Applications Invited for India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)

About the Organisation

Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA)

GITA is a “not–for–profit” Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) company promoted jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with 51% holding and the Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India (GoI) with 49% holding.

It is an innovative mechanism between the government and Indian industry for attracting the industry’s investment in technology by mapping technology gaps, evaluating technology offers across the globe, connecting among technology developers, providers, commercializers, and funding last phase of technology development that connects the market and deployment of technology solutions.

Israel Innovation Authority (IIA)

The The Israel Innovation Authority, responsible for the country’s innovation policy, is an independent and impartial public entity that operates for the benefit of the Israeli innovation ecosystem and Israeli economy as a whole.

Its role is to nurture and develop Israeli innovation resources, while creating and strengthening the infrastructure and framework needed to support the entire knowledge industry.

About the Programme

• I4F is cooperation between the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and the National Technological Innovation Authority in Israel (Innovation Authority) to promote, facilitate and support joint Industrial R&D projects, between companies from India and Israel.
• DST and Innovation Authority have jointly created a $40 Mn USD I4F fund with equal contribution from both sides over the period of five years. I4F is aimed to promote, facilitate and support joint Industrial R&D between India & Israel which would lead to co-development and commercialization of innovative technologies benefiting both the countries.
• The objective of this programme is to respond to the global issues concerning science & technology while developing technologies that can be commercialized and localized within 2 years through Joint cooperation between India and Israel.
• In India, on behalf of DST, funding and other services will be provided through Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA) and in Israel, funding and other services will be provided through Israel Innovation Authority.

Eligibility Criteria

• 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.
• INPL should lead the project from Indian side and if required bring in other Industry Partners or Academic/R&D Institutions as Sub-contractors.

Preferences will be given to:

• Indian companies having 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/forms/irdpp/Application%20for%20R&D.pdf.
• Companies that fall under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) category, as defined by the Government of India. For definition of MSME, please refer to http://www.dcmsme.gov.in/ssiindia/defination_msme.htm.

Israeli Applicants

An Israeli for profit R&D performing company, which is registered, operate in Israel as Project Lead (ISPL), responsible for the Israel application submission, leading the Israeli side of the project and communicating with the Indian Project Lead.

• The Israeli Project Lead (ISPL) ((i.e. lead company) and any other Israeli company that is signed on the Cooperation and Project and Funding Agreement are subjected to the Israeli Research and Development Law (1984) and to the Israel Innovation Authority Board Guideline .

Source:https://www.gita.org.in/OnlineRfp/ProgramInfo.aspx?GITA=kZdo4yRVS4gRExygXA1Gyq9SZnneO25N65fp3J3SeI8=