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Grants & non-dilutive funding

Free money: schemes, grants, and competitions.

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What exactly is non-dilutive funding, and why should an early founder chase it before raising VC? Non-dilutive funding is money you get without giving up equity or control, grants, government schemes, competitions, R&D subsidies, and revenue. In... Beginner 2 resources → What is DPIIT / Startup India recognition, and what do I actually get from it? DPIIT recognition is a free certificate from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade that officially labels your entity a 'star... Beginner 2 resources → How do I apply to the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and how much can I get? SISFS gives DPIIT-recognised startups (incorporated under two years at application) up to INR 20 lakh as a grant for proof-of-concept/prototyping a... Intermediate 2 resources → What government schemes and grants can an early Indian startup actually get? Beyond the Seed Fund, the real menu is: BIRAC's BIG grant (up to INR 50 lakh, non-dilutive) for biotech/life-sciences, DST's NIDHI-PRAYAS (up to IN... Intermediate 3 resources → What startup grants and competitions can a student in India apply to? As a student you're in the sweet spot: your college's IIC (Institution's Innovation Council) and MHRD's Innovation Cell run internal grants and Sma... Beginner 3 resources → Can I get a grant or funding before I graduate, without a registered company? For most government grants the honest answer is no, DPIIT recognition and schemes like SISFS require an incorporated entity (Pvt Ltd, LLP, or regis... Beginner 3 resources → What tax benefits and exemptions do DPIIT-recognised startups actually get? Two big ones: the Section 80-IAC tax holiday (100% profit deduction for any 3 consecutive years out of your first 10, if approved by the inter-mini... Intermediate 2 resources → Are there grants, funds, and networks specifically for women founders in India? Yes, and they're worth prioritising. Start with NITI Aayog's Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) for incubation, mentorship, and funding access, ... Beginner 2 resources → How do I write a grant application that actually gets funded? Grant reviewers fund clarity, not hype: state the problem, the specific innovation, why it can't be done cheaply off-the-shelf, and exactly what th... Intermediate 3 resources → BIRAC vs SISFS vs a state grant: which non-dilutive scheme actually fits my startup? Match the scheme to what you're building, not to whichever form you found first. BIRAC (BIG, SEED, LEAP) is the right door for biotech, healthtech,... Intermediate 3 resources → How long does a government grant actually take to hit my bank account, and how do I survive the wait? Assume 3 to 9 months from application to first disbursement, and often longer for tranche two, because release is tied to milestones, utilization c... Intermediate 3 resources → When should I stop chasing grants and just raise a round instead? Stop chasing grants the moment the pursuit is costing you more than the money is worth. Grants are worth it when the cash is meaningful relative to... Advanced 3 resources → Are startup pitch competitions and grand challenges worth entering for the prize money? Enter them for the deadline, the deck reps, and the network, not the cheque. Most competition prize money is small and the odds are long, so treati... Beginner 3 resources → Which incubator or accelerator should I join purely to unlock grant money, and what do they take in return? Choose the incubator by the grants and infrastructure it unlocks, then read the fine print on what it costs you. SISFS money flows only through app... Intermediate 3 resources → How do I get free credits and non-cash support (AWS, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA) that stretch my runway like a grant? Cloud and tooling credits are the fastest non-dilutive money most founders ignore, and they can be worth lakhs in real burn saved. Apply to AWS Act... Beginner 3 resources → What is revenue-based financing, and when is it a smarter non-dilutive option than a grant or a round? Revenue-based financing (RBF) is money you repay as a fixed percentage of monthly revenue, so it flexes with your business and takes no equity. In ... Advanced 3 resources → Do I need a registered company, GST, and a separate bank account before I can receive grant money? For most real grants, yes, and you should sort this before you apply, not after you're approved. Government schemes disburse to a registered entity... Beginner 3 resources → How do I claim R&D and innovation support (patent fee rebates, SIDBI, technology development funds) beyond the headline grants? The headline seed grants get all the attention, but there's a second layer of R&D and IP support that quietly saves you real money. DPIIT-recognise... Advanced 3 resources → I'm building outside the metros. Which grants and schemes actually favor founders in smaller cities and rural India? Being outside the metros is an advantage for several schemes, so use it. State startup policies in Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and t... Intermediate 3 resources → How do I sell to the government and use GeM, tenders, and public procurement as non-dilutive revenue? Government procurement is non-dilutive money you earn, and DPIIT recognition unlocks real doors here: exemption from prior-experience and turnover ... Advanced 3 resources → What free money and support exists specifically for first-time and student founders who've never raised anything? If you've never raised, start with the schemes designed to give you a first push without a track record. Campus incubators and institution innovati... Beginner 3 resources →

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