SUPPORT TO TRAINING AND

EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME FOR

WOMEN (STEP)
The STEP Programme aims to increase the self-reliance and
autonomy of women by enhancing their productivity and
enabling them to take up income generation activities. It
provides training for skill upgradation to poor and asset less
women in the traditional sector viz. agriculture, animal
husbandry, dairying, fisheries, hand looms, handicrafts, khadi
and village industries, social forestry and wasteland
development.

Objectives
1. To mobilize women in small viable groups and make
facilities available through training and access to credit.

2. To provide training for skill upgradation.

3. To enable groups of women to take up employment-cum-

income generation programmes by providing backward and
forward linkages.

4. To provide support services for further improving training

and employment conditions of women.
Implementing Agencies
The scheme is implemented through Public Sector Organization,
District Rural Development Agencies, Federations, Co-
operatives and Voluntary Organisation registered under the
societies Registration Act, 1860 or under the corresponding
State Acts.
Recipients of financial assistance under STEP are required to be
bodies, organizations or agencies working in rural areas,
although their headquarters may be located in an urban areas.

Target Group/ Beneficiaries

The target group to be covered under the STEP Programme
includes marginalised, assetless rural women and the urban poor.
This includes wage labourers, unpaid daily workers, female
headed households, migrant labourers, tribal and other
dispossessed groups, with special focus on SC/ST households
and families below the poverty line.

Pattern of Assistance
(a) 100 Per cent assistance
1. Project staff and administrative cost.
2. Training-stipend, training of trainers, skill upgradation
reinforcement, training-cum-production centers and raw
material for training.
3. Support to members for formation of co-operative societies,
producers, workers co-operatives leading to formal legal
organisation.
4. Support services-education, general awareness, health-care,
sanitation, nutrition/creche facilities for dependent children,
wherever convergence of these services are not available will be
provided as part of the project cost.
5. Marketing support - marketing/sales personnel, stock
provision and buyers credit godowns, marketing outlets, quality
control and managerial support;

(b) 50 per cent assistance

Construction of individual worksheds and production centres
not related with training 50 percent of the total cost on this
complement will be borne by the Government of India and 50
per cent will have to be borne by the implementing agency.

( c) Working capital/raw material requirements Financial

assistance will be provided for working capital and raw material
in a phased manner starting with 100 per cent during the first
year, 50 per cent in the second year and 30 per cent in the third
year of the project.
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance
Council (BIRAC)

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)

is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector
Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT),
Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and
empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic
research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product
development needs.

BIRAC - An Industry-Academia Interface

BIRAC is an industry-academia interface and implements its

mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives, be it
providing access to risk capital through targeted funding,
technology transfer, IP management and handholding schemes
that help bring innovation excellence to the biotech firms and
make them globally competitive.
In its Eight years of existence, BIRAC has initiated several
schemes, networks and platforms that help to bridge the existing
gaps in the industry-academia Innovation research and facilitate
novel, high quality affordable products development through
cutting edge technologies. BIRAC has initiated partnerships
with several national and global partners to collaborate and
deliver the salient features of its mandate.

Vision
“To stimulate, foster and enhance the strategic research and
innovation capabilities of the Indian biotech industry,
particularly start-ups and SME’s, for creation of affordable
products addressing the needs of the largest section of society”

Key Strategies
 Foster innovation and entrepreneurship
 Promote affordable innovation in key social sectors
 Empowerment of start-ups & small and medium enterprises
 Contribute through partners for capability enhancement and
diffusion of innovation
 Enable commercialization of discovery
 Ensure global competitiveness of Indian enterprises

BIRAC's Programmes

Incubation

Bio-incubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling

Technologies (Bio-NEST)
Bio-NEST was launched by BIRAC with a vision that focused
on fostering the biotech innovation ecosystem in the country.

Unlike startups in the IT sector, enterprising ideas in the biotech

sector need incubation support of a different kind where they
need a landing space to test their ideas, run their operations,
have access to high end instrumentation and locate in a place
where they connect with other startups and mentors. Bio-NEST
program provides support to establish bio-incubators either as a
standalone entity or as a part of the academia.

Ideation to Early Stage

Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG)
BIG is flagship programme of BIRAC, which provides the right
admixture of fuel and support to young startups and
entrepreneurial individuals. BIG is the largest early stage
biotech funding programme in India. The purpose of BIG
Scheme is to:

• Foster generation of ideas with commercialisation

potential
• Upscale and validate of proof of concept
• Encourage researchers to take technology closer to market
through a start up
• Stimulate enterprise formation
As part of this scheme, successful BIG Innovators receive up to
INR 50 lakh (USD 70,000 approx) for research projects with
commercialization potential with duration of up to 18 months.

Students Innovations for Translation & Advancement

of Research Explorations (SITARE)
SITARE Scheme is aimed at supporting innovative student
projects in the area of biotechnology. The scheme’s mandate is
to promote and encourage young students for embracing
translational research (defined under Section 4) to develop
innovative products and technologies addressing unmet needs.

SITARE-GYTI Award Grant is not a usual research fellowship.

The scheme also provides an opportunity for orientation,
training and mentoring through residential workshops etc.
The scheme has two components:

• SITARE-Gandhian Young Technological Innovation

Award Grant (SITARE-GYTI): 15 innovative student
projects will receive funding support of upto INR 15 lakhs
each. SITARE-GYTI encourages postgraduate and
doctoral students to undertake projects with commercial
potential leading to creation of biotech startups. The fund
recipients are recognized as BIRAC’s SITARE-GYTI
beneficiaries.
 • SITARE-Appreciation Grant: Residential workshops
called as Biotech Innovation Ignition School (BIIS) for
undergraduate students are organized to provide hands-on-
technical training and mentorship for problem
identification in 3-4 weeks duration. Out of 30-40 students
per workshop, 10 students are selected and provided a
grant support of up to INR 1 lakh each to encourage their
inquisitiveness and sustained efforts. The recipients are
recognized as BIRAC’s SITARE-Appreciation
beneficiaries. In a year, 3 such workshops are conducted.

Encouraging Youth for Undertaking Innovative Research

through Vibrant Acceleration (E-YUVA)
E-Yuva Scheme aims to promote a culture of applied research
and need-oriented (societal or industry) entrepreneurial
innovation among young students and researchers.
The scheme is implemented through E-YUVA Centres (EYCs)
to inculcate entrepreneurial culture through fellowship, pre-
incubation and mentoring support. EYCs are housed within the
University / Institute set up and mentored by a BIRAC
BioNEST supported bio-incubator..

BIRAC supported EYCs encompass the following:

• Pre-incubation space (3000 sq. ft. or more)

 • Manage fellowships for students as per categories
mentioned above
• Conduct Entrepreneurial Awareness Workshops for
students

The scheme provides support for students under following two

categories:

• BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows (for post graduates and

above)
• BIRAC’s E-Yuva Fellows (for under graduate students)

Ideation to Late Stage

The programme Intensifying the Impact of Industrial Innovation
(i4) has been initiated to support biotechnological product /
technology development by strengthening R&D capabilities of
start-ups / companies / LLPs.

The programme provides impetus for pulling the translational

ideas past PoC and taking them further along the innovation
chain for validation, scale-up, demonstration and pre-
commercialization of products and technologies.

The programme is operated through two schemes:

 • Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP)
• Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI)

Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP)

BIPP is a government partnership with Industries for support on

a cost sharing basis for path-breaking research in frontier
futuristic technology areas having major economic potential and
making the Indian industry globally competitive. It is focused on
IP creation with ownership retained by Indian industry and
wherever relevant, by collaborating scientists.

BIPP supports the development of appropriate technologies in

the context of recognized national priorities. Proposals are
invited under 7 broad themes:

• Drugs including drug delivery

• Vaccines and clinical trials
• Biosimilars and stem cells
• Devices and diagnostics
• Agriculture
• Industrial biotechnology including secondary agriculture
• Bioinformatics and facilities that virtually cover every
aspect of biotechnology
Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI)

The 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 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

The proposals can be submitted

• Solely by a Company incorporated under the Companies

Act, 2013 or
• Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) incorporated under the
Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 or
• 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)

Translation Research

Promoting Academic Research Conversion to Enterprise

(PACE)
Biotechnological research and development in India is largely
carried out by academic institutions (universities/research
organizations) and to some extent by industry (mostly large
companies).

The scheme has two components:

• The objective of Academic Innovation Research (AIR)

Scheme is to promote development of Proof-of-concept
(PoC) for a process/product by academia with or without
the involvement of industry
• Contract Research Scheme (CRS) aims at validation of a
process or prototype (developed by the academia) by the
industrial partner.

Social Innovation

Social Innovation Immersion Program (SIIP)

SIIP is BIRAC’s social Innovation fellowship / award program

aimed at creating a pool of biotech “Social Innovators” who can
identify needs & gaps within communities and then can help
bridge the gaps either through an innovative product
development or services.
The immersion program is a unique social Innovation platform
which provides the opportunity for clinical and rural immersion
and also funding support for developing the prototype through
mini kick start grant apart from the monthly fellowship to young
social Innovators.
The program has already developed clusters across the nation on
three thematic areas “Maternal and Child Health” “Ageing and
Health” and “Waste to Value”.

Social Innovation Programme for Products: Affordable &

Relevant to Societal Health (SPARSH)
SPARSH programme is initiated by BIRAC under the aegis of
Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science &
Technology, Government of India. The programme aims at
promoting the development of innovative solutions to society’s
most pressing social problems.
The scheme tackles major social issues and offer new ideas for
widespread change. The scheme aims to invest in ideas and
innovations that improve health care of all Indians and
encourage affordable product development in the social sector.

SPARSH Objectives:

• Identify and provide support to cutting edge innovations

towards affordable product development that can bring
significant social impact and address challenges of
inclusive growth
 • Provide support in form of impact funding of biotech
product innovations (with social goals) that can be scaled
• Create and foster a pool of social innovators in the field of
biotech and provide a platform to share the best practices,
understand intricacies of business models in social
innovation and network

Equity Funding
Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
Fund (SEED Fund)
Bio-incubation allows harnessing of the entrepreneurial
potential of startups by providing access to infrastructure,
mentoring as well as networking platforms that the startups
could use during their fledgling days. It helps the young entities
to survive by providing them specialised support services during
the critical period of a business venture i.e. the start-up phase.

While the Bioincubators are able to support the "Space, Services

and Knowledge" requirements of startups, wide gap exists in
financial support required by a technology driven start up in the
initial phase. BIRAC's initiative, SEED Fund primarily aims to
address this need through the Incubators.

Launching Entrepreneurial Driven Affordable Products

(LEAP Fund)
While the Bioincubators are able to support the “Space, Services
and Knowledge” requirements of startups, wide gap exists in
financial support required by a technology driven start up in the
initial phase. BIRAC’s initiative, LEAP Fund primarily aims to
address this need through the Incubators.

The LEAP Fund is to provide funding support of up to Rs. 1

crore per startup. BioNEST Bioincubators (LEAP fund partners)
will be given up to Rs. 5 crore fund / partner for investing in
potential startup against equity and equity linked instruments.
This would enable potential startups to pilot / commercialize
their products / technologies. Thus the proposed funding support
is positioned to act as a catalyst in bringing technologies /
products forward towards piloting/ commercialization and
reducing their gestation to commercialization.

Accelerating Entrepreneurs Fund (AcE Fund)

Biotech start up journey, especially for first time entrepreneurs,
is full of hurdles, both technological as well as business related
such as business plan and market entry strategies, navigating
regulatory hurdles, connecting and pitching to VCs and
networking with future stakeholders. There is a greater
realisation within the biotech community regarding the
importance of focused mentorship which can help accelerate
nascent biotech start up. BIRAC is therefore envisaging
designing and implementing an equity based fund for supporting
entrepreneurs in the valley of death.

Biotechnology Innovation Fund – AcE Fund is an equity

"Fund of Fund" exclusively for Biotech Start-ups. AcE daughter
funds are Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) registered private funds to invest equity in start-ups for
providing the risk capital to undertake innovation, research and
product development.

Strategic Research Funding

Banana Bio-Fortification
Queensland University of Technology, Australia has developed
bio-fortified banana under the Grand Challenges in Global
Health Program to alleviate vitamin A and iron deficiency in
Uganda. They have also developed technologies related to
Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) and Fusarium Wilt
resistance in banana. QUT is willing to share these technologies
with India. An agreement was signed between BIRAC on the
behalf of Government of India and QUT, Australia for
“Development and Transfer of Technology from Queensland
University of Technology, Australia to India for Bio
fortification and Disease Resistance in Banana” on 24th August,
2012.
Under this Banana Bio-Fortification Project, it is proposed to
utilize the experience and achievements of Queensland
University of Technology (QUT), Australia for the development,
validation and transfer of specific traits in two Indian banana
varieties cv. Grand Nain and Rasthali.

Product Commercialization Program (PCP)

Product Commercialization Program Fund (PCP Fund)
BIRAC is promoting product/technology development by Indian
Start-ups in different areas of biotechnology through various
funding schemes such as BIG, BIPP, SBIRI, PACE, IIPME,
SPARSH, through various partnerships programmes like Grand
Challenges India, National Biopharma Mission, WISH or as
innovation awards like TiE Winer.

BIRAC supported technologies are continuously monitored and

measured for technology maturation on a BIRAC-TRL
(Technology Readiness Level) scale of 1 to 9. The existing
BIRAC schemes support product development, extensive
validation up to pre-commercialization. Once the technology /
product has been successfully validated (>=TRL 7) and is
market ready, there are additional financial requirements for
preparing the ground for market launch, test-validation in
targeted markets and large scale commercialization, which are
not covered under the existing funding programmes. To deal
with the situation, BIRAC has launched the Product
Commercialization Program Fund (PCP Fund) under the
BIRAC Product Commercialization Program (PCP).

Regional Centres

BIRAC Regional Innovation Centre (BRIC)

The Biotechnology Industrial Research Assistance Council
(BIRAC), in partnership with IKP Knowledge Park (IKP), set
up the BIRAC Regional Innovation Centre (BRIC) in 2013 to
further BIRAC's mandate of building a deeper understanding of
the capacity and gaps in innovation, commercialisation and
technology absorption ecosystems, and developing targeted
programmes to fulfil its broad vision of stimulating, fostering
and enhancing biotech innovation and entrepreneurship in the
country.

BRIC’s mandates are to:

• Map Regional Life Sciences Innovation Systems to

understand the networks and gaps among the various
stakeholders promoting innovation in a region and
recommend policy interventions
 • Build IP awareness and provide IP services to start-ups
and innovators
• Promote entrepreneurship in academia and help build an
entrepreneurial culture

BIRAC Regional Entrepreneurship Centre (BREC)

BIRAC in partnership with Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Platforms (C-CAMP) has set up the BIRAC Regional
Entrepreneurship Centre (BREC) with an objective of
encouraging the spirit of bio-entrepreneurship, facilitating the
creation of life science start-ups and mentoring startups to
increase their chances of success.
The surge of innovation-led bio-entrepreneurship across India
has laid the foundations of a biotech startup nation and it is
imperative to build on this towards amplifying entrepreneurship
related activities, which can bridge the identified gaps such as:

• Expanding entrepreneurship related awareness in colleges,

universities and research institutions
• Providing focused mentorship to start ups and
entrepreneurial individuals including academics
• Providing access to networks
Objectives of BREC:

• Create and inculcate a spirit of bio-entrepreneurship

• Facilitate and catalyze the journey of biotech ideas of bio-
entrepreneurs towards commercialization
• Enable and empower bio-entrepreneurs through business
and technology advice and mentorship covering all aspects
of business such as Finance, Legal, IP, HR, Business
model, Business plans, Go-to Market strategy and others

Activities of BREC are divided into five main verticals:

• National Life Science Entrepreneurship Awareness

Programme
• BIRAC C-CAMP National Life Science Entrepreneurship
Challenge Programme
• Entrepreneurship Development Boot Camp Programme
• Meet the Investors Series Programme – Dragon’s Den
• Entrepreneurship Development Workshops

BIRAC Regional Bioinnovation Center (BRBC)

BIRAC Regional Bioinnovation Center (BRBC) is a joint
initiative of BIRAC and Venture Center. BRBC aims to fill up
some key innovation ecosystem gaps for biotech/biomed
startups. Through its diverse initiatives, BRBC aims to
significantly impact the translation of high quality innovative
ideas across diverse ecosystems into viable and sustainable
business enterprises.

BRBC Initiatives:

• Venture Mentoring Service

• Venture Base Camps
• Regulatory Information and Facilitation Center
• BioIncubation Practice School