IDEA GRANT (Student Innovator) Scheme

Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential for economic growth, technological advancement, and social development. Universities, as hubs of creativity, play a crucial role in fostering student-led innovations. To strengthen this ecosystem, the Center for Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship (CIIE), University of Kashmir, proposes the IDEA GRANT (Student Innovator) Scheme. This initiative is designed to support students, particularly from the Institute of Technology (IoT), at early stages of innovation, such as Ideation, Design, and Proof of Concept. The scheme aims to help student innovators bridge the gap between ideas and prototypes by providing financial support of up to ₹1.00 lakh per project (for 10 projects), coupled with mentoring, incubation facilities, and facilitation of higher-value grants.

The scheme seeks to:

  • Provide financial assistance to engineering students for developing innovative ideas into Minimum Viable Prototypes (MVPs).
  • Support innovators during the Ideation, Design, and proof-of-concept stages.
  • Offer expert mentoring, faculty guidance, and incubation facilities.
  • Facilitate access to higher-value grants, CSR support, and sponsorships.
  • Assist in patent filing and startup registration.
  • Nurture a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving.

The scheme shall be open to:

  • Bonafide B.Tech. and M. Tech. students of the Institute of Technology, Zakura Campus, or those pass out students of Institute of Technology who have completed their engineering degrees no later than 6 months of the invitation of Applications for the grant; however, such students have to give an affidavit that they shall work on the idea at the Institute of Technology for at least 6 Months after the award of the idea grant.
  • Applicants must be at the Ideation, Conceptualisation, or Proof of Concept stage.
  • Prior recipients of the IDEA Grant for the same product/team are not eligible.
  • Company registration is not mandatory at the application stage.

The scheme shall be implemented as follows:

a)      Call for Applications: Applications will be invited annually via the CIIE website athttps://ciie.uok.edu.in, with notifications disseminated through official channels and social media. CIIE may also organize theme-based challenges.

b)      Selection & Evaluation (Idea Pitch Days): Shortlisted applicants will present pitches before an Expert Committee, comprising industry experts, domain experts, financial advisors, academicians, and representatives of the University.

c)      Evaluation Criteria Include: Team composition (all bonafide Engineering students of the IoT or those who have completed their engineering degrees no later than 6 months of the invitation of Application for the grant, however, such students have to give an affidavit that they shall work on the idea in the Institute of Technology for at least 6 Months after the award of the idea grant), Innovation and feasibility of the idea, marketing and financial viability, and grant utilization plan.

d)      Grant Sanction & Disbursal: A grant of ₹1.00 lakh per project post agreement and documentation. Subsequent tranche, if secured through CSR support, and sponsorship after submission of the final report, utilization certificate, and 10% margin money contribution by the student/team.

e)      Funding Guidelines: The grant may be utilized for: a) Product development, prototyping, and fabrication, b) Consumables, raw materials, essential tools, and lab usage, c) Mentor honorarium (max 10%) and Market research, branding, and certification (within capped limits). Salaries, rent, utilities, or purchase of costly fixed assets shall not be permitted.

f)       Awardees will sign a formal agreement (Annexure A), committing to the utilization of the grant as strictly as per the approved plan, submission of utilization certificates (CA-certified), progress reports, and a final project completion report and demonstration.