show that most programs close on 30 or 31 July, with two competitions (DropHack and Hack the Arts) closing on 1 August. Programs from the same provider (e.g., CCSNIAM and ICAR-CIRCOT) have multiple cohorts or tracks with identical deadlines. Missing a deadline means waiting for the next cycle, which for Y Combinator is six months away. For annual programs like SLINGSHOT and FICCI R&D Awards, a missed deadline costs a year. Ensure you read each program's full eligibility and submission requirements on its detail page before applying.