BioNEST — Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies
A programme by BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council)
BIRAC's scheme for funding bio-incubators — the network a biotech founder joins, though the application goes to the incubator, not to BIRAC.
At a glance
| Best for | Institutions establishing or running a bio-incubator — startups join through the incubator, not through BIRAC |
|---|---|
| Format | In person |
| Cost | Free |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
About BioNEST — Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies
BioNEST is how BIRAC puts benches under biotech founders without running a lab itself. The scheme supports organisations to establish and operate bio-incubators, either standalone or inside an academic institution. BIRAC's page lists 73 supported bio-incubators with a cumulative 1,102,430 sq ft, of which about 160,000 sq ft is equipped with high-end instrumentation; the homepage gives different figures, 94 centres and 1,034,470 sq ft, without explaining the difference. Hosts include C-CAMP, IKP Knowledge Park, SINE at IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, AIIMS Delhi, Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre, KIIT-TBI, the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, the University of Hyderabad and several NIPER campuses. No call for new incubators was open when we last checked; the last national call closed in March 2024.
What you get
- For a startup incubated in the network: incubation space, access to high-end instrumentation, connections between industry and academia, technical and business mentorship, and enabling services covering IP and technology management, legal and contracts, resource mobilisation and networking.
- For a host institution: support to establish and run the incubator, and an efficient governance model.
Who can apply
- The scheme itself is for organisations setting up or running a bio-incubator, standalone or as part of an academic institution.
- If you are a startup, you do not apply to BioNEST. Pick the BioNEST incubator nearest you from BIRAC's published list and apply to that incubator on its own terms.
How selection works: proposals go before a BioNEST APEX Committee, and BIRAC publishes the results of its meetings on the scheme page.
How to apply: register on the BIRAC portal and submit online during a call. A step-by-step submission guide and the BioNEST guidelines are linked from the scheme page.
Where to apply
Other BIRAC programmes
- BIG — Biotechnology Ignition GrantBIRAC's flagship grant for early-stage biotech startups, funding the work of taking an idea to proof of concept over up to 18 months.
- i4 — SBIRI and BIPPCost-shared grant funding for Indian companies and LLPs with in-house R&D, from early validation through to pre-commercialisation.
- PACE — Promoting Academic Research Conversion to EnterpriseGrant funding for academic institutions to take research to proof of concept, and for an industry partner to validate it.
- SITARE — Students Innovations for Translation & Advancement of Research ExplorationsAward grants for student biotech projects with commercial potential, plus residential ignition schools for undergraduates.
- E-YUVAFellowships and research grants for students and young researchers, hosted at E-YUVA Centres inside universities and institutes.
- SEED FundBIRAC's first equity exposure for post-proof-of-concept biotech startups, deployed by partner BioNEST incubators.
- LEAP FundEquity for biotech startups moving from proof of concept to pilot and commercialisation, deployed by six partner incubators.
- Fund of Funds — AcEBIRAC invests in SEBI-registered alternative investment funds, which in turn invest in biotech startups and SMEs.
- SPARSH — Social Innovation Programme for ProductsFellowships and kick-start grants for biotech innovators working on affordable products for societal health. Currently between calls.
- Product Commercialization Program FundFunding for market launch and large-scale commercialisation of validated BIRAC-supported technologies. The call is currently closed.
- IP and Technology Management supportBIRAC's in-house IP cell offers patent searches, drafting and filing help, technology transfer and patent assistance funding to biotech startups, SMEs and academia.