Does this grant have financial support? When will this grant be received?
Yes, there is INR 5 lakhs award in the grant which is split in two components - there is capacity building support for 6 months worth INR 2.5 lakhs and on successful completion of the same, there is an additional unrestricted funding of INR 2.5 lakhs. The organisation can choose how they want to utilise the money but there is a process for the same (refer Question 2). As this is a capacity building programme, we encourage the NGOs to use the grant for building organisational capacities like systems and processes, technology and human resources for effective development.
How will I be eligible for the additional 2.5 Lakhs grant post completion of capacity building programme?
Once you successfully complete the capacity building programme, you will be submitting a proposal on how you would like to use the additional 2.5 lakhs grant. Our committee will review and discuss it with you based on the rationale and need and then the grant will be processed. You will also be expected to report on the same once the grant utilised. If there are discrepancies or transparency issues found during the programme, TaRa reserves the right to withhold disbursal of the additional grant.
Is capacity building a mandatory component of this grant?
Yes, there is a 6 months capacity building programme which is built into the grant. This programme will provide customised support as per the needs and requirements of the selected NGOs. Support will be provided by experts from the field. The unrestricted funding will be given only on successful completion of capacity building.
Who will be providing the capacity building support?
The capacity building will be mainly provided by Atma Education, an accelerator with over 14 years of experience in improving the strength, scale and sustainability of NGOs.
. The project is supported by TaRa (Tarachand Ramnath Seva Trust) who have been instrumental in advancing structured philanthropic support from family foundations. This programme is also in partnership with TBL Consulting firm who provide strategic consulting to HNIs, CSRs and non-profits. Read more about
The intensive capacity building programme is for six months from February 2024 till July 2024. Post this, low-touch support and monitoring phase for implementation will be provided till December 2024.
How many NGOs will be finally selected for the grant?
A total of seven NGOs will be selected for the TaRa AtmaNirbhar grant programme.
Will the capacity building programme support be in-person or virtual support?
There will be both in-person and virtual support. The one-on-one project based support on organisational development areas will be mainly virtual, however there will be three common workshops that will be conducted offline/in-person for the selected cohort. Attendance for the offline workshops will be mandatory.
We do not have 12A and 80G certificates yet, can we still apply?
Since there is a financial grant component, it is mandatory to have 12A and 80G certificates before applying for this grant.
Our operations are based outside of Pune, can we still apply?
No. This grant is only open to NGOs operating in Pune City. Organisations that are headquartered elsewhere but have significant operations in Pune can apply for this grant and take the capacity building and financial support for their programmes/branch in Pune.
We are registered but our programme is still in conception / pilot stage. Can we still apply?
We do not recommend applying for the programme if you are still in conception/pilot stage as this is not an incubation grant or support. Organisations that are implementing their programme operations on ground for atleast 2-3 years are better suited to absorb the organisational development support offered through this programme.
How much time committment is required for this programme?
The AtmaNirbhar Grant Support requires hands-on involvement and time committment of the founder and possibly core team members if required. The time requirement will be higher in the first 6 months which will involve workshops and projects and it will be less frequent in the next 6 months which will include monitoring and review calls.
What can I hope to achieve from the capacity building support?
The selected NGOs will be given access to 6 months of dedicated and customised capacity building support by Atma which will be provided in two formats - one is through workshops (total 3) on common capacity needs of the cohort and secondly, customised 3 projects per NGO will be designed along with support in implementation. Through this 6 month programme, we aim to jumpstart NGOs on their journey to growth. At the end of the intervention, the NGOs will be able to see some tangible shifts and value addition in the knowledge upgradation, developed skills and abilities and organisational processes. Post intervention, we will be measuring retention of knowledge, ability to apply skills learned and implementation of some of the processes.
I have never received capacity building support - should I still apply for the grant?
Yes, definitely. This grant is designed to invite more organisations to invest in capacity building to become more effective in their operations and be ready for growth.
I had applied for the AtmaNirbhar grant last year but did not get selected. Can I still apply?
Yes, you can apply. You will be going through the process again and we would encourage you to update your answers from last year to reflect your current status and needs for capacity building
Still have more questions or need support filling out the application? You can contact us by writing to
Atmanirbhar Grant FAQ