Call for Proposals | MRIC Newsletter2026

MRIC Call for Proposals

MRIC Call for Proposals 2025

The MRIC Call for Proposals 2025 aimed to support innovation, research and development addressing national challenges and strengthening collaboration between research and industry. Two funding schemes were offered:

Innovation Boost Grant (IBG) supports short-term innovative projects focused on developing or improving products, processes and techniques with economic or national benefits.
Collaborative Research and Innovation Grant Scheme (CRIGS) supports collaborative R&D projects between local companies and academic, research and higher education institutions, with potential for commercialisation and improved national competitiveness.

Activities Undertaken

Launched the Call for Proposals on 19 February 2025 under IBG and CRIGS.
Aligned the thematic areas with the priorities identified during Les Assises de la Recherche et de l’Innovation 2.0.
Conducted two online awareness sessions in March 2025, attracting approximately 180 participants and addressing more than 140 questions.
Closed the Call for Proposals on 28 March 2025.
Undertook the assessment and peer review of IBG applications and CRIGS pre-proposals/full applications.

Achievements

Received 119 IBG applications, representing a total project value of MUR 179.1 million, with MUR 108.9 million requested from MRIC.
34 IBG projects were approved for funding, of which 26 projects commenced, representing a total project value of MUR 43.9 million and MUR 24.6 million in MRIC funding.
Received 21 CRIGS pre-proposals, with a total project value of MUR 193.4 million and MUR 88.2 million requested from MRIC.
Following peer review, 2 CRIGS projects were approved by the MRIC Board in October 2025, representing a total project value of MUR 14.8 million, with MUR 7.4 million in MRIC funding.

The Call strengthened MRIC’s support for innovation-driven projects, collaborative R&D and research-industry linkages, while directing funding towards priority areas of national importance. The funded projects are expected to contribute to the development of innovative products, processes and solutions, enhance competitiveness, and support the translation of research and innovation into economic and societal benefits.

MRIC Call for Proposals 2026

The MRIC Call for Proposals 2026 aimed to support research and innovation aligned with the National Roadmap for Research and Innovation 2025–2027, building on the momentum generated by the first and second editions of Les Assises de la Recherche et de l’Innovation. Two funding schemes were offered:

Proof of Concept Scheme (PCS): Supports the development and validation of innovative ideas into proof-of-concept projects, with grants of up to Rs 2 million per project for a maximum duration of 24 months.
Social Innovation and Research Grant Scheme (SIRGS): Supports research and innovation projects addressing social challenges and priorities, with grants of up to Rs 1 million per project for a maximum duration of 24 months.

Activities Undertaken

Launched the Call for Proposals on 22 January 2026 and closed it on 5 March 2026.
Received and processed applications under PCS and SIRGS across thematic areas including Blue and Green Innovation, Creative Industry and E-Innovation, Precision Engineering and Manufacturing Innovation, Health Innovation, Financial Innovation, Rodrigues Innovation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Initiated administrative screening, with eligible applications scheduled to proceed to peer review.

The Call attracted 121 applications, comprising 75 PCS applications and 46 SIRGS applications. The applications represented a total project value of approximately MUR 311.6 million, with MUR 170.2 million requested from MRIC and MUR 141.4 million in entity contributions.

By Dr R Jeetah-Rampadaruth and Mrs H Mungun-Jhurry