Incubation Programme

The incubator's main programme. Applications are open all year through a form on its site, with no cohort dates. Incubation usually runs 12 to 24 months, depending on how far along the startup is.

What you get

• Office space with standard furniture in one of three buildings on campus, offered at a concessional rate
• A meeting and conference room with a projector, Wi-Fi, uninterrupted power, a printer with scanner and a photocopier; computers on monthly rent
• Access to the institute's laboratories, and a library of management books, journals, newspapers and research papers on IT, business, management and trade
• Mentoring from NIT Calicut faculty, industry experts and entrepreneurs, plus visiting IIM faculty on management questions
• Technology counselling on choosing technology, developing the product, improving the process and buying equipment
• Pre-feasibility studies, project appraisal, market research and techno-economic analysis
• Training in entrepreneurship, management and legal compliance
• Help with market access, regulatory compliance, intellectual property and business development
• Introductions into seed-funding schemes and investor networks

Who can apply

• Students, researchers, entrepreneurs, startups, MSMEs, innovators, technology-driven businesses and social enterprises
• You do not need a registered company; the incubator will guide you through registration if you are selected
• The applicant may be a society, a limited company, a partnership or a sole proprietorship
• The business must be technology-based and in an advanced technology area such as information technology, electronics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, agriculture or renewable energy

How selection works: applications are reviewed for how novel and technically workable the idea is, its market potential, the company's competitiveness and adaptability, its growth potential and financial sustainability, whether it can create jobs or revenue, the promoters' record with earlier ventures, whether the business plan is sound, and whether the company genuinely needs an incubator. Once a plan is accepted and the company inducted, an executive and steering committee reviews it periodically.

How to apply: fill the incubation application form on the incubator's site. It asks for the problem and your solution, what is new about it, the technology behind it, competing products and who buys, how far development has got and how long to a prototype or field test, and the funding you are looking for. Questions can go to tbi@nitc.ac.in.