The “Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG)” is a flagship scheme of BIRAC which recognizes and invests in innovative ideas in the biotech sector. BIG scheme supports individual entrepreneurs/ start-ups from ideation to Proof of Concept.
The “Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG)” is a flagship scheme of BIRAC which recognizes and invests in innovative ideas in the biotech sector. BIG scheme supports individual entrepreneurs/ start-ups from ideation to Proof of Concept.
The “Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG)” is a flagship scheme of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), (a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India), which recognizes and invests in innovative ideas in the biotech sector. The ideas should have clear potential to translate into commercial products/technologies. BIG supports individual entrepreneurs/ start-ups from ideation to Proof of Concept (PoC).
> Purpose of the BIG scheme:
Supports ideation to Proof of Concept
Nurtures entrepreneurship to enable translation of ideas into commercially viable products/ technologies to address unmet need
Enables Biotech Startup Ecosystem in the country to become globally competitive
> Types of projects supported:
BIG scheme supports innovation under Healthcare, Lifesciences, Diagnostics, Medical Devices, Drugs, Vaccines, Drug Formulations and delivery systems, Industrial Biotechnology, Agriculture, Secondary agriculture, Waste Management, Sanitation, Clean Energy, and related areas.
The project proposals can be submitted in any of the following seven categories:
Devices & Diagnostics
Drugs including drug delivery
Industrial Biotechnology including Secondary Agriculture
Agriculture
Biosimilars & Stem Cells
Vaccines
Bioinformatics & facilities
BIRAC encourages proposals involving integration of Biotech with applied sciences that may include Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Sensors, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, Machine Learning, Automation, Robotics, and related disciplines to potentially facilitate transforming healthcare, life sciences, agriculture, secondary agriculture, and other bio-based industry/ markets.
> Types of projects not supported:
Basic/exploratory research projects
Projects having a low element of novelty
Projects involving systematic clinical trials, field trials or late-stage validation/certification of the technology.
Note: BIG grant is not a research fellowship and cannot be used to support PhD or any other academic research.
> Project Duration:
The funding is provided for a period of up to 18 months. The project is implemented in a milestone-based manner.
Support provided to grantees under the scheme:
1. Under the BIG scheme, BIRAC provides a grant-in-aid of up to INR 50 lakhs (approx. USD 75,000) for a period of 18 months.
2. BIG Partners and BIRAC provide continuous mentoring support to the grantees, including but not limited to the following:
Technical Mentoring (Connect with Technical Experts)
IP Support
Legal Support
Networking and Outreach
Trainings
Regulatory Advice
Business Mentoring
Connect with Investors
Any other assistance on a case basis
Step 1: Online — Step 01
BIRAC issues a national call inviting applications under BIG at least twice a year (1st of January & 1st of July). The Call for Proposals is advertised through one or more means that may include the BIRAC website, newspapers, journals, and magazines. The Call for Proposals is typically open for a period of up to one and a half months.
Step 2: Online — Step 02
Application for BIG needs to be submitted online ONLY through the BIRAC website www.birac.nic.in.
Step 3: Online — Step 03
For proposal submission, the applicant can register on the BIRAC website under “BIG User”.
Step 4: Online — Step 04
The eligible applicants can fill up and submit their applications by visiting the official website. Note 01: The BIG Scheme is implemented across the country through BIRAC’s BIG Partners. The Call will mention the names of BIG Partners for the particular call. Names of the BIG Partners and their responsibilities are mentioned in Annexure 2. Note 02: Applicants are advised to provide sufficient details in their applications to allow for an informed and fair evaluation/review. Note 03: Requests for changes in a proposal once submitted will not be entertained. Note 04: Providing incorrect information intentionally is viewed adversely and may lead to disqualification. > Selection process: BIG selection is a multi-tier process involving the following steps:
Step 1: Online — Step 01
Eligibility Check: BIG Partners screen the applications for eligibility requirements as laid out in the scheme document and appropriateness under the BIG scheme.
Step 2: Online — Step 02
Examination by Preliminary Selection Committee (PSC): The PSC examines all eligible proposals on the following contours: • Scheme fit • Availability of adequate technical details which are minimally required for online review • Plagiarism
Step 3: Online — Step 03
Online review by subject matter experts: Proposals recommended by PSC are reviewed online by 3 or more subject matter experts.
Step 4: Online — Step 04
Presentation before Thematic Technical Expert Panel (TEP): Based on expert reviews, shortlisted applications are called for a Face-to-face presentation before the Technical Expert Panel (TEP). The TEPs are conducted in a thematic manner where all proposals of a particular theme are evaluated together by a common committee. All proposals are scored by individual TEP Experts and the Geometric Mean of Individual Scores is used to arrive at the final score for a particular proposal. • Proposals with score ≥60 are considered at the next step (ESC) • Proposals with score <60 are not considered further
Step 5: Online — Step 05
Scoring Cut-off decision by the Expert Selection Committee (ESC): ESC takes the final decision with regard to the cut-off score for final selection. Proposals above the decided cut-off will be considered for further due diligence. ESC may choose to have either the same or differential scoring cut off across the themes.
Step 6: Online — Step 06
ESC-recommended applications are then subjected to final financial and technical due diligence by the BIG Partner. This may require a visit by BIG partner representative(s) to the applicant’s site and involves the following steps: • Reconfirming eligibility by verification of original documents • Legal, technical, and financial due diligence • Confirming applicant’s claimed resources: Space, equipment, manpower, advisors, incubation services, samples, etc. • Confirming compliance strategy with regard to safety, ethics, waste disposal, etc. • Confirming for any special guidance by ESC • Justification of budget (usually by verifying quotations); meeting budget caps and other requirements • Finalization of milestones, budget, and payment schedule; defining clear measurable milestones. > Indicative evaluation criteria: BIG Proposals are reviewed on the following parameters during online review and TEP Stage: 1. Unmet Need (max 20) 2. Value Proposition/Differentiation (max 20) 3. Technical Viability (max 30) 4. Team Strength/Passion (max 15) 5. Business Perspective (max 15) • Potential • Clarity/Team’s view • Commercialization Potential (Yes/No) Registration guidelines for BIG Scheme(Company/Individual)
Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) Scheme is grant-in-aid funding to support individuals and startups in the field of Biotechnology. The BIG scheme invests in ideas that have clear potential to translate into commercial products/technologies. The scheme provides funding, mentorship, access to incubation, and other support for ideation to proof of concept. Funding will be in the form of Grant-in-Aid up to [?]50 Lakhs. So, if you have an idea, a strong rationale supporting it, addressing an unmet need, you can apply for BIG funding to progress from ideation to Proof-of-concept.
Healthcare, Life sciences including Drugs, Biologics, Delivery systems, Medical Devices, Diagnostics, Biomaterials, others; Industrial Biotechnology including enzymes, biofertilizers, bioprocesses, waste treatment, others; Agriculture and allied areas such as Nutrition, Fisheries, Poultry, Sericulture, Animal Husbandry, Aquaponics, others; Waste to value; Sanitation; Biofuels, Clean Energy; Bioservices and Bioanalytics including Big Data, Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Automation integrated in Biotech applications
The BIG award provides funding support for buying equipment, reagents, and components, hiring skilled manpower for team building, travel, incubation charges, rentals, engaging services, etc. in the 18 months period of the BIG grant. During the BIG tenure, BIRAC extends several networking opportunities to connect with experts, mentors, industry, investors, peer-to-peer learning, specialized training & workshops, and exposure to various platforms on a merit basis. These opportunities are made available through BIRAC's ecosystem-supporting partners including BIG partners, BioNEST clusters, and a huge network of extended partners.
Individual Entrepreneur, a registered Startup including LLP.
No, only Indians with Indian passports are eligible to apply for this scheme. OCIs are not eligible to apply.
No, the Project leader must have completed basic graduation at the time of application submission.
Yes, if you are pursuing translational research leading to the formation of a startup. As a procedural requirement, you are required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your institute/employer. Faculty members who are not willing to create a Startup within the BIG term of 18 months are encouraged to apply under other schemes of BIRAC for Faculty.
Yes, you can apply as an individual but need to provide an undertaking that you will terminate your association with the current employer and take up the project full time, if selected. Or, your application should be submitted under the Company/LLP category with the employer company being the applicant company.
The date of incorporation of the Company/LLP should not be earlier than 5 years from the date of BIG Call launch.
Yes, the Project Leader must be a shareholder in the applicant company .
There is no such criterion of minimum percentage.
No, the legal entity should be a company registered under the Companies Act.
No, Institutes/Universities are not eligible to apply for this scheme. Students may be eligible to apply.
No, the legal entity should be a company registered under the Companies Act.
No, DSIR certification is not needed to apply for this scheme.
Only online applications are accepted. To apply under BIG Scheme, applicant needs to register on BIRAC website "https://www.birac.nic.in/desc_new.php?id=327"under 'New User' and submit the application.
Please use a different user name and e-mail id for submitting BIG proposal.
The indicative criteria for evaluation of an application include Unmet need, Value proposition/differentiation, Technical viability, Team strength. Proposed product/ technology must have Commercialization Potential.
It is 4 tier selection process. All eligible applications go through following steps: a. Preliminary Selection Committee (PSC) screens the proposals for scheme fit, adequacy of details, and plagiarism b. The PSC-recommended proposals are then reviewed Online by subject experts c. The recommended applicants are then called for F2F presentations before the Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP). The proposal will be scored on a scale of 100. d. Expert Selection Committee (ESC) will decide the final cutoff of marks and recommend the proposals for BIG funding.
It typically takes 4 months for the final announcement of BIG results from closing of the call. You will be updated at each stage by BIG Partners about your application status.
The project must complete within 18 months
No, but only ONE will be eventually funded. It is encouraged to submit the best one proposal (the most prioritized) by the applicant. Submitting more than one project reflects poorly on the applicant's ability to prioritize options.
A Guide or Mentor is mostly preferable but not mandatory.
An Incubator is defined as a facility designed for housing R&D-driven start-up companies or individual incubatees. It typically provides the incubation space, access to equipment, mentoring, and other required services to start-up companies/individuals for their initial growth. An Incubatee is defined as an individual or a company located in an Incubator and availing its services after formally associating with the incubator.
No. Only a Letter of Intent for incubation from an incubator shall suffice. It is applicant's discretion to choose any of the 50 BIRAC's BioNEST incubators / BIRAC's BIG partner incubators / any other incubator present in the country.
Write to the incubator where you intend to incubate.
Incubator is a center that has the required lab infrastructure, required network to support your proposed BIG work. Certain BioNEST incubators have been officially recognized as BIRAC's BIG Partners. These incubators are mandated to implent the BIG Scheme (Facilitate and mentor the aspirant applicants and BIG grantees). BIG Partners are responsible for initial screening of the proposal, technical due diligence, financial due diligence, project monitoring, fund disbursement, arranging for workshops etc.
The Incubators should have a legal status i.e. should be either a registered society or a registered trust or a registered company.
Yes, but it is NOT mandatory. You may choose to incubate at the incubator of your choice. This may include BIG partner or any other incubator offering facilities and services required for the execution of your project. a) BIRAC supported BioNEST Bio Incubators list can be viewed here:<https://www.birac.nic.in/bionest.php>
The applicant will receive the fund in a separate dedicated, auditable no-lien account. The fund disbursement is linked with milestones through BIRAC's BIG Partners.
BIG grantees on successful progression to commercialization are required to pay 5% royalty on net sales of the product/technology developed through BIRAC support till the time such royalty payment becomes equivalent to the grant-in aid assistance disbursed by BIRAC for the Project.
Confidentiality is maintained for all the proposals that are received under different schemes. All the external reviewers sign a non-disclosure agreement and no conflict agreement before viewing the proposals.
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