C-CAMP AMR Environment Challenge 2025-26
By Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP)
Check your eligibility
Sign up and we'll tell you whether your startup qualifies for this grant.
Quick Answer
Funding of up to ₹2 crore per innovation for Indian startups and companies detecting, preventing or treating antimicrobial resistance in soil, water and air. The 2025–26 call is closed.
- Funding amount
- Up to ₹2Cr
- Funding type
- Grant
- Application deadline
- Closed
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Results & next round
Applications for this round closed on 26 September 2025. The organiser has not published a selection list that we can verify yet.
Selections for this programme are announced by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP). Official links are listed under Sources below.
We update this page when results are published, and when the next round opens.
About this grant
The C-CAMP AMR in the Environment call for 2025–26 (Call #2) is closed. Applications closed on 26 September 2025 (the row deadline falls at the end of 25 September UTC), and winners were due to be declared in the week of 5 January 2026. An earlier round ran in 2024–25. The official programme document announces no further call, so watch the C-CAMP portal for a Call #3.
The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) in Bengaluru runs this programme with funding from the UK's Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF). It backs technologies that tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment, for the benefit of India and other low- and middle-income countries. Up to £170,000 (about ₹2 crore) is available per innovation. This is an India-focused programme: the lead applicant must be an Indian registered entity. Finalists present to a panel and a Grand Jury.
What the program offers
Up to 10 innovations are supported over 9 to 12 months, with up to £170,000 (about ₹2 crore) each, matched to the type of innovation and its stage. Winners also get mentoring and networking support, and chances for field testing and validation. Awards depend on technical and financial due diligence and signing a grant agreement with C-CAMP. The selected Indian applicant carries primary responsibility for using the funds and managing the technical, regulatory, compliance and financial side of the project.
Who can apply
The call was open to Indian organisations, companies and startups, mainly registered startups and companies. Non-Indian applicants could apply only with a registered subsidiary in India that qualifies as a startup or company and existed before 1 September 2025, and the primary applicant must be an Indian registered entity. Indian academic or scientific institutions were eligible only if they could show capacity to validate the innovation in India and took part as main shareholder of a registered startup, or through a legal industry or technology-transfer partnership.
The solution must address AMR in the environment, not in humans or animals, even where there is an indirect link. It must fall under at least one of three focus areas, directly and mainly benefit people in low- and middle-income countries, and be at technology readiness level 4 to 9. That means this suits a startup with a working prototype or pilot data, not an early idea.
The three focus areas
- Detection: finding resistant microbes, resistance genes or antibiotic traces in water, soil or air.
- Prevention: stopping antibiotics and active pharmaceutical ingredients from reaching the environment, for example from hospital, industrial or domestic effluents.
- Treatment: treating soil, water or air to remove resistant pathogens and antibiotic traces, including markers to measure how well treatment works.
How to apply
Register once on the online portal and complete the application form, which can be filled in over several sessions. Submit one solution per application; if you have more than one solution, use a separate form for each. Incomplete or off-scope applications are not evaluated, and only portal submissions are considered. Validation data from testing on environmental samples is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. By submitting, you declare the work is original, and plagiarism leads to disqualification. A practical tip: consider IP protection before you fill in the form, since the programme document advises taking IP advice for any concerns.
How applications are judged and what happens next
An internal committee shortlists, then an external panel reviews for novelty, scientific strength, societal impact, commercialisation potential and how well the solution meets unmet AMR needs in low- and middle-income countries. Finalists present to the panel and a Grand Jury, followed by technical and financial due diligence, approval by GAMRIF and signing of the grant agreement. Reviewers sign confidentiality agreements. The document does not say whether the presentations are held in person.
About C-CAMP and GAMRIF
C-CAMP, supported by India's Department of Biotechnology, has worked since 2009 to support life science research and startups, with seed funding, mentoring and bio-incubation facilities in the Bangalore Life Science Cluster. GAMRIF is a UK aid fund backed by the Department of Health and Social Care that supports research worldwide to reduce AMR across humans, animals and the environment.
Things to check before you apply
- Your solution must be about environmental AMR only, and benefit low- and middle-income countries as an explicit objective.
- Foreign companies need an Indian subsidiary that existed before the cut-off date set in the call.
- Funding is paid in the framework of a grant agreement after due diligence, so keep company, compliance and financial records ready.
- Dates and conditions may change in any next call.
Eligibility
See if you're eligible
Full eligibility criteria — entity type, stage, sector, founder profile and registration requirements — plus your fit for this program. Sign up to view.
Grant providers
The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, or C-CAMP, is a Bengaluru life sciences hub conceptualised by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, in 2009. It sits on the NCBS-TIFR campus in Bengaluru as part of the Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster (BLiSC),…
Learn moreBenefits & Funding
- Amount
- Up to ₹2Cr
- Fund type
- Grant
What You Get
Selected innovations receive funding matched to the type of innovation and its stage of readiness, up to £170,000 or about ₹2 crore each. Up to 10 innovations are supported over 9–12 months, across the financial years 2025-26 and 2026-27. Winners also get mentoring and networking support, and opportunities for on-field testing and validation, to move their solutions towards products and services. There is no fee to apply.
- Cohort size
- 10 startups
- Bootstrap friendly
- Yes
Timelines & Process
Selection Process
An internal committee first shortlists applications, then an external panel reviews them for novelty, scientific strength, societal impact, commercialisation potential and how well they address unmet AMR needs in low- and middle-income countries. Finalists present to the external panel and a Grand Jury. Recommended finalists go through technical and financial due diligence, GAMRIF approves the projects, and winners sign a grant agreement with C-CAMP.
Application Process
- 1
Apply online
Register on the C-CAMP AMR portal and submit one application per solution.
You - 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Draft your application
Answer the form inside the grant tracker — AI drafts each response using your past answers, so you're not starting from a blank page.
- 2
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 3
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to the C-CAMP AMR in the Environment challenge?
Indian organisations, companies and startups, mainly registered startups and companies. The primary applicant must be an Indian registered entity. Foreign companies can apply only through an Indian subsidiary that existed before 1 September 2025.
Can Indian startups apply?
Yes, Indian registered startups and companies are the main target of the call, provided their solution tackles AMR in the environment and is at technology readiness level 4 to 9.
Can a university or research lab apply?
Only if it is the main shareholder of a registered startup, or works through a legal industry or technology-transfer partnership, and can show it can validate the innovation in India.
How much funding is available?
Up to £170,000 (about ₹2 crore) per innovation, for up to 10 innovations over 9 to 12 months.
Is it a grant or equity?
The sources call it funding paid under a grant agreement with C-CAMP, after technical and financial due diligence. No equity is mentioned.
What kind of solutions qualify?
Technologies that detect, prevent or treat antimicrobial resistance in the environment, such as in wastewater, soil or air. Solutions focused on AMR in humans or animals do not qualify, even with an indirect environmental link.
How mature must the technology be?
Mid to late stage, at technology readiness level 4 to 9. Validation data from environmental samples or pilots is encouraged but not mandatory.
Is there a fee to apply?
No, there is no fee to apply for the programme.
When was the deadline, and what if it has passed?
The 2025–26 call closed on 26 September 2025. This was Call #2 after an earlier round in 2024–25, and no further call is announced in the programme document.
When were winners announced?
The programme timeline planned the declaration of winners for the week of 5 January 2026, after due diligence and approval by GAMRIF.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
