Call For Proposal

As a part of the Government of India’s response to Covid -19 pandemic, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, has been working with all stakeholders to address this urgent need for a COVID Vaccine. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) as a Government Enterprise has been identified by DBT to effectively implement COVID Suraksha by setting up a Mission Implementation Unit (MIU).

COVID 19 pandemic is anticipated to lead to a loss of $2 trillion - $4.1 trillion -- 2.3% to 4.8% of the global gross domestic product. Recognizing its critical importance, rapid development and deployment of effective vaccines against COVID-19 is the need of the hour with ~66 candidates in clinical trials globally (data as per WHO compilation, accessed on 31st October 2020).

Vaccine development is a lengthy, expensive process, typically taking and an average of 10-15 years. But the current emergency does not provide this luxury of time. While the government  efforts have helped quickly put together the best groups and encouraged them to accelerate the COVID vaccine development, it is now imperative that the COVID vaccine development and manufacture are taken up in a Mission mode and not in a project mode.

Therefore, to ensure a steady supply of vaccines in the next 12-18 months, DBT has established Mission COVID Suraksha. The focus of this mission is to consolidate and streamline available resources towards a warpath for accelerated vaccine development. This will be a National Mission working to bring to the citizens of the country a safe, efficacious, affordable, and accessible COVID vaccine at the earliest with a focus on Atma Nirbhar Bharat, and fulfil our commitment of serving not just the country but the entire globe.

It must be ensured that all vaccines being introduced through the Mission have preferred characteristics applicable for India and that is proposed to be achieved by strengthening the following functional domains:

• Accelerating the production of clinical trial material, and clinical development for  licensure of COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
• Establishing clinical trial sites, immunoassay laboratories, central labs and suitable facilities for animal challenge studies, manufacturing facilities and other testing facilities to support COVID-19 vaccine development

To enable the above, this Request for Expression of Interest (REOI)  is only to seek application for:

• Enhancement of Capacity to support COVID-19 vaccine development. The other REOIs published may be accessed through BIRAC website

Click here to view REOI details 

To upgrade /strengthen Service Facilities for conduct of animal studies and immunological assays that is available to COVID-19 vaccine developers. It will help in accelerating development of COVID-19 vaccines in the pipeline.

Proposals are thus invited for (i) conducting animal challenge studies and/or (ii) assessing the clinical immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates 

• Company (Start-up, Small, Medium, or Large) incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, having a minimum of 51% of the shares of the Company to be held by Indian Citizens (Indian passport holders).
• Limited liability Partnership (LLP) incorporated under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 having a minimum half of the persons who have subscribed their names to the LLP document as its Partners should be Indian citizens
• Academia (Public or Private Research Institute, University) having a well-established support system for research. The institute should have been established in India and have NAAC/ UGC/ AICTE or any equivalent recognition certificate or any other Public/Government supported organization
• Non-profit organizations/ Society/ Trusts/ Foundation/ Associations/ Government entities/ Institutes/ R&D Organizations/ which is a legal entity

The process for submitting the proposals online is detailed below:

i.  Go to BIRAC's website  https://www.birac.nic.in

ii. Click on the Call for Proposal and then-current call tab in order to view the call detailed description.

iii. Click on the active call against which you wish to submit the Proposal.

iv.  Further details on 'How to Submit a Proposal' would also be available in BIRAC 3i Portal.

v.  If you are already a registered user, then kindly enter your login credential at the below link in order to submit proposal:     https://birac.nic.in/login.php

vi. if you are a new user and your company/organization is not listed in the drop-down on the registration page, then you need to register your company/organization by clicking on link: https://birac.nic.in/desc_new.php?id=327

vii. Once you register your company/organization, then your organization will be activated within 24 hrs. After activation, please create your login credential by browsing the same link : https://birac.nic.in/desc_new.php?id=327 . 

      After registration, you will receive an auto-generated link on the registered email id entered at the time of registration.

viii. Once you login into https://birac.nic.in by using login credentials, then kindly click on "COVID Suraksha" on the dashboard to submit the proposal.

ix.  Applicants are advised to fill-up and submit their applications early without waiting for the last date in order to avoid any last-minute contingencies. The system stops accepting applications automatically after last

     date and time of submission.

x.  In case of any query may please drop an email at pmubmgf5@birac.nic.in without any delay.

Announcement Date: 01-12-2020
Last Submission Date: 20-12-2020 05:00 PM