RFP: Academic Partnerships for Sustainable Construction and Circularity

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A leading MNC in the sustainable construction sector is seeking implementation partners to co-design and implement annual innovation challenges (such as hackathons, and ideathons) in academic institutions alongwith establishing centers of excellence (such as flagship laboratory setup) in the respective academic institutions that will help facilitate these innovation challenges under its CSR initiative. This campaign invites proposals that engage the next generation of architects and engineers in solving real-world sustainable construction problems — surfacing breakthrough ideas at the intersection of materials innovation, circular economy, and low-carbon design.

The aim is to advance sustainable construction through knowledge sharing and immersive learning, strengthen academic–industry linkages, and build a pipeline of future-ready talent, while positioning the MNC as a thought leader in sustainable and light construction.

Main Objective of the Campaign:

To inspire and challenge architecture and civil engineering students across premier Indian institutions to reimagine the sustainable built environment — combining hands-on innovation, and curriculum influence to advance sustainable construction, circular economy, and inclusive design.

The thematic focus areas are:

• Sustainable Construction Innovation : Engaging students in solving real-world challenges related to low-carbon construction, efficient building systems, and emerging construction technologies, material reuse, recycling, circular design, and sustainable material applications.

• Academic Infrastructure & Knowledge Partnerships : Establishing labs, centres of excellence, and curriculum integrations within architecture and engineering institutions to enable immersive, hands-on learning.

Eligibility Criteria for Organisations:

• Must be a registered NGO, Section 8 company, or eligible for-profit entity compliant with CSR regulations (CSR-1, 12A, 80G as applicable).

• Demonstrated experience in managing national-scale innovation challenges, design competitions, or academic engagement programmes.

• Proven experience working with accredited colleges, universities, or innovation cells (e.g., incubators, research centres).

• Prior exposure to sectors such as sustainability, construction, engineering, or manufacturing preferred.

• Ability to design scalable programmes with strong institutional partnerships and measurable outcomes.

Geographical Relevance:

Pan-India outreach with preference for engagement across cities hosting premier architecture and civil engineering institutions. Proposals should demonstrate geographic diversity beyond metro-focused institutions.

Beneficiary Focus:

• Undergraduate and postgraduate students in architecture and civil engineering

• Faculty, researchers, and academic institutions (for lab and curriculum partnerships)

• Meritorious students from economically weaker sections

• Innovation cells, incubators, and academic ecosystems supporting student-led innovation

Project Budget:

• Innovation Challenges / Hackathons: ₹10 lakh – ₹30 lakh per partner per year

• Labs & Curriculum Partnerships: ₹1 crore – ₹3 crore per institution (over 3 years)

Project/Program Timelines:

Annual challenge cycle with preference for multi-year partnerships (Year 1 pilot + scale over Years 2–3)

Projects should clearly outline:

• Programme design covering the end-to-end student journey (outreach, participation, mentorship, and post-challenge pathways)

• Strong academic partnerships and institutional network across architecture and engineering colleges

• Clear plan for innovation challenges, including evaluation criteria and quality of submissions

• Strategy for advancing winning ideas beyond the competition (mentorship, incubation, scholarships, or industry exposure)

• Approach for establishing labs, centres of excellence, or curriculum integration (where applicable)

• Structured industry interface plan including mentorship, jury participation, and knowledge-sharing by the MNC

• Replicability and scalability of the model as an annual programme

• Defined KPIs and pre- and post-assessment methodologies

Expected Outcomes:

• Number of institutions and students engaged annually

• Quality and applicability of innovation submissions

• Increased integration of sustainable construction concepts into academic curricula

• Strengthened academic–industry linkages

• Growth in institutional partnerships and geographic reach year-on-year

• Creation of a replicable, scalable innovation ecosystem

Proposals that are purely event-driven or one-off in nature will not be considered. Submissions must demonstrate a long-term, co-creation approach with sustained value for the ecosystem.

Key dates:

• Application end date: 14th April 2026

• Reviewing and shortlisting: June 2026

Applications should be submitted through the India Partner Network (IPN) platform only. To apply, please follow these steps:

Step 1: Sign up/Log in to the India Partner Network platform.
Step 2: Click on the register button above, fill out all the RFP-related information, and submit your application.

Note: Applying for this opportunity does not constitute or imply a commitment to provide funding or guarantee of funding.

In case of queries, please contact: Rohith Vishwanath – rohith.vishwanath@sattva.co.in | Guneet Sahni – guneet.sahni@sattva.co.in