The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Bpifrance financement (Bpifrance), a  public investment bank from France have issued a call for Joint Expression of Interest (JEOI) for Indian and French SMEs/start-ups in the area of red biotechnology upto commercialization stage. Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) will implement this call on behalf of BIRAC.

The project proposals will be focused on development of industrial application oriented health technologies in the areas of cancer, cardiac and infectious diseases.

The prime focus of this joint programme is the identification of new targets or biomarkers that leads to development of sensitive, specific and affordable diagnostic tests. These targets or biomarkers should be novel based on substantial theoretical evidences on which further proof-of-concept could be developed for futuristic possibility of product development.

The proposals that involve development of new therapeutic options in terms of therapeutic protein or drugs are also encouraged for these targeted diseases in the current call that has potential for commercialization. Proposal that involves affordable process development for existing therapeutics will also be encouraged that have potential implication on effective industrial scale-up for cost effective production.

Project proposal shall have at least one start-up/SME from India and one from France each as joint applicant (1+1 model). They can have Co- Applicants and Collaborators from Academia, Research Institution, National Laboratory, Clinical Establishment, For Profit Company, Not-for-Profit Organization, Society, LLP, Trust or Foundation.

BIRAC is a public sector undertaking ‘not-for-profit company’ under the Ministry of Science & Technology, government of India. It was set up by the department of biotechnology (DBT), government of India, to promote and nurture innovation research in biotech enterprises specially start-ups and SMEs.