CM-ELEVATE Programme, Government of Meghalaya

Choosing a scheme

• Early-stage startups working on a new idea or prototype: the Kick Start Grant.
• Startups with existing revenue that want to scale: the Scale-up Innovation Loan. It is a loan, not a grant.
• Registered micro or small enterprises adopting technology or upgrading infrastructure: the Small Support Grant.
• High-impact innovations with potential for sector-wide impact: the InnoVenture Grant.
• Business ventures in sectors the category schemes do not cover: Any Business Venture.
• Startups that want a pitch and a 9-month incubation: the CM's E-Championship Challenge. Watch its incubation page, since the 7.0 round closed on 15 September 2026.

How applications work

• CM-ELEVATE and Any Business Venture are applied for through MeghalayaOne.
• PRIME's funding schemes are applied for through the Entrepreneur Portal on the PRIME website. A 2023 launch report described a single-window portal, and the pages do not say how the two routes relate, so confirm the route with PRIME first.
• The funding pages state no application window.

How selection works

• For the pitch challenge, one hundred entrepreneurs are selected for the 7.0 round, and every one of them joins the 9-month incubation.
• Other pages give different cohort sizes for the challenge. They do not reconcile the figures.

PRIME (Promotion and Incubation of Market-driven Enterprises) is the Government of Meghalaya's hub for entrepreneurs, based in Shillong. It runs state funding schemes for startups and small enterprises and a pitch challenge with a 9-month incubation. Its website also carries CM-ELEVATE, a scheme for business ventures in Meghalaya.

How the programmes work

The funding page lists four schemes. The Kick Start Grant is non-returnable and supports research and development that turns early concepts into market-ready solutions. The Small Support Grant supports technology adoption and infrastructure upgrades. The InnoVenture Grant funds innovations with potential for sector-wide or cross-sectoral impact. The Scale-up Innovation Loan is a zero-interest loan for scaling operations, refining business models and expanding market reach.

The CM's E-Championship Challenge is PRIME's pitch challenge, run with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. The selected cohort joins a dedicated 9-month intensive incubation programme, with structured support to launch, grow and become funding-ready. Every selected entrepreneur receives a Business Support Grant. The incubation page gives a higher grant for the top 50 entrepreneurs and a lower one for the next 50. An April 2024 update describes a single grant figure for an earlier edition, and the pages do not say whether the tiers changed. Applications for the 7.0 round closed on 15 September 2026.

CM-ELEVATE is a scheme for business ventures in Meghalaya, and its applications are processed through MeghalayaOne, the Government of Meghalaya's unified e-services portal. Its pages describe the support as a share of project cost. A 2023 launch report instead quotes the Chief Minister describing term loans, and the pages do not reconcile the two, so confirm the instrument before you plan around it. Any Business Venture is a flexible scheme listed on the CM-ELEVATE page for entrepreneurs across all sectors not covered by the specific category schemes.

Who can apply

Eligibility depends on the scheme. The Kick Start Grant is for early-stage startups working on novel ideas or prototypes. The Scale-up Innovation Loan is for startups with existing revenue and demonstrated traction. The Small Support Grant is for registered, operating micro and small enterprises. The InnoVenture Grant is open to individuals, startups and organisations with high-impact innovations. The pitch challenge is for startups and entrepreneurs who pitch for a place in the cohort.

Scale

The about page says PRIME selects and incubates 75 startups a year. The CM's E-Championship Challenge 7.0 page says one hundred entrepreneurs are selected. The pages do not reconcile these figures, and both describe capacity rather than results. The CM-ELEVATE page states an aim of 20,000 entrepreneurs. Its launch coverage gives a different period for that aim, so no period is stated here.

Who runs it

PRIME is a Government of Meghalaya body. IIM Calcutta Innovation Park is its partner on the pitch challenge, and its staff led sessions at the February 2026 bootcamp.

Locations

PRIME's contact page gives its office as 4th Floor, MTC Building, Police Bazaar, Shillong. Its grievance page gives a different postal address for grievance correspondence. The bootcamp for the top 75 startups in cohort 6 ran from 2 to 4 February 2026 at Iora, Pynthorbah, Shillong.