The iSTART:ACT (Accelerate & Commercialise Technology) programme is a grant scheme that aims to encourage and assist Singapore-based start-ups to accelerate technology commercialisation and catalyse go-to-market activities by leveraging internationally-proven technologies. iSTART:ACT focuses on enhancing start-up business viability by leveraging established technology to overcome the valley-of-death phase that start-ups face.

Through the programme, we hope to seed a bigger pool of successful start-ups that are both innovative and commercially viable not just in Singapore, but in the region as well.

To be eligible for this grant scheme, the applicant company must:

• Be developing an ICT product or solution
• Partner another company to leverage its technology IP for further development
• Have at least 30% local ownership (Singapore citizens or PR)
• Be less than 5 years old with no more than 25 employees

A panel of experts will evaluate the proposals based on the following criteria:

• Track record of the technology and company that you are partnering
• Strength and commitment of the partnership
• Significance of development work on top of the principal technology
• Business viability of the project
• Strength of proposed team
• Impact of the project to Singapore

IDA will hold a briefing on 14 August 2013 on its iSTART:ACT funding exercise FY 2013.
Join this briefing to find out more if you are interested to apply for this grant scheme.

Date: 14 August 2013
Venue: Plug-In@Blk71 Seminar Room (71 Ayer Rajah Crescent, #02-18, Singapore 139951)
Details: Register at http://www.eventnook.com/event/istartact

For the successful applicants, IDA will co-fund up to 50% of salaries of qualified manpower for 1 year. The maximum grant amount to each company will be capped at S$200,000.

Interested applicants must indicate an expression of interest by submitting an executive summary to [email protected] by 12 noon, 10 September 2013 . The executive summary should briefly cover the above listed criteria and should not be more than 4 pages.

If you need assistance to source for technology partners, do contact Geraldine Chan . For all other enquiries and submissions, you can also e-mail [email protected] .

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