Champion/Mentor
- Who is a champion and what qualification is he required to have?
- What role does NIF expect a champion to play in augmenting grassroots innovations?
- What does the champion get?
Who is a champion and what qualification is he required to have?
A Champion is any individual or a registered body, who is dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable about the innovation / traditional knowledge practices and willing to take risks, including financial for developing the idea into a successful project. There is no one background, education or experience that makes someone a champion, but rather intangible qualities such as motivation, ingenuity, thoughtfulness and willingness to work hard are what make a champion.
What role does NIF expect a champion to play in augmenting grassroots innovations?
Besides providing technical and commercial acumen, the mentor should provide moral support to the innovator. The areas in which he can contribute are:
• Technological assessment (technical benchmarking)
• Market feasibility
• Designing and prototyping the product
• Test marketing
• Preparing an applicable business model
• Generating options for Licensing / Technology transfer
• Franchising the technology to SHGs (Self Help Groups)
• Scouting for an entrepreneur
• Other areas - can be an informal advisor to micro enterprise on matters relating to book-keeping, help on legal and regulatory aspects such as registration of companies, registration with sales department etc.
What does the champion get?
Innovators whose proposals are accepted shall some or all of these depending upon his/her contribution to the incubation process;
• Mentorship of the innovation
• Infrastructure, information and resources available
• Connections and network support
• Public visibility and appreciation
• Share licensee fee and royalty
• Priority as licensee
