SSIP 2.0 and i-Hub — Gujarat's ₹2.5 Lakh to ₹10 Lakh Seed Support for Student and Early-Stage Founders
From campus idea to seed-funded startup
The Student Startup and Innovation Policy was Gujarat's first attempt to fund innovation inside colleges; SSIP 2.0 widened it beyond students and built i-Hub, a Section 8 company under the Education Department, as the single window for early-stage innovators and startups. i-Hub runs the programmes — Start-up Sathi for mentoring, Saksham for capacity building, Start-up Clinic, Square, Mart and Grow — and the funding.
The funding that matters most to a founder is the Startup Srujan Seed Support, or S4: ₹2.5 lakh to ₹10 lakh to move from proof of concept to product and market entry, with a dedicated ₹10 crore fund earmarked for the 2025-26 year and up to ₹10 lakh per startup for testing and validation. Student founders at SSIP-empanelled institutions access smaller proof-of-concept grants through their institution's SSIP cell.
What each track provides
| Track | Support | Route |
|---|---|---|
| SSIP institutional grant | Proof-of-concept funding through the college's SSIP cell, plus IPR support | Student or recent graduate of an SSIP-empanelled institution |
| Startup Srujan Seed Support (S4) | ₹2.5 lakh to ₹10 lakh grant for PoC to product and market entry; testing and validation support | Registered startup or innovator on the i-Hub portal |
| i-Hub programmes | Mentoring, incubation space in the Ahmedabad complex, corporate co-creation, marketplace access | Any i-Hub registered startup |
Department and screening
The Education Department owns SSIP; i-Hub acts as the programme management unit and runs the Srujan screening rounds with expert panels. Institutional grants are approved by the college's SSIP committee within the state's guidelines.
Gujarat-based, student or early-stage
- •For the institutional track: student, or graduate within the policy's window, of an SSIP-empanelled institution in Gujarat
- •For S4: innovator (unregistered) or startup registered in Gujarat, with a proof of concept ready for validation
- •DPIIT recognition helps for registered startups and is expected at the higher end of S4
- •Not already funded for the same project under another Gujarat scheme
What the i-Hub portal and screening need
- •i-Hub profile as innovator or startup; for students, institution ID and the SSIP cell's recommendation
- •Certificate of Incorporation and DPIIT recognition for registered startups; proof of Gujarat address
- •Founder KYC and team profiles
- •Proof-of-concept evidence: prototype photos, test results, demo
- •Srujan application: problem, solution, validation plan, budget by head, milestones
- •Bank account details; financial statements or bank statements for the operating period
- •Declaration of other government support
Questions founders ask about SSIP and i-Hub
The institutional track has a window after graduation set by the policy; beyond it, register as a startup or innovator on the i-Hub portal and apply for Srujan seed support instead.
A grant. i-Hub does not take equity under S4.
No. Both tracks require a Gujarat institution or a Gujarat-registered entity.
Gujarat's Industrial Policy startup assistance and central schemes such as NIDHI-SSP or BIRAC BIG are the usual next steps, and i-Hub's investor programmes connect graduates to angel and VC funding.