ZeedFund
← Back to main site
Closing SoonGrant

DST NIDHI Seed Support Scheme (via Social Alpha)

Offered by AIC Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship

Overview

The DST NIDHI Seed Support Scheme is administered by the Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (Social Alpha), which hosts a seed fund with a corpus of Rs 10 crore. It provides financial assistance to startups with promising ideas, innovations, and technologies, acting as a bridge between technology development and commercialization. An expert body, the NIDHI-Seed Support Management Committee, evaluates applicants and monitors selected startups' progress.

Eligibility

  • Must be a registered Indian company, preferably DPIIT-registered
  • Must have completed at least three months in Social Alpha's incubation program
  • Must demonstrate customer validation of its unique value proposition
  • Indian promoters must hold a minimum of 51% shareholding
  • Must not have previously received NIDHI-seed support elsewhere or most other forms of government funding

Funding Purpose

Funds can be used for technology or product development, testing and trials, marketing, mentoring, professional consultancy, IPR issues, and operational manpower. Funds explicitly cannot be used for loan repayment, personal asset creation, inter-corporate deposits, or shareholder activities.

Application Process

Apply or enquire via Social Alpha after joining its incubation program.

Apply Now ↗

How to Apply

  1. 1Click "Apply Now" above and submit your application directly on the official page.
  2. 2The offering organisation screens applications against its own eligibility criteria.
  3. 3Shortlisted applicants may be invited to a pitch or interview round.
  4. 4The final decision rests solely with the offering organisation.
  5. 5There is no guarantee of funding at any stage.

Before You Apply

  • ZeedFund is an independent tracker, not the offering organisation or a funding body.
  • Verify current eligibility, funding amount, and deadline on the official page before applying. Details can change after we last verified them.
  • Once you apply, all follow-up (screening updates, interview or pitch invites, and the final decision) comes directly from the facilitator, incubator, or investor, never from ZeedFund. Check their application portal or email yourself for status updates; we won't have visibility into it.