Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Program (APEDP)

Brief
Flagship entrepreneurship challenge under APEDP to identify, incubate, and fund sustainable and locally relevant business ideas through structured pre-incubation and incubation support.

Objective
To build a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Arunachal Pradesh by identifying, nurturing, and financially supporting aspiring entrepreneurs with locally relevant business ideas.

Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a resident of Arunachal Pradesh
- Must be at least 18 years old
- A college degree (graduation) is a prerequisite for applicants
- Must possess good communication skills to effectively convey business concepts
- Arunachalis currently residing outside the state are eligible if they intend to return and become entrepreneurs
- Must be an early-stage venture established on or after August 15, 2015
- Must present a promising business idea, plan, prototype, or working model with commercial potential
- Applicants must be registered as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
- Startups must be registered on the State Startup Portal and possess a unique ID
- Principal business units must be in Arunachal Pradesh, or there must be a proposal to set up branches in the state

Benefits
- Top 10 Entrepreneurs: Awarded up to ₹5 Lakh each
- Next 40 Entrepreneurs: Awarded up to ₹4 Lakh each - At least 20% of selected startups must have a grassroots or rural impact, and 33% of the seed fund is dedicated to women-led startups - Pre-Incubation (9 Months): Focuses on converting business ideas or prototypes into commercially viable products - Incubation (9 Months): Advanced support for startups with a Proof of Concept (PoC) to scale operations and generate revenue - Livelihood Accelerator: Long-term support to transform micro-entrepreneurs into sustainable job creators

Nodal Department
Department of Finance, Investment & Planning, Government of Arunachal Pradesh