Startup India Seed Fund Scheme at CIIF
A programme by Chitkara Innovation Incubator Foundation (Chitkara Innovation Incubator Foundation)
CIIF is a portfolio incubator under the national Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, which supports proof of concept, prototyping, product trials and market entry.
At a glance
| Best for | Recognised startups incorporated within the last two years, at proof-of-concept through market-entry stage |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – MVP |
| Cost | Free |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (Startup India) |
About Startup India Seed Fund Scheme at CIIF
CIIF describes itself as a portfolio incubator under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and publishes a list of the startups it has funded through it. The scheme itself is national and its terms are set by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, not by CIIF.
What you get
- Support for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialisation, given as a grant and separately as debt or convertible debentures. A startup may take each form once.
Who can apply
- A startup recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, incorporated no more than two years before applying.
- A business idea for a product or service with market fit, viable commercialisation and room to scale.
- Technology at the core of the product, service, business model, distribution model or methodology.
- At least 51 per cent shareholding held by Indian promoters at the time of applying to the incubator.
- You must not already have taken monetary support above the scheme's ceiling under any other central or state government scheme.
- Preference goes to startups working on social impact, waste management, water management, financial inclusion, education, agriculture, food processing, biotechnology, healthcare, energy, mobility, defence, space, railways, oil and gas and textiles.
How to apply: CIIF's scheme page links a seed fund application guide. Because CIIF publishes no dated call of its own here, email ciif@chitkara.edu.in to check whether it is currently taking applications through this route.
Where to apply
Other CIIF programmes
- CIIF Incubation ProgramCIIF's general, rolling intake for early-stage and growth-stage startups, in a resident or a virtual mode.
- DST NIDHI Seed Support ProgramSeed investment for startups already incubated at CIIF, decided by its seed support committee and taken as equity or a convertible instrument.
- NIDHI PRAYAS at CIIFPrototype grants for innovators building a physical product, run by CIIF under the DST NIDHI PRAYAS scheme. The last published deadline has passed.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0 Grant at CIIFA grant for turning a proof of concept into a prototype or minimum viable product, run by CIIF as a centre under MeitY's TIDE 2.0 scheme.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0 Entrepreneur in Residence at CIIFA monthly fellowship for graduates under 25 who want to test a startup idea full time, run by CIIF under MeitY's TIDE 2.0 scheme.
- MeitY GENESIS Entrepreneur in Residence at CIIFA fellowship for first-generation founders from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, run by CIIF as an approved partner incubator under MeitY's GENESIS scheme.
- MeitY GENESIS Pilot Funding Program at CIIFFunding to deploy a market-ready product on a pilot with a large buyer, for Tier-II and Tier-III city startups that already hold the purchase order.
- MeitY GENESIS Matching Investment Program at CIIFEquity-based matching investment for Tier-II and Tier-III city startups that already have an angel or venture capital commitment.
- Chitkara XceleratorCIIF's own three-month cohort accelerator, taking startups from development to go-to-market and ending in a demo day. Between intakes — the last published dates are from 2023.