Government First – First Call for Applications (Government of Karnataka)

About

Karnataka's IT & BT Department, through KITS, invites Karnataka-registered startups with deployment-ready (TRL ≥ 7) solutions to apply by 23 October 2026 for Government First pilot work orders of up to ₹25 lakh addressing BWSSB urban water management and Praja Seva citizen-centric governance problem statements.

Benefits

• 💰Pilot Work Order
  Selected startups receive a direct work order of up to ₹25 lakh, subject to technical evaluation, to implement and validate their solution
• 🧪Real-World Government Piloting
  Startups pilot, test, and validate their solutions in a real-world Government of Karnataka environment, with pilots evaluated within a defined timeframe
• 📈Pathway to Government Procurement
  Solutions demonstrating measurable impact, operational effectiveness, and value for public service delivery may be considered for procurement by Government Departments, Boards, and Corporations; procurement is conditional and not guaranteed
• 🔒Intellectual Property
  Startups retain ownership of their intellectual property, according to secondary reporting on the government order

Eligibility Criteria

• 🏢 Legal Entity Registration
• Mandatory: Must be incorporated or registered as a Private Limited Company or OPC Private Limited under the Companies Act, 2013; a Registered Partnership Firm under the Partnership Act, 1932; a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) under the LLP Act, 2008; a Multi-State Cooperative Society registered with the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002; or a Cooperative Society registered under the relevant State/UT Cooperative Societies Act
• 💰 Turnover Limit
• Turnover in any financial year since incorporation or registration must not have exceeded INR 200 crore for non-Deeptech startups or INR 300 crore for Deeptech startups
• 📅 Startup Age
• Must be within 10 years of incorporation or registration for non-Deeptech startups, or within 20 years for Deeptech startups, at the time of application
• 🔍 Independent Entity Status
• Must operate as an independent entity and not be a subsidiary, spin-off, internal division, franchise, reseller, part of a group company, Section 8 company, trust, society, association, non-profit entity, merger or demerger from a larger company, or part of a Government initiative, public-private partnership (PPP), or aided partner
• 🧪 Technology Readiness Level
• Must have a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of at least 7, with the solution validated in operational environments and ready for real-world testing
• 🌍 Problem-Solution Relevance
• Must address a real-world problem in industry, society, or the environment, or create a new market opportunity
• 📋 KITS Registration
• Startups must be registered with the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS)
• 📝 Application Limit
• Only one application per entity is accepted; where two or more applicant entities share a common promoter, director, or partner and reach the final stage, the highest-scoring startup takes precedence
• 📄 Mandatory Documentation
• Must submit an incorporation or registration certificate, Company Memorandum of Association (MoA), Partnership Deed or LLP Deed, a Startup Affidavit signed by the promoters and notarised on INR 100 e-stamp paper (with the startup as the first party and KITS as the second party), and a Solution Docket in PDF format under 10 MB
• ⚠️ Disqualification and Proof of Registration
• Applications that fail to meet eligibility criteria or lack supporting documents may be disqualified at any stage. MSME, Udyog Aadhaar, GST, Trade Union, KMF, VAT certificates, and Shops and Establishments registration are not accepted as valid registration proof
• ℹ️ Preferred Criteria and Government Experience
• No preferred criteria are stated; secondary reporting indicates that prior experience working with the government is not required

Target Region

Karnataka, India

Target Sector

Energy & Utilities, Government & Public Sector