National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition 2024 – Prizes Ranging From 10L to 15 Cr
National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition 2024
About
National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC), a nationwide competition to attract, identify, and nurture bio-entrepreneurs working on novel and scalable business ideas with significant societal impact. Applicants compete for attractive cash prizes and investment opportunities. First Launched in 2017, NBEC has emerged as a flagship platform for bio-entrepreneurs and innovators in India to showcase their deep science driven ideas and has created a great impact. It has brought to the forefront 87 exceptionally promising young entrepreneurs as winners who have grabbed the attention of investors, were featured in national and global media, and went on to win many other accolades.
We have seen a heart-warming response from Partners this year too. Our partners from previous years continue to support our efforts, for which we are deeply grateful and we are delighted to welcome our new Partners who also believe in our vision.
The National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) 2024 is inviting path breaking, revolutionary, and scalable business ideas in the life sciences domain spanning:
- Agri Tech & Mol Bio, including conventional plant breeding, tissue culture and micro-propagation, molecular breeding or marker assisted selection, genetic engineering and GM crops, molecular diagnostic Tools, soil Health and AI & ML in Agricutlture; Animal Health including diagnostics, therapeutics, nutrition, and other sub-domains related to veterinary applications and other related sub-domains
- Healthcare,including Diagnostics, Drug Discovery & Development of vaccines, therapeutics, biologics and plant based therapeutics, CRO/CMO/CRAMS, Maternal & Child Nutrition
- AMR, including Tb/Malaria, Covid-19, Rare and Neglected Diseases & other Infectious Diseases
- Digital Health,including AI & ML, imaging, wearables, healthcare IT and other related sub domains
- Medical Devices
- Environment, including Clean and renewable energy, biofuels, clean air, and other related sub-domains. Water & Sanitation including water treatment, solid waste treatment, and other related sub-domains
- Industrial Biotechnology, including enzymes, fermentation based products for non-pharma purposes, bioplastics, and other related sub-domains. Food & Nutraceuticals, including dietary supplements, and other related sub-domains
- Personal Care Products
Format
NBEC 2024 campaign will reach out to students, entrepreneurs, Individuals, start-ups and established companies across India.
All applications will be received online, only through the NBEC Portal. An administrative check of all applications will be done to ensure that applications are complete and all necessary requirements are met, and will also be screened for originality of the idea (disqualified from the competition if idea is found to be copied), clarity of articulation, whether the idea has deep science based biotechnology component, and whether the idea is predominantly an academic research idea as opposed to a business idea.
NBEC will consist of four rounds spread over four to six months starting from March, 2024
Applications that have been received online will go through admin check and due diligence
Round 1: External Assessment where a panel of domain experts from industry, academia, and investor community will review the proposals and shortlist the top promising ideas.
Round 2: Regional Rounds where the shortlisted applicants from Round 1 will be invited to make a presentation to a Jury Panel. The jury will select the topmost business ideas in this round.
Round 3: Pre-final: The selected applicants from Round 2 will attend this year’s entrepreneurship development boot camp and intense mentoring sessions over 2 days. At the end of the boot camp, these applicants will make their business plan presentation before a Pre-Final Jury Panel.
Round 4: Grand Finale: The applicants shortlisted from the Pre-Final round will pitch before a Grand Jury which will select winners of NBEC 2024
Eligibility
Eligibility for Student Teams:
- Students currently in a graduate, post graduate or PhD program.
- Students will apply as a team of maximum four members, should identify one member as the team leader.
- Team Leader should be the main/primary applicant.
- All student team members should have valid student ID.
- All applicants and team members should be citizens of India.
- If students have already formed a company, the company should not be more than 2 years old at the time of applying
- Idea should be a Deep tech Life Science based idea
Eligibility for Companies/Individuals:
- Start-ups, MSMEs and other large companies can apply
- Individuals can be post doc, faculty, scientist, working professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs
- For companies, the company should be registered in India and majority ownership should be Indian
- Individual Applicants should be citizens of India
- Idea should be a Deep tech Life Science based idea
Selection Criteria
Evaluation Criteria for Student Teams:
After admin check and due diligence, the applications will be screened for originality of the idea (disqualified from the competition if idea is found to be copied), clarity of articulation, whether the idea has deep tech based life Science component, and whether the idea is predominantly an academic research idea as opposed to a business idea. Applications that comply with these criteria will be shortlisted for Round 1. A review panel comprising experts from academia, industry, and investor community will review the applications hereon.
Round 1: During the external assessment, applications will be selected on the basis of novelty, scientific validity, feasibility of developing a working solution and feasibility of business
Round 2: Regional Rounds wherein the selected applicants will make a presentation before a jury panel. The Jury members will select the top business ideas based on novelty, scientific validity, feasibility of developing a working solution, feasibility of business, team strength and clarity of articulation
Round 3: Applicants selected from Round 2 will attend a 2-day boot camp and intense mentoring sessions. Applicants will pitch before the Pre-Final Jury Panel and selected based on novelty, scientific validity, feasibility of developing a working solution and feasibility of business
Round 4: At the end of the boot camp the participants will pitch to a Grand Jury and will be evaluated for the following:
- a)Scientific Validity: Problem being addressed and the feasibility of the solution based on scientific principles
- b)Feasibility of Developing a Working Solution: how the student has applied the scientific principles to develop a working solution/prototype
- c)Feasibility of Business: well – defined customer/customer segment, market size for product/solution have been addressed
- d)Novelty of the Approach or Solution: Other products/solutions currently available in the market that address this problem and how does your product/solution compare with these products/solutions
Evaluation Criteria for Start Ups/Individuals:
After admin check and due diligence, the applications will be screened for originality of the idea (disqualified from the competition if idea is found to be copied), clarity of articulation, whether the idea has deep tech based life Science component, and whether the idea is predominantly an academic research idea as opposed to a business idea. Applications that comply with these criteria will be shortlisted for Round 1. A review panel comprising experts from academia, industry, and investor community will review the applications hereon.
Round 1: During the external assessment, applications will be selected on the basis of scientific validity, feasibility of developing a working solution, business case and commercialization, scaling and sustainability strategies of the idea
Round 2: Selected applicants will make a presentation before a jury panel. The Jury members will select the top business ideas based on scientific validity, feasibility of developing a working solution, business case and commercialization, scaling and sustainability strategies of the idea, team strength and clarity of articulation
Round 3: Applicants selected from Round 2 will attend a 2-day boot camp and intense mentoring sessions. Applicants will pitch before the Pre-Final Jury Panel and selected based on scientific validity, feasibility of developing a working solution, business case and commercialization, scaling and sustainability strategies of the idea
Round 4: At the end of the boot camp the participants will pitch to a Grand Jury and will be evaluated for the following:
- Scientific Validity: specific problem being addressed and the feasibility of the solution based on scientific principles
- Feasibility of Developing a Working Solution: application of the scientific principles to develop a working solution/prototype
- Business Case: Core team and their strength in business plan execution, well defined customer/customer segment, addressable market and value proposition
- Commercialisation, Scaling and Sustainability: steps taken towards commercialisation and product to market strategies
Applications open : 01 March 2024, 09:00 AM
Applications close : 30 April 2024, 05:30 PM
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