Startup India Seed Fund Scheme

The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme puts money into startups early enough that investors and banks are not an option yet, with the aim of getting them to a point where they are. FIRST publishes the scheme and reports startups it has funded under it. No intake window or deadline is published.

What you get

• Seed support for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialisation.
• It comes as a grant and as debt or convertible debentures, each available once under the scheme's rules.

Who can apply

• Startups recognised by DPIIT and incorporated not more than two years before applying. You get DPIIT recognition from Startup India first.
• You need a product or service with market fit, a viable route to commercialisation and room to scale.
• Technology has to be at the core of the product, the service, the business model, the distribution model or the method.
• Indian promoters must hold at least fifty-one per cent of the shares when you apply.
• You must not already have taken more than the scheme's ceiling of support from another central or state government scheme. Prize money, subsidised space, a founder allowance and lab or prototyping access do not count against it.
• Preference goes to startups in social impact, waste and water management, financial inclusion, education, agriculture, food processing, biotechnology, healthcare, energy, mobility, defence, space, railways, oil and gas and textiles.

How to apply: Read the scheme guidelines linked on FIRST's page, then use its Apply Now route.