Frequently Asked Questions

Friday, 29th January 2021. However, the applications will be screened on a rolling basis. We encourage the startups to apply ahead of the deadline.

It would be conducted in a virtual mode ie. CISCO Webex, MS Teams or a suitable platform.

Not necessarily, but relevant members from the startup, will be required to attend meetings, workshops, any other training sessions at Chennai during the course of the program.

Yes, the shortlisted startups for 9 months incubation program (post the pre-incubation module), would be supported with funding & financial assistance, mentorship, infrastructure support of R&D labs etc to evolve from ideation to proof of concept. This would be as per the T&C shared in application form.

There is no joining fees or any other charges to participate in the program.

No. The IP ownership will remain with the startup.

Once selected for the pre-incubation module, you cannot participate in any other startup programs until the end of the program with FARM by DICV.

Yes. However you may have to be incorporated as a Private Limited Company in due course of time in case shortlisted for the 9 months Incubation program. Please refer to the eligibility criteria for further details.

Yes, an already funded startup is also eligible for the program subject to terms and conditioins.

Anywhere from Proof of Concept (PoC) to Pilot trial stage or higher.

We want to nurture early stage startups, SMEs to scale their business to the next level through this incubator program. We are interested in all startups that meet the qualifying criteria, in the four focused categories listed.

You must be at least 18 years old to enter the “The FARM – Startup Sparks”.

Applications once finally submitted cannot be modified. However you have an option to save, review and revisit the page to make changes before submission before submission. We recommend the applicants to upload all the relevant documents and check for correctness during final submission.

Generally it is expected that applicants have an approach on one business focus. However, if the applicant is working on multiple products, we prefer that that he/she submit the best out of these.

No. The application has to be submitted via the online application form. Email applications are not considered to be valid.

Yes. You can apply for combination of “Focus Areas” also. Make sure that during application, relevant areas are selected. The detailed description of the “Focus Areas” can be found here.

You will receive an automated email notification. Wrong contact information, incomplete forms or browser errors are the few reasons for not receiving confirmation emails. We do not solicit queries regarding applications made with such errors.

We are not in a position to sign NDA’s with any teams applying for this incubation program. If you wish to apply, share what you are comfortable sharing within the application.

Step 1: Apply through our website link by registering & submitting application form on or before 29th January 2021.
Step 2: Received applications will be shortlisted for the Pitch Day as per the qualifying criteria & focus areas on or before February 9, 2021.
Step 3: The selected participants will attend the Jury Pitch Sessions via virtual mode. Jury Panel will evaluate for the Best Ideas & select them for Pre-Incubation
Step 4: Pre- Incubation (3 months) : Mentorship with Domain Experts to validate the business model, strengths and areas where support is needed. Educational Workshops for Incubation program pitch.
Step 5: Incubation Program (9 months): Together with DICV R&D (Academia & Domain Experts connect as per need), develop and nurture the Startups from ideation to proof of concept with mentorship, Infrastructure & funding support.
Jury Pitch Day:
Pitch Day is your start-up’s chance to pitch your business plan to the Jury team to win a place in the Pre-incubation program. You will have the chance to convince the panel based on below categories:
a. Idea viability
b. Entrepreneurial mindset to build and grow.
c. Proposed solution that makes world a better place.