Azim Premji Foundation, an India-based nonprofit focused on education, health, and social development, has opened applications for its Social Startups Programme until December 31, 2026.

The program helps development professionals launch civil society organizations serving underserved communities.

The first cohort will include about 100 participants in Odisha, Northeast India, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Bengaluru Urban.

Focus areas include rural livelihoods, health, youth, mental health, disability, children’s welfare, Adivasi communities, urban informal settlements, and welfare rights.

Applicants must be under 40, hold a graduate degree, and have at least three years of on-the-ground development experience.

They must plan to set up and lead a new civil society organization, be willing to relocate, and commit for the long term to their chosen geography.

People who have already registered an organization are not eligible.

The program’s eight-month seeding phase will begin on April 1, 2027, offering funding, guidance, and learning support.

Participants are expected to register their organizations by the end of this phase and can then submit grant proposals for evaluation.

Those that meet the criteria may receive a two-year seed grant.

🔗 Source: Azim Premji Foundation