Funding & Facilitation opportunities for joint Industrial R&D projects, between companies from India & Israel

The India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I⁴F) is a cooperation platform between the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), Government of Israel, to promote facilitate and support joint Industrial R&D projects between companies from India and Israel, which would lead to successful commercialization and benefit for both countries. CFP-5 is open to the applied R&D projects in all areas but will prioritize the areas of:

• Agriculture
• Energy
• Healthcare
• Information & Communication Technologies (ICT)
• Water

The collaboration aims to promote projects that are innovative and reflecting consumer demands, so that they are market-oriented at the same time focussed on creating a new product or process that will eventually lead to commercialization.

On this basis, this CFP-5 is open to the applied R&D projects in all areas but will prioritize the areas of:

The CFP is open to projects in the above sectors, based on the merit that includes Science & Technology (S&T) development leading to commercial success, social good and benefit to both countries.

Each proposal must include an eligible Project Lead Applicant who would be responsible for application submission and leading the project in the two countries respectively. Although it is not mandatory, projects that engage a technology developer and a technology end-user /first customer are strongly encouraged.

Before submitting the proposal, the heads of the principal entities (Project Leads) of both countries shall have completed negotiations on details including payment of contributions, roles and mutual responsibilities.

Indian Applicants

Eligible Indian applicants must be researchers or managers of companies that operate and are headquartered in India. Academic institutions, research hospitals, other R&D institutes (including not-for-profit research institutes recognized by DST/GITA) that are headquartered and operate in India are strongly encouraged to participate in the projects as co-investigators.

Specific criteria for eligible applicants are as follows:

• The Indian Project Lead (INPL) (i.e. lead company) must be a commercial company under the Indian Company Act 1956, which operates in and is headquartered in India.
• At least 51% stake of the INPL Company must be owned by Indian citizens.
• The INPL should have the required expertise and team capacity to manage the proposed project.
• Sole proprietors and partnership firms are not eligible for support under this programme
• Companies headquartered and owned outside India and their subsidiaries in India, or vice versa, are not eligible to receive funding from DST/GITA under this programme.

Preferences will be given to:

• Indian companies having in-house R&D Centre which is recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India. For details, please refer to Indian companies having a partnership with government-funded Indian academic and R&D institutions.
• Indian companies having in-house R&D Centre which is recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India. For details, please refer to http://www.dsir.gov.in/files/12plan/bird-crf/rdi_af_blank.pdf.
• Companies that fall under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) category, as defined by the Government of India. For the definition of MSME, please refer to http://www.dcmsme.gov.in/ssiindia/defination_msme.htm

Important Notes (this section will go below the eligibility)

Sub-contractors (i.e. universities, research institutions) are eligible to participate as Sub-contractors or as part of bi-lateral Indo-Israeli consortium as long as they have background IP that will be used in the joint project or if they get ownership on the new developed Product

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