The process, stage by stage
Key dates and ten checkpoints from registration to milestone-wise fund release.
- 01Opening of Registration03 Aug 2026
- 02Closing of registration for Proof of Concept30 Sep 2026
- 03Announcement for in-person presentation to shortlisted candidates of Proof of Concept15 Oct 2026
- 04In-person / Hybrid presentation23 Oct 2026
- 05Announcement of shortlisted candidates of POC for the prize money of ₹5 lakhs30 Oct 2026
- 06Closing date of DPR submission30 Nov 2026
- 07Announcement of the final winner10 Dec 2026
- Entry01–0201
Registration
03 Aug 2026Eligible organisations register their team and choose the problem statement(s) they wish to enter.
02Proposal submission
30 Sep 2026Submit your Stage-I proposal — a Proof of Concept with concept brief, schematics and feasibility.
- Stage I — Proof of Concept03–0503
Top 10 shortlisted
15 Oct 2026The strongest proposals for each problem statement are shortlisted for in-person presentation.
04PoC presentation
23 Oct 2026Shortlisted teams present their Proof of Concept to the jury in person or hybrid mode.
05Stage-I awardees announced
30 Oct 2026Up to four teams are selected as Stage-I awardees, each with a ₹5 lakh prize.
- Stage II — Detailed Project Report06–0806
DPR submission
30 Nov 2026Stage-I awardees prepare and submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR).
07DPR evaluation
The Detailed Project Reports are evaluated by the technical committee.
08Final winner announced
10 Dec 2026The Stage-II award winners are announced. Up to two teams receive ₹50 lakh each.
- Award & execution09–1009
Agreement signing
Winning teams formalise the project agreement with NIOT.
10Milestone-wise fund release
Project funds are disbursed against agreed development milestones.