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Apply as an Incubator

Establish a PRAYAS Centre (PC) or Advance PRAYAS Centre (APC) at your Incubator with DST’s Structured and Comprehensive Support Framework

Support early-stage and deep-tech innovations by enabling prototype development through funding, infrastructure, and expert mentorship.

Call for Applications Window: 19 May 2026, 10:00 am to 19 Jun 2026, 6:00 pm IST

Applications are invited from Incubators only to apply as PRAYAS Centres

Eligible incubators can submit their applications through the NIDHI PRAYAS portal during the active call window.

Apply Scheme Document

Under NIDHI PRAYAS 2.0, PRAYAS Centres (PCs) will be divided into two categories, based on their institutional capabilities, track record, and alignment with DST priorities.

Prayas Centre (PC)

Tech-based centres. Each PC is expected to support around 10 innovators per year, with prototyping grants up to ₹20 Lakhs.

Advance Prayas Centre (APC)

Focus on Deep Tech and scalable solutions, supporting around 10 innovators per year with prototyping grants up to ₹40 Lakhs.

Maker Bhavan Facility

Each PC/APC will be established within a host incubator with a furnished and well-equipped facility. The space requirement is a minimum of 3000 sq. ft. (preferably 5000 sq.ft) . This facility will include a unified DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan (Fab lab and Co-working space & Meeting room).

Check eligibility View application process
Funding Models

Support Structure for PCs and APCs

Different templates of support based on lab establishment and existing infrastructure

New Centres to be established with DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan

Note: Only incubators that have not received support under the NIDHI PRAYAS 1.0 Programme shall be eligible to apply under the support category of ‘New Centres to be established with DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan’

APC
  • Maximum prototyping funding support up to Rs. 4.0 Cr (maximum support up to Rs. 40 lakhs per innovator)
  • Maximum support up to Rs. 1.5 Cr for establishment of DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan
  • Maximum Rs. 30 lakhs for consumable and administrative cost for management of NIDHI PRAYAS 2.0 program & DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan
PC
  • Maximum prototyping funding support up to Rs. 2.0 Cr (maximum support up to Rs. 20 lakhs per innovator)
  • Maximum support up to Rs. 1.5 Cr for establishment of DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan
  • Maximum Rs. 30 lakhs for consumable and administrative cost for management of NIDHI PRAYAS 2.0 program & DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan

New Centres to be established without DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan

Note: Only incubators that have not received support under the NIDHI PRAYAS 1.0 Programme shall be eligible to apply under the support category of ‘New Centres to be established without DST NIDHI Maker Bhavan’

APC
  • Maximum prototyping funding support up to Rs. 4.0 Cr (maximum support up to Rs. 40 lakhs per innovator)
  • Maximum Rs. 30 Lakhs for consumable and administrative cost for management of PRAYAS program to PC where the PC has all necessary infrastructure (labs/equipment) to implement the PRAYAS program.
PC
  • Maximum prototyping funding support up to Rs. 2.0 Cr (maximum support up to Rs. 20 lakhs per innovator)
  • Maximum Rs. 30 Lakhs for consumable and administrative cost for management of PRAYAS program to PC where the PC has all necessary infrastructure (labs/equipment) to implement the PRAYAS program.

Centres already established under NIDHI PRAYAS 1.0

Note: Only incubators that have received minimum of three cycles of funding support under the NIDHI PRAYAS 1.0 Programme shall be eligible to apply under the support category of ‘Centres established under NIDHI PRAYAS 1.0’

APC
  • Maximum prototyping funding support up to Rs. 4.0 Cr (maximum support up to Rs. 40 lakhs per innovator)
  • Maximum support up to Rs. 1.0 Cr for upgradation of existing PRAYAS Shala
  • Maximum Rs. 30 lakhs for consumable and administrative cost for management of PRAYAS program to PC where the PC has already successfully implemented the NIDHI PRAYAS 1.0 Program

Application Process

Application and Selection process for PC and APC

The call for proposals would be at intervals as decided by DST, wherein the period of one month would be given for submission of proposal after the date of call of proposal.

Evaluation done on two levels

1

Level 1

Initial Scrutiny

The initial Scrutiny and evaluation will be done with basic eligibility and initial screening parameters, as decided by the PMC.

2

Level 2

Presentation

The shortlisted proposals/incubators will be required to give a presentation before the PMC, as per the formats decided by the PMC/DST and performance parameters.

The Roadmap

Application Process

01

Submit online application

1

Proposal in the prescribed proforma is available at the NIDHI PRAYAS PMU Portal as well as on nidhi.dst.gov.in. Submission actions are enabled only during the application window.

2

Applications submitted via portal will only be considered for further processing.

02

Verification by PMU

PMU reviews completed submissions and forwards valid applications to the PMC. Incomplete applications are not accepted.

03

Presentation to PMC

TBIs with verified applications will be called for presentation to the PRAYAS PMC.

04

Approval decision

Approval for PC will be given by the PMC after the deliberations done during the committee meeting. The decision of the PMC will be firm and binding.

Qualification Matrix

Eligibility Criteria

Review the core qualifications and preferred institutional attributes for establishing a PRAYAS Centre.

Core Qualification

Proven track record in promotion of entrepreneurship, supporting innovations and startups and have adequate expertise and infrastructure to support advancement of innovation and its commercialization (i.e. supporting innovators for progression of their idea from TRL-3 to TRL-6).

Financial support for establishing a PC / APC would be extended to the recommended incubator, essentially, a not-for-profit registered legal entity registered as a Section-8 company/Society

Incubators applying for PRAYAS Centre should be in existence for at least three years and Advance PRAYAS Centre should be in existence for at least five years. The years of existence for each incubator will be counted from the: Date of registration as a legal entity OR Date of Sanction order as TBI by state or Department of Central Government of India whichever is earlier.

Existing inclusive-TBIs (iTBIs) may apply directly as PCs, provided they meet all other eligibility conditions.

Specific for APCs

Preference for APCs will be given to the PRAYAS Centres who have implemented minimum three cycles of PRAYAS 1.0, however the selection will be based on the past performance and on the recommendations of the PMC and as per the criteria laid in the eligibility.

For incubators which have never been NIDHI PRAYAS Centres, are expected to have successfully completed minimum four rounds of any Government of India funding program (e.g., MeitY, DPIIT/BIRAC, SISF) with a proven track record of performance.

Should have demonstrated excellence in deep-tech prototyping, robust mentorship capabilities, and measurable commercialization outcomes during this period.

Preferences

Existing and operational incubators affiliated with Academic S&T and R&D institutions, and/or promoted or recognized by State or Central Government.

Incubators having full-time CEO and Independent team managing the TBI/incubator operations.

Deep Tech Startup Incubators.

Incubators situated in cities, where no PRAYAS Centre is currently established.

Incubators situated in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Not Eligible

For-profit incubators are not eligible for DST NIDHI PRAYAS 2.0 support.

Existing PCs supported under NIDHI PRAYAS 1.0 will not be eligible for support under PRAYAS Centre.

A pure R&D proposal for academic pursuits and industrial consultancy will not be eligible for support.

Incubators that have received funding for, or are directly implementing, the NM-ICPS PRAYAS and EIR scheme through their Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) or incubators are not eligible to apply.

Submission Resources

Refer the resources to prepare the signed application packet, understand incubator qualification criteria, NIDHI-PRAYAS Scheme document and its terms and conditions.

Available

List of Documents

View the supporting files, letters, and annexures required with your application.

Available

Terms & Conditions

Read the formal terms governing PRAYAS Centre applications and support.

Available

Scheme Document

Review the full NIDHI-PRAYAS scheme framework and implementation details.

FAQ

Common Questions

1

Who is eligible to apply for PC and APC? What are the eligibility criteria? 

PRAYAS Centre (PC)
  1. Incubators should be a not-for-profit organisation registered as either a Society or Section 8 /25 company.
  2. Completed 3 years of existence as on date of submitting the application with a proven track record.

Advance PRAYAS Centre (APC)
  1. Incubators should be a not-for-profit organisation registered as either a Society or Section 8 /25 company.
  2. Completed 5 years of existence as on date of submitting the application with a proven track record.
  3. PRAYAS Centres who have implemented minimum three cycles of PRAYAS 1.0 are eligible to apply. The selection will be based on the performance of these centres under PRAYAS 1.0 & recommendations from the PMC.
  4. For incubators who have not been recipient under PRAYAS 1.0, should have successfully completed minimum four rounds of any Government of India funding program (e.g., MeitY, DPIIT/BIRAC, SISFS) with a proven track record of performance.

For detailed information you can refer to the Guidelines document, refer the eligibility section
2

Our Incubator is a cell/part of Host Institute and is not incorporated as a separate entity. Can we still apply for a Prayas Centre?

Application for PRAYAS centre can be made by Incubators who are registered entities.
3

When can we apply for Prayas Centre? What is the process to be followed post applications?

Call for applications is announced once a year. Information of the call will be displayed on the website among other media announcements. Last date and closure time of the applications and submission of the documents will also be part of the announcements. Applicants are recommended to not to wait for submission of the applications till last day to avoid any problem arising out of any technical issue on either side.
4

What are the documents we need to send along with the application form?

For the detailed list refer List of Documents given in Application Process.
5

For how long will the incubator receive the funding support under PRAYAS program? 

All PRAYAS Centres - whether Advance PRAYAS Centre (APC) or PRAYAS Centre (PC) - are eligible to receive prototyping grants for up to three consecutive fund cycles.

Receipt of grant support in the first year does not guarantee funding in any of the consecutive years. Continuation of support beyond Year 1 will depend on performance evaluation by the PMC, which will assess: (a) efficient utilization of prior-year funds, (b) achievement of milestones such as the number of prototypes successfully developed and/ or progress toward market launch, etc. and (c) compliance with reporting, monitoring, and other requirements laid out in the guidelines, amongst other evaluation parameters
6

Are there specific technology sectors or innovation domains that PRAYAS Centres should prioritize while selecting innovators?

Please refer the Nature of supported projects, Preference criteria and Priority areas for selection of the innovators.
7

What evaluation criteria should PRAYAS Centres use to select innovators? 

Centres should look out of innovators whose innovation is science and technology based, should have validated proof of concept, having a roadmap towards commercialization or startup creation, novelty, team formation.
8

Can an incubator collaborate with external institutions or industry partners for mentoring, testing, or validation support?

Yes, under the NIDHI PRAYAS program, incubators are encouraged to collaborate with external institutions and industry partners to provide mentoring, as well as testing and validation support to PRAYAS innovators.
9

Should the monitoring committee be formed prior to the innovators application?

The Monitoring Committee should be constituted after the applicant incubator is selected as a PRAYAS Centre/ Advance PRAYAS Centre. Once innovator applications are received, committee members may be engaged based on the domains of the submitted proposals.
10

Is affiliation with a host institution mandatory to apply for a PRAYAS Centre?  

Yes, you need to be affiliated & should have a MoU/MoA with the Host Institution.
11

Are PCs/APCs permitted to charge innovators/startups for the use of PRAYAS Fab lab for prototyping facilities under the PRAYAS program? 

For PRAYASEEs, the facility is provided free of cost. However, innovators/startups who are not beneficiaries under the program and wish to use the facility will be required to pay charges as prescribed by the PC/APC.
12

Will there be an extension on call for application for the incubators?

No, there will be no extension provided beyond the end date of the application.
13

Can PC/APC charge any fees, equity to its innovators/startups onboarded under the program.

No, there will be no charges charged to the innovators/start-ups.
14

If the incubator is not a DST supported incubator, will we be eligible to apply? 

Yes, you are eligible to apply. The selection will be carried out by the PRAYAS Management Committee (PMC).
15

If the incubator does not have deep tech supported startups, will we be eligible to apply for a PC? 

Yes, if your centre lacks sufficient expertise or a strong background in deep tech, you may apply as a PC, where technology-based innovations can be supported.
16

If an incubator has partial prototyping or laboratory infrastructure, will it still be eligible to receive the full ₹1 crore support for establishing a PRAYAS Fab Lab?

The decision of funding support to a PC/APC lies with the PRAYAS management committee depending on the incubator’s track record, performance, proposed equipment and other parameters.