Shillong, July 22 (MExN): North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong has decided to set up an Incubation Centre, as a supplementary promotional activity of NIRF, to provide an ecosystem for social start-ups, to offer guidance, mentoring, physical space and network for funding and value based collaboration for incubation of novel ideas. A press release from Biswajit Mohapatra, Associate Professor, Dept of Political Science, NEHU stated that the major activities of the centre are inter alia, selection of ventures, mentoring, providing seed funding, infrastructure support, undertaking review of ventures and networking for resource mobilization for developmental activities. Further, it will offer active incubation support to the new proposed ventures for a period from one to two years, to encourage and support the ventures to become independent and self-supporting. The centre will help provide technical knowhow to the ventures to become efficient, competent venture models so that they become eligible for formal funding support from donors, philanthropists, network partners and impact investors, the release added. The centre proposes to enter into a MoU with the Government of Meghalaya through the active partnership with Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship, for incubation of new ideas and their conversion into successful commercial ventures, to enable the young students to get gainful employment and business ownership in a self-sustainable manner. The funding of the center will be mobilized from MHRD, Ministry of MSME, MDONER, NEC, UGC, Government of Meghalaya and philanthropists and other interested donors. The release stated that a decision has been made to invite proposals/ideas from “our” colleagues, who are well known both internationally and nationally for their cutting edge ideas and research experience and other stakeholders, which have the potential for conversion into social entrepreneurship, new business ventures and can create employment and greater social impact, which can be presented to the Government of Meghalaya and various senior decision makers in a brainstorming workshop to be arranged shortly. Ideas/proposals can be sent by e-mail (nehuincubationcentre@gmail.com) by July 24, 2018. Invitation for proposal (.pdf) is available at https://nehu.ac.in/announcement/display/185.
