UP Grand Challenges Grant — Up to ₹3 Cr for Scaling Startups — Frequently Asked Questions

The Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026 caps financial support through this mechanism at ₹3 crore for each startup that is supported. There is no stated minimum, so what a particular winner receives is decided by the guidelines of the challenge it entered and by the evaluation committee.

Scaling-stage startups are the intended applicants. You have to apply to a specific Grand Challenge round that the State Government has announced, and you must satisfy the guidelines prescribed for that round. Because the theme, the invited sectors and the number of winners change from round to round, the notification for the round you are targeting is the document that really defines eligibility.

Neither. The support is grant-in-aid, which means it is not repayable and the state does not take an equity stake in your company in return. It is a straight grant, not an investment.

There is no single permanently open application form. Grand Challenges are organised by the State Government from time to time, and each one runs under its own prescribed guidelines and its own application window. The scheme is effectively rolling — rounds keep being announced — so the way to catch a deadline is to watch the UP Startup Mission portal for each new notification.

First register your startup with StartinUP, the UP Startup Mission, on the state portal at https://startinup.up.gov.in/Registration. After that, watch for a Grand Challenge notification, read the guidelines issued for that round, and submit your application for that specific challenge inside its window.

Selection happens through an evaluation that is open and transparent, carried out in accordance with the guidelines prescribed for each Grand Challenge, and winners are chosen on merit. Applications are assessed against the criteria set for the round rather than being processed on a first-come basis.

They differ. Each Grand Challenge is organised under its own prescribed guidelines, so the theme being funded, the sectors invited and the number of winners can vary by round. You should always read the notification for the round you plan to enter rather than relying on what an earlier challenge covered.

The programme sits under the Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026 and is run by the Government of Uttar Pradesh through the UP Startup Mission (StartinUP).

The offering under this mechanism is cash grant-in-aid, which is the financial support route the policy describes for scaling-stage startups. The policy does not fix a minimum amount, so the value of any award is worked out from the challenge guidelines and the evaluation committee's decision, up to the ₹3 crore ceiling.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for UP Grand Challenges Grant — Up to ₹3 Cr for Scaling Startups, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.