NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum is a Tech for Good platform that celebrates, showcases and supports Information Communication Technology Innovations that address gaps in development and foster inclusive growth.
To recognize and support Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) led innovations that have met a social development need or helped organizations achieve their social development objectives.
Innovation can be a product, process, or technology. It can also be a principle, an idea, an intervention, or a combination of all these using ICT.
The Forum’s Challenge is the annual competition where innovations using ICT to address gaps in key developmental areas are awarded and recognized on a national platform. By applying for the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum each applicant will by default be applying for the Challenge.
To understand the process from application to award please go to the: process page. Winners of the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum’s Challenge will be awarded at the NASSCOM’s flagship event NASSCOM India Leadership Forum 2016.
All information regarding the process of application can be found here.
The deadline for applications will be 15th November 2017.
The NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum invites applications from:
Please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria for your specific organisational structure. Please refer to the Eligibility here.
The Forum’s Challenge is the annual competition where innovations using ICT to address gaps in key developmental areas are awarded and recognized on a national platform. By applying for the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum each applicant will by default be applying for the Challenge.
The NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum defines a Not for Profit as any organisation registered as:
This year NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum will focus on innovations from the following themes/sectors:
If your innovation addresses a gap in any social challenge within the Indian context, you can apply for the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum under the ‘Other Social Issues’.
Yes, you can apply with multiple entries in one thematic category as long as each application is for a unique and different initiative. In other words, only one initiative is allowed per application in a Forum category. You must also ensure a unique email and login credential is used for every new and unique application.
Yes, you can apply in more than one thematic category, as long as each application is for a unique initiative. In other words, only one initiative per application is allowed in a Forum Category. You must also ensure a unique email and login credential is used for every new and unique application.
Your application will first be reviewed for completeness, eligibility and adherence to the application guidelines, including character limit. Incomplete and ineligible applications will be declined without further review. Applications that meet eligibility criteria will be reviewed carefully by NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum team. After a thorough review, applications that fit the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum criteria will be invited to complete the Level II application.
No, there is no application fee.
The applications will be judged in every round based on the following five parameters:
You can determine which category to apply by checking the Eligibility criteria for each category.
The online link of the application form is available on the NASSCOM Foundation website: Applications must be submitted only through the application link provided. Any entries submitted through other means will NOT be accepted.
To start with, you need to create your account. You must save your application at regular intervals since the website may get timed out after certain intervals and you will lose your data. We can share an offline version of the form for you to refer to and then complete the form online. After submitting you can check the status of the application form by logging into your account.
If you forget your password, you can click ‘Forgot Password’ and provide your mail address, and the password information will be sent to you.
You will receive an email acknowledgment that your application has been received within 24 hours of electronic submission.
All winners (NGOs & Social Enterprises) will receive a grant of INR 10 lakhs each along with structured mentoring for a year. The only category winners that will NOT receive a grant is the Other Social Issues category. However, all winners will receive mentoring.
A catalytic grant will be given to winners that are deemed to have high potential for impact in their thematic area. Purpose of the grant is to aid the organisation to scale its reach and thus achieve the deemed high impact. It must be specified here that all projects within the stated thematic categories will be screened and considered for the grant.
All eligibile winners in the following categories will stand to receive a grant of INR 10 lakhs – Education, Environment, Healthcare, Financial Inclusion & Accessibility. There are no grants for winners in the Other Social Issues category.
No. There is no separate application form for the grant.
Yes they can if you meet the eligibility criteria and you are entering with a different initiative. However, if you have won the NSIF challenge in the last 3 years (since 2015), you will not be able to apply for the same innovation.
Yes, you can reapply for NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum under a suitable category.
Winning organisations will receive a grant of INR 10 lakhs each. All shortlisted applicants will be evaluated by the jury members and kept in mind while assigning the grant by the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum team.
Mentors will include industry leaders, experts in social enterprise, innovation and development projects. Mentors will be assigned based on technical and growth plans of the mentee organization.
Please view the process section for timelines. This section will be regularly updated with deadlines and dates for various milestones.
All organizations receiving a grant will participate in the mentoring and capacity building workshops. With the help of assigned mentors, they will set milestones, which they are to meet by the end of the first cycle. They are also expected to submit timely reports & documentation.
The NSIF winners become part of the community of innovators at NSIF. This gives them access to network connects and events by NASSCOM Foundation and its partners. Our association with these organizations will not end and we will provide these important connections with relevant stakeholders so as to support the innovations on their path to success and scale.
The NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum provides grants & mentoring to select projects. The Forum will help them thrive and grow. The winners of the Challenge, as a part of the NASSCOM Social Innovation Forum receive recognition on a national platform, publicity, connects to industry, access to experts and successful innovators and entrepreneurs through the Forum. As a part of the Forum, you get a chance to participate in NASSCOM Foundation and partner events as speakers and delegates, opening a wide variety of avenues.
If you have any queries regarding the application process, questions or technical issues you can email your queries to [email protected] or call Divya/Smruti at 022 28328535.
If you have any further questions please reach out to us at [email protected]
