NGO and Foundation Programmes in Maharashtra
19 NGO and foundation programmes in Maharashtra. Foundations and non-profits run support programmes for startups that serve a social or development goal, and they often give grants or mentoring rather than taking equity. Check the impact focus and the eligibility of each programme, since many are limited to particular sectors, regions or groups of founders.
Drone Federation of India (DFI)
India's not-for-profit trade body for drones and counter-drones — the route in is paid annual membership, not an application.
Visa Foundation
Corporate foundation of Visa Inc. deploying grants and impact investments to support financial inclusion and women-led micro and small businesses globally.
Wildlife Conservation Trust
Wildlife conservation trust set up in Mumbai in 2002. Runs the WCT-BEES Grants Programme, which gives small grants for conservation research and grassroots projects in India.
Zone Startups India
Mumbai incubator run by the BIL Ryerson Technology Startup Incubator Foundation, operating as Zone Startups India, with a year-long incubation programme and a fintech accelerator run with IFSCA.
Marico Innovation Foundation
Marico Limited's not-for-profit foundation in Mumbai. It runs the Indian Innovation Icons awards and Scale-Up, an equity-free mentoring accelerator for Indian startups.
Chamber for Small & Medium Businesses, Mumbai
An organization supporting small and medium businesses through networking, advocacy, and growth programs.
TiE Mumbai
The Mumbai chapter of TiE, a non-profit entrepreneurs' network — members get one-to-one mentoring, closed-door investor sessions and the annual TiEcon Mumbai conference.
MCIII
Plug-and-play start-up incubator on the campus of Marathwada Mitramandal's College of Engineering, Karvenagar, Pune.
BioNEST DMIHER
Biotech and medtech incubator in Wardha and Nagpur, hosted by ITE Research Foundation on the Datta Meghe DMIHER campus, with labs, workspace and expert mentoring.
Confederation of Indian Innovators and Incubators (CIII)
A Nagpur-based Section 8 not-for-profit running an entrepreneurship development certification programme in affiliation with ICTRD.
TISS Incube Foundation
Incubator for social enterprises based at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, with an 18-month programme for social ventures.
SCEI
A technology business incubator in Pune, run as a not-for-profit section 8 company promoted by Symbiosis International University, for early-stage manufacturing and technology start-ups.
AmpliNxt
A Section 8 foundation in Pune running non-equity cohort programmes for startups in the built-environment sector.
Fintech OI
A fintech ecosystem initiative in India, run as a newsletter with events and a market-access programme for foreign fintechs.
Reliance Foundation
Reliance Foundation runs scholarships for students, online skilling courses and a fellowship for social-sector women, and has run grant calls for non-profits. Most of its programmes are not for startups.
SBI Foundation
CSR arm of State Bank of India, running scholarships and initiatives for women entrepreneurs, incubators and youth.
Atal Incubation Centre- Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) Foundation
Atal Incubation Centre in Thane, run by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini Foundation, for early founders in agriculture, education, ICT and social enterprise.
Jagriti Yatra
A 15-day, 8000-km entrepreneurship train journey across India for selected youth and experienced facilitators, run by a non-profit.
TiE Nagpur
Nagpur chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs: mentoring, networking and the TiE University competition for student founders.
Wider lists
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Using NGO and foundation programmes in Maharashtra
Foundations and non-profits support startups that advance a social or development goal: health, education, livelihoods, climate and similar. What they offer is usually mentoring, networks and sometimes grant money, and they often take no equity, which suits ventures whose first aim is impact rather than a venture-scale return.
Their programmes are narrower than a general incubator. Many are limited to a theme, a region or a group of founders, and they ask you to show the impact you intend and how you will measure it. A clear description of who benefits and how you will know it has worked counts for more here than a growth forecast.
The NGO and foundation programmes in Maharashtra listed above vary in format, from a short fellowship to a long incubation, and in how often they take applications. Read the eligibility and the application window on each profile and prepare one clear impact statement that you adapt to each.
The numbers on this page
- 19 of the 408 organisations we list in Maharashtra (5%) are tagged "NGO / Foundation".
- By stage focus, the most common are Ideation (4), Validation (3) and Early Revenue (2).
- By sector, the most listed are Social Impact (3), FinTech (2) and Agriculture (1).
- By city, most are in Mumbai (10), Pune (3) and Nagpur (2).
- Many are also tagged Incubator (7) and Accelerator (1), so the same organisation can appear on more than one list.
- 2 of 19 offer coworking space on site.
What to confirm with an NGO or foundation programme
- Which theme, sector or geography does it fund or support?
- Is the support a grant, mentoring, a fellowship or something else?
- Does it take equity, or require a particular legal structure?
- How does it want you to describe and measure impact?
- When do applications open and close?
- What reporting does it expect after you are selected?
Frequently asked questions
How many NGO and foundation programmes are there in Maharashtra?
We list 19 NGO and foundation programmes in Maharashtra, out of 408 startup support organisations we list there. The count updates as profiles are added and verified.
Where in Maharashtra are most NGO and foundation programmes based?
Counting the profiles on this page, most are in Mumbai (10), Pune (3) and Nagpur (2).
Do NGO and foundation programmes take equity?
Many do not, but terms vary. Some give grants, some give mentoring and networks only, and a few invest. Each programme states its terms; confirm them before you apply.
Can a for-profit startup apply to an NGO or foundation programme in Maharashtra?
Often yes, if the work fits the programme's theme, but some are open only to registered non-profits. The eligibility section on each profile or application page tells you which applies.