Call For Proposal

“Functional Foods” has been identified as one of the thematic subsectors under the BioE3 Policy for ‘fostering high-performance biomanufacturing’. Functional Foods, novel dietary items enriched with nutrients, dietary fiber, phytochemicals or live microorganisms at safe and efficacious concentrations, offer targeted health enhancing or disease preventing benefits, addressing chronic lifestyle disorders and nutritional deficiencies. Hence, DBT and BIRAC aim to foster an innovative ecosystem to address critical unmet needs in functional food biomanufacturing.

In view of this, DBT and BIRAC invite proposals in the area of functional foods in the following priority areas:

• Functional Foods targeting chronic and difficult-to-manage disorders.
• Functional Foods for cognitive function and mental well-being.
• Functional Foods for inborn errors of metabolism, and mitochondrial and peroxisomal disorders

Proposals should leverage cutting edge biomanufacturing approaches, such as precision fermentation for bioactive and probiotic production, targeted nutraceutical formulation, stabilization technologies, and scalable encapsulation or delivery systems, and will be supported under the following two categories:

Discovery & Application-oriented Integrated Network Research (Expected Outcome - TRL: 3-5):

Under this category, the proposals should focus on proof-of-concept development and applied research to validate the feasibility of innovative ideas and technologies for functional food biomanufacturing in the priority areas enumerated above and to evaluate their functionality, safety, and efficacy.

Bridging the Gaps for Scale-up: (Expected Outcomes - TRL: 5-8)

Under this category, proposals should focus on scaling validated technologies from the laboratory to pilot-scale levels or pre-commercial, focusing on efficiency, functionality, safety, and efficacy, as well as techno-economic viability and sustainability of functional food biomanufacturing in the priority areas enumerated above.

BIRAC TRL definitions - https://www.birac.nic.in/desc_new.php?id=443

• Companies established under the Companies Act 2013 and Startups.
• The Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) incorporated under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008.
• Academic from various Institutions/Universities/Societies/ Trusts/NGOs/Foundations/ Voluntary Organizations, recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO).

Proposals for the Scheme is required to be submitted online only. To submit a proposal online, please log on to the BIRAC website (www.birac.nic.in).

 No Hard Copy to be submitted. Proposals submitted online only would be considered.

Last date for Submission of Proposals: 10th July 2025.

Details of the scheme including eligibility requirements, categories for proposal submission; guidelines for support as grant and loan; agreement templates etc. are available at www.birac.nic.in

Announcement Date: 02-06-2025
Last Submission Date: 10-07-2025