Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) on Social Innovation at IPTIF | StartupGrantsIndia

Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) on Social Innovation at IPTIF

IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation

Details

Amount

Upto: ₹2,50,000

Deadline

2025-10-20

Provider

IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation

Stage

early Stage

About this Opportunity

The Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) on Social Innovation is a unique, intensive 12-month fellowship program designed to empower early-stage founders and innovators creating transformative, technology-enabled solutions for Tier 3/4 cities, rural areas, and underserved communities. This initiative is a partnership between IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation (IPTIF) and Buimerc India Foundation.

Fellows receive a dual benefit package: a monthly fellowship stipend to support their commitment and a prototyping grant of ₹2.5 Lakhs. The program provides hands-on support, expert mentorship, access to cutting-edge prototyping facilities, and crucial connections with investors and partners to accelerate the venture's journey from concept to sustainable social impact.

Eligibility

Must be 21+ years old.
Must be a researcher, professional, or social innovator with a strong commitment to developing technology-enabled social solutions.
Startups must be less than 1 year old, legally registered under any form (Private Limited, LLP, Partnership, or NGO/Social Enterprise).
Must be at the early stage (Idea or Proof-of-Concept) without significant revenues or institutional funding.
Must be founder-led and actively working on the proposed innovation.
Must align with focus areas (Health, Education, Environment/Climate, Agriculture/Rural livelihoods, Assistive/Gender-Inclusive Technologies, etc.).
Must demonstrate a clear social problem addressed, with emphasis on inclusivity and benefit to underserved communities.
Solution must leverage or plan to integrate technology (IoT, AI, automation, low-cost engineering, digital tools, etc.) as a differentiator.
Must commit to the 12-month program cycle including mentoring, workshops, and demo events (Residency Commitment).
Should not be enrolled in another full-time incubation/acceleration program during the EiR period (unless formally approved).
Must not have received any other funding for the same project.

How to Apply

Application: Complete and submit the application through the provided online form.
Evaluation: Applications are evaluated based on their impact orientation, technology differentiation, and feasibility.
Selection: The cohort is announced by the last week of November 2025.
Program Start: Program implementation, including the monthly fellowship and grant disbursement, begins by December 2025.

Apply Online Contact via Email