[Link]-india.
org
Program Overview
THIRD CALL FOR PROPOSALS, JULY 2017
AN INITIATIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
PMU-BIRAC & IKP KNOWLEDGE PARK
TO IDENTIFY, NURTURE AND EMPOWER REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS
THAT ADDRESS GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
2 [Link]
Introduction
Grand Challenges Explorations India (GCE-India) is an initiative to encourage and nurture
innovation in areas that impact global health. This is the third call for proposals with the
Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (DBT), and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation as funding partners, IKP Knowledge Park (IKP), as an implementation partner, and
the Program Management Unit at BIRAC (PMU-BIRAC) as the management partner.
GCE-India is about you, your idea, and empowering you with the tools, network, and funds, to
help you take your idea to the next stage of realization. Our network of highly qualified
individuals will walk with you for the first two years, help refine your business strategy, provide
technical consulting, and help you overcome other hurdles in the early stage of technology
development.
The GCE-India initiative mirrors the Grand Challenges Explorations program of the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation, to address challenges specific to the Indian healthcare ecosystem.
A pilot for the GCE-India program was run as the IKP-GCE program from 2011 to 2015. We are
looking for life changing ideas from talented and motivated professionals, and aim to encourage
entrepreneurship in India. Our greater goal is the quest for new medical technology devices,
drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and technology enabled service models that can potentially
be made available to people from all socio-economic strata.
In 2014, about 6% of Indias GDP was spent on healthcare, a large portion of the expenses
incurred by the top tiers of population. About 80% of the spending happens in the private sector,
a skewed pattern compared to China or Thailand where the Government covers 75% of
expenses. The healthcare industry in India stands at USD 17 Billion and is growing at the rate of
13% per year. GCE-India is where science meets purpose, at a time when emerging economies
such as India are poised to compete with larger economies. We expect that healthcare
innovation from within our nation will address the needs of our nation better; GCE-India is a
search to identify healthcare innovations that will enable the goal of equitable healthcare. For
more information on the winners please click the following link.
Grand Challenges Explorations - India
GCE-India ([Link]) is an opportunity to put yourself on the same platform as Grand
Challenges Explorations (GCE) awardees from all over the world, while also leveraging the
mentorship, resources and network that all the partners offer. If selected, you will be eligible for
an award of INR 50 Lakh for 18 months, and a prize of INR 10 Lakh for successful
completion of milestones. Successful projects will also have the opportunity to apply for a follow-
on funds from BIRAC through the BIPP, SBIRI and/or the GCE Phase II program of the
3 [Link]
Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research
Assistance Council (BIRAC) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Apart from the funding, PMU-BIRAC and IKP Knowledge Park will closely work with the chosen
candidates; provide them technical and business strategy advice, as also access to synergistic
networks within the nation and outside; factors that would be critical to making an innovation a
medical and commercial success.
Scope of GCE-India: Call 3, July 2017
We are seeking ideas to create medical devices, diagnostics, devices and technology enabled
delivery systems that will address the health challenges listed below:
1. MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
1.1 Wearables and Technology for Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Behavior Change
in low resource settings
1.2 Addressing Newborn and Infant Gut Health Through Bacteriophage-Mediated
Microbiome Engineering
1.3 Explore New Ways to Measure Brain Development
1.4 Explore New Ways to Measure Gestational Age
1.5 Explore New Ways to predict and prevent Birth Asphyxia
1.6 Explore New Ways to predict and prevent Neonatal sepsis
2. FAMILY PLANNING
2.1 Develop Novel Platforms to Accelerate Contraceptive Drug Discovery
2.2 Develop the Next Generation of Condom
3. INFECTIOUS DISEASES
3.1 Innovations for Novel Diagnostic Systems
3.2 Explore New Solutions for Global Health Priority Areas Enable self-testing for cervical
cancer
3.3 Innovative Solutions to re-purposing old drugs, surveillance and Point of Care
Diagnostics to mitigate Antimicrobial Resistance
4. NUTRITION
4.1 Novel Enabling Tools and Models Supporting Development of Interventions for Enteric
Dysfunction
4.2 Explore Nutrition for Healthy Growth of Infants and Children
5. MENTAL HEALTH
5.1 New Approaches for Detection, Treatment, and Control of mental health
Note: You can click on the any of the problem statements for a more descriptive document on that
problem statements, or visit [Link]
4 [Link]
GCE-India will NOT fund:
Ideas that do not address one of the key challenges listed above in Round 3;
Ideas or solutions not aligned with the Global Health priority areas of Department of
Biotechnology, Government of India (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research
Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation;
Ideas without a clearly-articulated and testable hypothesis;
Ideas not directly relevant to developing countries;
Ideas for which a relevant indicator of success cannot be demonstrated within the scope
of the GCE-India award of INR 50 Lakh;
Approaches that represent incremental improvements to conventional solutions (e.g.,
research of current methods for vaccine discovery, development and delivery intended
to expand, improve or integrate existing technologies or tools)
Basic research without clear relevance to the goals of this topic;
Solely behavioral change/educational initiatives (e.g., training programs, scholarships,
education programs);
Solely infrastructure or capacity-building initiatives;
Approaches that present unacceptable downstream safety risks (e.g., as a barrier to
product development);
Application Process and Selection Criteria
This Call for Proposals is open to anyone from any discipline from India - from researchers and
faculty in colleges/ universities/government laboratories/ institutions to startups and SMEs as
well as non-profit organizations. We are open to receiving your proposals until 11:59 PM,
August 31, 2017 (IST).
Eligibility: Indian Nationals can apply. Indian companies applying for the award should have
Registration under Companies Act 1956, and must have 51% equity or shareholding by Indian
Nationals only including NRIs. More than 49 % investments by OCI/PIO or any foreign entities
will lead to ineligibility. NGOs/ Foundations/ Not-for-Profit Organizations/ Community bodies
involved in social innovation or S&T activities must have active participation in India. They need
to submit an illustration of their active programs in the country as well as their accomplishment
when requested. The statutory recognition through Society Act or SIRO will add credentials
when provided.
Proposals will be selected based on the following criteria
We seek proposals that clearly demonstrate the attributes below:
1. Novelty in innovation
2. Potential Societal Impact
5 [Link]
3. Access and Affordability to end users
4. Sustainability
5. Alignment with goals of DBT, BIRAC, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and IKP
6. 18 Month Plan and Execution Capability
Please fill out the form, on our program website at [Link].
Additionally, you will have to submit a two-page description that describes your innovation - the
working concept, stage of development, IP ownership issues, a short term strategy (for the next
18 months) and long term direction.
*Please keep the 2 page proposal anonymous with no reference to your names or
organization.
An expert panel with representation from academia and industry will evaluate the proposals for
novelty and feasibility and shortlist 20-30 proposals. Shortlisted teams will be asked to make a
presentation to a jury. Candidates will be visited at their site for further technical and financial
due diligence. We expect to make 5 awards in the third call.
For clarifications please email us at gce-india@[Link].
Terms and Conditions:
GCE-India is structured similar to the Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) program of the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation, and is managed by the IKP Knowledge Park, in partnership with
the DBT, BIRAC, and the Gates Foundation, and will adhere to the same Policy standards as
the GCE program, and that of BIRAC.
Links to the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions are as below:
[Link]
[Link]
materials/GCE_Rules_and_Guidelines_Round17.pdf
6 [Link]
About the Organizers:
Department of Biotechnology, Government of India ([Link])
The Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government
of India (DBT) is the designated representative of the India side of the joint partnership.
The Department of Biotechnology was set up in 1986, as a government body dedicated solely to
the advancement of biotechnology to improve the lives of people.
DBT encourages innovation in biotechnology, by funding research organizations and forming
strategic partnerships with industry across the country, but also encourages research in social
areas such as healthcare, nutrition and food security, environmental sustainability and energy
security. DBT also works through international collaborations and partnerships with
organizations in multiple countries across the world.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA ([Link])
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works
to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving
peoples health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme
poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all peopleespecially those with the fewest
resourceshave access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in
Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates
Sr., under the direction of Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) ([Link])
BIRAC is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department
of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and
empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation,
addressing nationally relevant product development needs. BIRAC is an industry-academia
interface and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives, be it
providing access to risk capital through targeted funding, technology transfer, IP management
and handholding schemes that help bring innovation excellence to the biotech firms and make
them globally competitive.
Program Management Unit at Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council
(PMU-BIRAC)
This unit, housed at BIRAC was created by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of
India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to jointly administer the Grand Challenges India
program in 2012. PMU-BIRAC works closely with strategic partners to identify and support
scientific and technological opportunities to ensure that solutions have the highest possible
impact, are sustainable and encourage future development of knowledge and innovations
networks both in India and abroad. The PMU also manages the Healthy Birth, Growth and
Development knowledge integration platform and the Knowledge Integration and Translational
Platform that are directly funded by the Gates Foundation, and provides technical and
7 [Link]
management support to the Wellcome Trusts Affordable Healthcare in India program. The unit
is also supported by USAID.
IKP Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India ([Link])
The mission of IKP Knowledge Park (IKP) is to create a world-class ecosystem for fostering
leading-edge innovation in India. The Hyderabad campus was set up as a not-for-profit research
park in 1999. IKP's hardware incubator and makerspace, IKP-EDEN has been operational since
September 2015. Hitherto, IKP has supported over 250 R&D based companies from six
countries, through provision of shared space and facilities, incubation, mentorship and funding.
For clarifications please email us at gceindia@[Link] or call +91 97316 87587.
8 [Link]
FAQs
1. Who can apply?
Indian Nationals can apply. Indian companies applying should have Registration under
Companies Act 1956, and must have 51% equity or shareholding by Indian Nationals only
including NRIs. More than 49 % investments by OCI/PIO or any foreign entities will lead to
ineligibility. NGOs/ Foundations/ Not-for Profit Organizations/ Community bodies involved in
social innovation or S&T activities must have active participation in India. They need to submit
an illustration of their active programs in the country as well as their accomplishment when
requested. The statutory recognition through Society Act or SIRO will add credentials when
provided. However we require that the award money for R&D be utilized predominantly (80%) in
India.
2. What is the award for - Open ended or close-to-market research?
The focus is on innovations that will have great societal impact eventually, like cell phones for
example. We would like to cap the capital expenditure to 25% of the award amount.
Consumables do not form part of the capital expenditure.
3. When is the application Deadline?
11:59 PM (IST) on August 31, 2017
4. What is expected by the application deadline?
A 2 page proposal to be uploaded on [Link]. You can create a user account on
[Link] by clicking the signup button. Email submissions will not be accepted.
5. Can I submit more than one proposal?
Yes, you can. You will have to create separate user accounts on our website (with 2 different
email ids) for each project proposal.
6. What are the criterion for judging?
Novelty, Societal impact, alignment with the goals of the partners, affordability to end user,
sustainability, execution capability.
7. What should the 2 page proposal contain?
We request to address the following - Description of innovation, working concept, stage of
development, short term strategy, and long term direction.
8. How is long term direction different from short term direction?
Please ensure that your long term direction involves reaching to all layers of the socioeconomic
population. Your short term strategy must ensure that you use the INR 50 Lakh effectively (and
according to plan) so that you are eligible for follow on funding from the partners and other
funding agencies after 18 months.
9 [Link]
9. Who owns the invention / intellectual property?
All Intellectual Property resides with the inventor. The Department of Biotechnology,
Government of India (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)
& Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation can access the IP as part of their Global Access Strategy
Program to make invention(s) available to people below the poverty line. While the inventor is
free to monetize the invention on populations above the poverty line, gates foundation will try to
economize the production and distribution of the invention/service/drug/vaccine/device/
diagnostic so that it benefits everyone, especially those below poverty line.
10. What is the Global Access Strategy?
To meet the Global Access objectives, as a condition of the award you agree to conduct and
manage project research, project technologies, and information in a manner that enables
(a) the knowledge gained during the project to be promptly and broadly disseminated, and
(b) the intended product(s) to be made available and accessible at reasonable cost to either
(i) people most in need within developing countries or
(ii) the U.S. and Indian educational system and public libraries, as applicable to your
proposed project.
For the terms used in the agreement, please refer to Page 8 of
[Link]
materials/GCE_Rules_and_Guidelines_Round17.pdf
11. If I do not win, does the Gates Foundation still have access to my IP for the Global
Access Strategy program?
If you are not chosen as a GCE awardee, your IP is not available to the Department of
Biotechnology, Government of India (DBT), the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance
Council (BIRAC) or Gates Foundation.
12. How can IKP Knowledge Park help with mentoring?
IKP Knowledge Park has supported over 200 companies and innovators so far, including 136
startups, the largest being Laurus Laboratories with over 1500 employees and over Rs. 1200 cr
revenue. IKP has an extensive network of global experts in India for review, monitoring and
mentoring awardees. The shared life sciences facilities offered by IKP is in Hyderabad while its
hardware facility is in Bangalore. IKP also offers support in patent search and IP filing.
13. How is the proposal review process structured?
Applicants will submit their short 2 page proposal by 11:59 PM on August 31, 2017 (IST). An
expert panel with representation from academia and industry will evaluate the proposals for
novelty and feasibility and shortlist 20-30 proposals. Shortlisted teams will be asked to make a
presentation to a jury. Candidates will be visited at their site for further technical and financial
due diligence. We expect to make 5 awards in the first call. The expected timeline for release of
funds will be January 1, 2018.