The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under its advanced technology scheme, Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP), has invited fresh proposals from biotech companies for providing support on a cost sharing basis targeted at development of novel and high risk futuristic technologies mainly for viability gap funding and enhancing existing R&D capacities of start-ups and SMEs in key areas of national importance and public good.

DBT is operating this scheme through Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Programme (BIRAP), a not-for-profit public sector undertaking set up by DBT to promote and nurture innovation research in biotech enterprises specially start-ups and SMEs. Major thrust of the programme is towards funding technologies which address a major national problem and/or involves high level of innovation. The proposals spanning across the spectrum of pre-proof-of-concept to validation of established technologies are considered for support in the form of grant and loan.

The scheme supports large, medium, small scale companies as well as start-up on cost sharing basis. It would push for high risk, discovery linked innovation and accelerated technology development. Varying models of grants, loans or grant plus loans will be made available under the scheme. It will be one of the most enabling mechanisms to promote R&D in biotech industry and public private partnership programmes.

The programme will also focus on the evaluation and validation of biotech products and indigenous discovery, innovation and technology to products with focus on the products of national relevance or public benefit. BIPP is an advanced technology initiative by the DBT for supporting innovative and challenging R&D in industry.

Under the scheme, support will also be available for setting up of infrastructure and facility.  In cases where such a facility leads to R&D capacity building or is required for scale up of an innovative product/process of national importance developed through company’s in-house R&D, facility proposed could be in the area of agriculture, healthcare, biosimilars, industrial processes, energy, bioinformatics, genomics and other relevant areas in biotechnology.

A single or consortia of Indian companies--small, medium or large-- having DSIR recognized in-house R&D units, alone or in collaboration with a partner from another company/university/ institute/organization can be part of the programme. The interested biotech companies can apply for the proposal till March 31 this year.