herSTART 5th Edition

herSTART 5th Edition is a flagship initiative by the Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC), in partnership with UNICEF and SBI Mutual Funds, designed exclusively for women entrepreneurs and women-led startups. The program aims to transform early-stage ideas into scalable, sustainable businesses by providing structured incubation, access to government grants, private investment opportunities, and ecosystem support.

Participants benefit from a comprehensive support model that includes bootcamp training, accelerator programming, mentorship, industry connections, and demo day exposure. Selected startups can receive government grants of up to ₹50 lakhs and private investments of up to ₹5 crores, subject to evaluation and eligibility. Beyond funding, startups get incubation support—business mentoring, strategic planning, investor readiness preparation, and networking with ecosystem partners.

The selection process involves structured scrutiny and shortlisting spanning approximately 30–45 days, after which shortlisted applicants proceed to further evaluation stages. Notably, the program is completely free of cost; no application or participation fees are charged.

• Women-led startups at any stage can apply—from idea to growth.
• Grants up to ₹50L and private investments up to ₹5Cr available.
• Free to apply; no participation fees charged.
• Run by GUSEC in partnership with UNICEF and SBI Mutual Funds.
• Includes bootcamp, accelerator, mentorship, and demo day.
• Incubation support including business mentoring and investor readiness.

The program is open to women entrepreneurs and women-led startups at any stage—from idea and prototype to MVP, early revenue, or growth stages. There are no restrictions on industry, state, or entity type, and no requirement for DPIIT or MSME registration.

herSTART 5th Edition is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

herSTART 5th Edition accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

• Government grants of up to ₹50 lakhs
• Private investments of up to ₹5 crores (subject to evaluation and eligibility)
• Incubation support through GUSEC, including business mentoring, strategic planning, and investor readiness preparation
• Access to bootcamp training, accelerator programming, and demo day exposure
• Networking with ecosystem partners and industry connects

herSTART 5th Edition is offered by GUSEC, an academic institution. It is delivered directly by GUSEC as a grant. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

The selection process involves a structured scrutiny and shortlisting phase lasting approximately 30–45 days. After this initial evaluation, shortlisted applicants are invited for subsequent evaluation stages, which may include interviews or pitch sessions. Final selection is based on the startup's potential, stage, and alignment with the program's objectives.

Before you apply to herSTART 5th Edition, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

herSTART 5th Edition is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹50L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.