BIRAC-New

The Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) scheme of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology was launched in 2005 to boost Public-Private- Partnership (PPP) efforts in the country. SBIRI was the first of its kind, early stage, innovation focused PPP initiative in the area of Biotechnology. Launching of SBIRI has worked as an enabling platform for the target organizations to realize their potential in terms of product and process development and taking them to the market. It has facilitated innovation, risk taking by small and medium companies and bringing together the private industry, public institutions and the government under one roof to promote the research and innovation in the Indian Biotech Sector. The projects supported under the scheme have resulted in prominent outcomes in the form of some products which have already come to the market and some promising research leads seeing ray of hope for commercialization.

As a unique institutional mechanism, SBIRI has consistently prioritized early stage funding for high risk innovative research in small and medium companies led by innovators with science backgrounds to get them involved in development of products and processes which have high societal relevance.

 

The SBIRI aims to

  • strengthen those existing private industrial units whose product development is based on in-house innovative R&D
  • encourage other smaller businesses to increase their R&D capabilities and capacity
  • create opportunities for starting new technology-based or knowledge-based businesses by science entrepreneurs
  • stimulate technological innovation

 

The SBIRI objectives

  • to provide support for early stage, pre-proof-of-concept research in biotechnology by industry,
  • to support new indigenous technologies particularly those related to societal needs in the healthcare, food and nutrition, agriculture and other sectors,
  • to nurture and mentor innovative and emerging technologies/entrepreneurs, to assist new enterprises to forge appropriate linkages with academia and government

 

Who can apply?

The proposals can be submitted

  1. Solely by a Company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 or
  2. Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) incorporated under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 or
  3. Joint Ventures either in the form of Company/ LLP by any of the above entities jointly with other private or public partner(s) (Universities or Institutes).

 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR INDUSTRY

  • Minimum 51% of the shares of the Company should be held by Indian Citizens holding Indian passport (Indian Citizens do not include Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) holders)
  • Minimum half of the persons who subscribed their names to the LLP document as its Partners should be Indian citizens.
  • Participating companies should have adequate in-house facility to address the project implementation aspects (which shall be evaluated during the site visit)  OR  Incubated with any of the recognized Incubation Facility.

 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR ACADEMIC COLLABORATOR

 

  • Public/private university/colleges in India
  • National research laboratories
  • Not-for-profit private research labs/societies/foundation

 

Impact of SBIRI (data as on 31st January, 2024)

 

Call Announced: 53
Employment Generated: 743
Beneficiaries supported: 429
Projects supported: 337
Funds committed: Rs 576 Crores
IP Filed: 48
Products/technologies developed/commercialized: 87

 

Call for proposals

 

There are two call for proposals in a year.

  • 1st April– 15th May
  • 1st September – 15th October

Besides two regular calls, BIRAC may also announce need-based additional calls whose terms and conditions would be worked out separately and described in their respective RFPs.

 

1 - SBIRI - Complete Scheme Document

2 - SBIRI - Operational Mechanism

 

3 - Funding Guidelines

4 - Proforma for Project Submission

5 - Other Documents

 

                            (I)  Company+Institute_Both receiving funds form BIRAC

                            (II) Company Only receiving funds from BIRAC

                            (III) Company+Institute_Only Company receiving Fund from BIRAC