Scholarship
AICTE-IDEA (Idea Development, Evaluation & Application) LAB SCHEME(AIIDEALS)
Eligibility
AICTE-approved engineering colleges/ university departments in existence for having at least 10 years and at least one course with live NBA accreditation.- Aspiring institutions shall have to muster financial contribution to the tune of at least 50% for the IDEA Lab. Weightage will be given to additional quantum of funds, coming specially from industry.
Region
All India
Award
Cash
By Expertie Editorial Team · Expertie editorial desk
Overview
About AIIDEALS
The AICTE-IDEA (Idea Development, Evaluation and Application) Lab scheme sets up dedicated innovation labs, called Idea Labs, inside AICTE-approved institutions. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the statutory body that regulates technical education under the Ministry of Education, runs the scheme. Each lab is meant to give students a place to apply the fundamentals of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through hands-on work rather than classroom theory alone.
The aim is practical. Students use the lab to take an idea from a sketch toward a working prototype, learning by doing and visualising a product along the way. AICTE frames the labs around the National Education Policy 2020. A selected lab runs as a shared facility, open around the clock, and is available to the host institution as well as nearby colleges, schools and industry.
This is an infrastructure grant aimed at institutions, not a scholarship paid to individual students. The scheme is open to AICTE-approved institutions that apply and are selected. If you are a student, the benefit reaches you through the lab your college builds, not as a direct payment.
Sources: AICTE - Institutional Development Schemes (AICTE-IDEA Lab) · myScheme - AICTE-IDEA (Idea Development, Evaluation & Application) LAB SCHEME · Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham - AICTE IDEA Lab
Who runs it
Provider
Ministry of Education
Central Government
Department Of Higher Education
At a glance
Key details
| Level | Central |
| Scheme type | Central Sector Scheme |
| Category | Education & Learning |
| Beneficiaries | University / Institution |
| Benefit type | Cash |
| Application mode | Online |
Calendar
Important dates
Across all open application cycles.
| Cycle | Stage | Date |
|---|
Who can apply
Eligibility criteria
| AICTE-approved engineering colleges/ university departments in existence for having at least 10 years and at least one course with live NBA accreditation.- Aspiring institutions shall have to muster financial contribution to the tune of at least 50% for the IDEA Lab. Weightage will be given to additional quantum of funds, coming specially from industry. | |
| The institution must provide a built-up and furnished space of 3000 sq. ft. to house. | |
| The institution must provide all support staff, facilities and amenities required to operate and maintain the Lab. |
What you get
Award & benefits
- Financial Assistance: Estimated project cost per AICTE Lab is ₹90,00,000/- non-recurring expenditures (covering the cost of equipment, tools and consumables) of₹ 20,00,000/- and recurring expenditures (covering the cost of events and activities for two years) of ₹ 10,00,000/-. AICTE can provide up to 50% i.e. ₹ 30,00,000/-.
- Training to Faculties and Students: Various types of training will be provided to the faculties and the students on creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration, etc.
- Activities to be conducted by an IDEA Lab: The following table lists activities/ events and their number/ frequency in AICTE IDEA Lab and there has to be commitment to conduct minimum numbers, to be eligible for sanctioning of the project.
- Sr. No.Event & DurationTarget & Batch size Objective & JustificationFrequency/Numbers 1.FDP (06 Days) Faculty (20) Faculty needs to be trained on equipment, to be able to guide students and conduct events- including those from other institutions Twice in a year2.Skilling Programs (06 Days) Students (20-30)Training in areas like electrical and electronics fabrication, embedded systems design. Embedded programming, 3D printing, robotics, welding, IOT, Machine learning, Al, bio-engineering, biomedical, etc One per quarter 3.Bootcamps (12 Days) Faculty (05-10) Training of faculty (including those from other institutions, spread over a few weeks, continuing at workplaces, if required Twice a year Twice a year4.ldeation workshops (03-05 Days) Students (30-40)To generate ideas on which students can work in the IDEA Lab, including field visitsOnce in three months5.Awareness Workshops for Industry (02 Days) Industry participants (5-10) Publicizing IDEA Lab among industries, to encourage them to use the facilities Once in three months 6.Internships (2 to 6 months) Students(15-20) For hands-on training as part of their course-work during summer and winter vacations. Internships based on industry problems should be preferred. As per curriculum.7.Professional Skilling Programs (12 Days) ITI students or class 10/12 pass students (5-10) Welding, 3D printing, mechanical fabrication. etc Once in a quarter 8.School Teachers Awareness Program (06 Days) Teachers of nearby schools Demonstration and providing hands-on experience of facilities Twice a year (during school vacations) 9.Projects by School Students identified by schools (10-15)Opportunity for school students to do projects Once a year (as per convenience)10.Open Day for school students (one day)Students (class XI-XIl) nominated by schools (25-30) Exposure to facilities in IDEA Lab to ignite their minds (on Science Day/Technology Day/Teachers Day/ Engineers Day)Once a year (as per convenience)11.Participation in annual technical exhibitionsNationwide IDEA labs Technical exhibitions etc For example, Tech FEST, Mind SPARK, etc. organized by renowned Institutions/ Industries, etc to showcase activities/products/prototypes developed in IDEA labs Once in a year12.Newsletter Nationwide IDEA labs To disseminate information to all the labs about activities of other labs, technology issues, any interesting developments, etc. Monthly/Bi-monthly 13.WebpageAll stakeholdersFor web-presence of IDEA Lab, and showcasing itself before the stakeholders and other IDEA Labs Weekly/Bi-weekly updation 14.Annual conference/ symposium of all IDEA labs All IDEA Labs, DIY labs or similar labs across the nation/outside the nation alsoTo promote active interaction, showcase of lab activities, promote collaboration at national and international level labs Once in a year
What to prepare
Documents required
Quotations of Equipment/s (All quotations must be in a single PDF file only)
Industrial Contribution Commitment Letter (File should be in pdf format only)
Institute Contribution Commitment Letter (File should be in pdf format only)
Endorsement from the Head of Institute (File should be in pdf format only)
Step by step
How to apply
- 1Apply online
See the official links below for the application portal.
Source
Official links
Questions
AIIDEALS – FAQ
The purpose of IDEA Lab is to provide all facilities under one roof, for conversion of an idea into a prototype. With these facilities in the campus, more students and faculty will be encouraged to take up creative work and in the process, get training on creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration etc.
IDEA Lab is meant for students and faculty of the college/ educational campus/University.
Institutions (including part of educational campuses or universities) more than 10 years old are eligible for applying and must have at least one course accredited by the NBA.
Ideally, a built up area of 5000 sq. ft. is required. But the institution must agree to provide a minimum built-up and furnished space of 2000 sq. ft. for the laboratory and an additional 1000 sq. ft. to facilitate activities under IDEA Lab. The installation of equipment has to be done taking into account all safety and environmental concerns.
In order to support do-it-yourself activities and facilitate translation of ideas into prototypes, each IDEA Lab must be equipped with tools, components and consumables. Equipment and consumables have been identified (in Annexure ) and tools (in Annexure I1) which need to be there for a fully functional IDEA Lab as a complete unit.
The institution can shift permanently equipment/ tools they may be having with them to the IDEA Lab. However, they will not be included in the budget but reflected in the inventory.
The utilization of facilities for the purpose they are given, to the maximum extent, is of paramount concern for AICTE. Towards this, institutions can come together under a lead institution which is eligible to apply. The Lab has to be in the premises of the lead institution which will be responsible for executing the project and ensuring that participating institutions and industries are not a liability on IDEA Lab/ Institution.
Yes, the contribution can be from college but this is an excellent opportunity to reach out to industry inviting them for a national initiative. With gates opened for industry, the revenue generation and hence, prospects for sustenance of Lab enhance significantly. This is besides the live problems/ challenges they can offer to the colleges and technical experts as well.
The Head of Institute will be the ex-officio Chief Mentor (CM) of the AICTE IDEA Lab, responsible for overall implementation of the project.
Students from the 3rd/ 4th year of UG or any year of PG course who show keen interest in the activities and regularly participate in them, can be nominated. Institute can frame its own set of rules for this. Upto 3 Ambassadors can be there at a time and should be rotated, maintaining gender equity.
IDEA Labis as much to be used by faculty, as students, including for their research work. They can work on their ideas independently or by involving students. They can create internship projects or practical work which require significant use of IDEA Lab and also facilities in their own departments. Working on interdisciplinary projects involving IDEA Lab would be appreciated.
It's the prerogative of the institution to have one, as an internal mechanism. However, it should in no way become an impediment, at any stage, in the functioning of the Lab.
As long as interested industries are an asset and not a liability on IDEA Lab/ Institution, they are welcome to contribute and participate. They can be given preference over non-contributing industries, in making use of the facilities of IDEA Lab.
Users other than students and faculty can be charged. Revenue generation will be a performance indicator and is strongly encouraged, for sustenance of the Lab. Faculty/ teachers/ staff attending the courses organized by the Lab, which earn a certificate useful for career advancement, can be charged nominally. There can be differential charges for users of facilities and those for a course/ training.
AICTE will release 80% of sanctioned amount as first instalment only after matching grant is deposited in the exclusive Bank Account of IDEA Lab and proof submitted. The second instalment of 20% will be released based on the (a) performance (b) utilization of AICTE's first instalment (c) deposition of 20% amount from non-AICTE sources and any other funds committed in the sanctioned project, besides other documents stipulated for fund release.
Disclaimer
Scheme details are compiled from myScheme, the Government of India’s official scheme-discovery platform, and are reproduced without alteration. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility change between cycles — always confirm on the official links above before applying. Expertie does not process applications or charge fees.
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