UP Startup Week PoC Work Order — ₹15L & ₹10L for Startups

UP Startup Week is an annual celebration hosted by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and it doubles as a procurement window for the state. For each edition, the state invites startups to pitch proof-of-concept ideas in a set of sectors chosen for that year.

Winning here is not the same as receiving a grant. Selected startups are issued a work order — a maximum of ₹15 lakh for the first startup picked in a sector and ₹10 lakh for the second — so the money is payment for delivering the concept a government department wants tested.

Two startups are chosen from every selected sector, and the policy expects UP Startup Mission to extend proof-of-concept opportunities to roughly 14 startups a year through Startup Week.

Because the deliverable is a genuine government work order, founders walk away with more than cash. The state effectively becomes a reference customer, and the pitch itself puts a startup in front of a panel that includes government officials, industry players, investors, mentors and bankers.

• Work orders of up to ₹15 lakh for the first pick and ₹10 lakh for the second in each sector
• Two startups selected per sector, roughly 14 supported each year
• Paid proof-of-concept work for the Uttar Pradesh government, not a grant
• Evaluated by a panel of officials, industry players, investors, mentors and bankers
• Government work order doubles as a public-sector reference customer

Entry is through the expression of interest issued for a particular edition of UP Startup Week, so eligibility is tied to that edition rather than to a fixed annual window.

• The startup must work in one of the sectors the state selects for that year. The sector list changes from edition to edition, so check it before preparing a pitch.
• A pitch or idea has to be submitted for the proof-of-concept opportunity open in that sector.
• The idea must be selected by the evaluation panel — there is no route in other than the panel's decision.
• Two startups are picked per selected sector, which means competition is sector by sector rather than across the whole state.

Registration with StartinUP (UP Startup Mission) is the natural starting point, since the expression of interest and the resulting work order both run through the mission.

UP Startup Week PoC Work Order — ₹15L & ₹10L for Startups is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

UP Startup Week PoC Work Order — ₹15L & ₹10L for Startups 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.

The award is a work order, not grant-in-aid and not equity. Within each selected sector:

• The first startup chosen receives a work order of up to ₹15 lakh.
• The second startup chosen receives a work order of up to ₹10 lakh.

The payment covers building and proving a proof of concept that a state department wants tested, so the deliverable is a working concept rather than a report or a pilot proposal.

Beyond the cash, the work order turns the Government of Uttar Pradesh into a reference customer — strong evidence for any startup selling to the public sector. Selected teams also gain visibility and connections from pitching to the evaluation panel, which brings together government officials, industry players, investors, mentors and bankers.

UP Startup Week PoC Work Order — ₹15L & ₹10L for Startups is offered by Government of Uttar Pradesh, a government body. As a government-backed competition, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Startups enter through the expression of interest released for that year's Startup Week, inside a defined set of sectors.

• The mission issues the expression of interest and names the sectors chosen for the edition.
• Startups submit a pitch or idea for the proof-of-concept opportunity in their sector.
• A panel — government officials, renowned industry players, investors, mentors and bankers — assesses every pitch.
• Two startups from each selected sector are chosen and issued a work order.
• The selected startup then builds and delivers the proof of concept for the department.

Before you apply to UP Startup Week PoC Work Order — ₹15L & ₹10L for Startups, 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.

UP Startup Week PoC Work Order — ₹15L & ₹10L for Startups is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹10L – ₹15L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.