IPTIF Housing & Construction EiR — Monthly Fellowship, 18 Months — Frequently Asked Questions

It is an Entrepreneurship-in-Residence fellowship run by IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation (IPTIF) for early-stage innovators working on housing and construction. Selected participants receive a monthly grant and incubation support while they develop their solution. The programme is delivered with Habitat for Humanity International's Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) and Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).

The support is a subsistence grant paid every month, and it can continue for as long as 18 months. The exact rupee amount per month is not published in this call for applications, so the figure is best confirmed with IPTIF through the official portal.

Early-stage innovators and early-stage ventures that are working on a proof of concept, a prototype or active technology development, and whose solution has a clear application and impact in housing or construction. The call does not specify a required entity type, and it does not mention DPIIT recognition or MSME registration as a condition.

Five tracks: Digital Housing & Construction (PropTech, housing finance and FinTech, data and IoT); Thermal Comfort & Livability (passive cooling, ventilation, insulation, indoor air quality and climate-responsive solutions); Energy & Household Solutions (efficiency, decentralised energy, clean cooking); Water & Sanitation (purification, sanitation, water management); and Sustainable & Climate-Resilient Housing & Construction (low-carbon materials, advanced construction technologies, circularity, disaster resilience).

You need to be at the proof-of-concept, prototype or technology-development stage. A concept with no technical work behind it does not meet the stated eligibility.

No equity stake is described anywhere in the published terms. The EiR support is a fellowship with a monthly grant, which means it is non-dilutive — you retain ownership of your venture while you use the grant and incubation support to build it.

Participants get pre-incubation and incubation support, expert mentorship from industry leaders, training and skill development, startup readiness and evaluation support, access to infrastructure and office facilities, industry and ecosystem connections, legal and regulatory assistance including IP support, prototyping support, and pilot opportunities to test the solution in real-world conditions.

Applications close on 15 September 2026. Submissions are made online through IPTIF's application portal at https://iptif.accubate.app/ext/form/23365/1/apply.

The call does not publish a document checklist. Applications of this type generally call for a detailed proposal, a pitch deck, information on the founding team and a clear description of the innovation. The official online form will state exactly what has to be submitted, so assemble those materials before you begin.

A selection committee made up of experts from IPTIF, KSUM and other industry and academic partners reviews every application. It assesses potential impact, relevance to the housing and construction sector, technological readiness and team strength. Shortlisted applicants may be asked to present their solution or attend further interviews before the final cohort is chosen and onboarded.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for IPTIF Housing & Construction EiR — Monthly Fellowship, 18 Months, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

IPTIF Housing & Construction EiR — Monthly Fellowship, 18 Months is offered by IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation (IPTIF), an academic institution. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.