Deadline: January 23, 2026
Applications for the Innovation Hub Management Company (TIHMC) Start-Up Support Programme 2026 are now open. The Innovation Hub Management Company (TIHMC) has established the Start-Up Support Programme (SSP) aimed at increasing access to finance for innovative, knowledge-based small businesses (SMMEs) and projects. TIHMC has partnered with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) through their Strategic Industrial Bio-innovation Partnership (SIIP) Programme, which serves as a national coordinating, implementing and investment instrument to drive research, development, and innovation priorities in support of the growth of the industrial and environmental sectors of the Bioeconomy.
Funding is available under the following Research, Development, and Innovation Programmes:
- Bioconversion and manufacturing
- Industrial Biocatalysis
- Bioremediation technologies
- Microbial bioprospecting
- Biorefineries
Funding
- The funding ranges from a minimum of R51,000 up to R300,000 per yearly project. Applicants must clearly articulate their total funding needs for the next three years, including any Year 1 requirements exceeding R300,000. The funding is specifically for SMME support, product development and demonstrations.
Eligibility
This phase of funding is limited to:
- Companies currently incubated at TIHMC
- Companies interested in being part of TIHMC’s incubation programme
Application
Proposals must include at minimum:
- Description of the business: clear articulation of the value proposition, problem statement, and how the business addresses the gap compared to current options
- Novelty of the Project: description of what makes the product/offering unique compared to existing market options
- Market Analysis: information on market size, competitors, target market/beneficiaries, barriers to entry, penetration, and market development strategy
- Details of Market and Buyers/Beneficiaries: information on target customers and any off-take agreements
- Budget: detailed budget breakdown including other sources of funding, with 3-year cash flow projections showing income and expenditure
- Details of the team: demonstration of the team’s ability to carry out the project and commercialize the innovation
- Contact Information: names, emails, telephone numbers, postal address
Applicants must submit an electronic copy of the application form and all supporting documentation by e-mails to the SSP office to Mr. Thato Hlokoa at [email protected], and copy Mr. Sifiso Ntuli at [email protected] and your portfolio manager (if already part of TIHMC programme).
For more information, visit TIHMC.