NPCC's National AI Startups Lab 2026 Offered Rs 100,000 Seed Grants; Registration Now Closed

Update (21 October 2026): Registration for the 2026 National AI Startups Lab closed on 30 September 2026. The organisers had stated there would be no extensions. Follow NPCC Mauritius for announcements on the programme and the next call.

The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) has opened registration for the 2026 edition of its National AI Startups Lab, a national programme that takes Mauritians from an initial idea to a funded AI startup. Registration closes on 30 September 2026, and the organisers state there will be no extensions.

What is on offer

• 200 training places — free hands-on training delivered across partner university and polytechnic labs, with no fees and no prerequisites
• A national AI Sprint — participants compete with a working prototype rather than a slide deck
• Mentoring and business coaching — for the top 30 teams
• Rs 100,000 seed grant — for each of the top 10 startups, alongside an incubation handover

Who can apply

The programme is open to Mauritians aged 18 to 35. No coding background is required. Applicants can register individually or as a team, and projects that were submitted in a previous edition will not be considered.

A 12-month journey in six stages

• Discover (August–September) — the national call opens and real challenges are mapped with partner organisations
• Learn (September–October) — AI foundations and hands-on lab training
• Build (October–November) — design thinking and MVP development to turn ideas into working prototypes
• Compete (December) — the National AI Sprint, from which the strongest 30 teams advance
• Venture (January–February) — business coaching and mentoring to shape prototypes into ventures
• Launch (March–April) — pitch day, where the top 10 startups receive seed funding

Five tracks

Ideas can come from any of five areas, each connected to real challenges from partner organisations: Blue and Green Economy; Financial, Health and Wellness; IT and Emerging Tech; Social and Grassroot; and Travel and Tourism. Applicants do not need a fully formed business plan.

Delivery partners

Training is planned across a network of labs at the University of Mauritius, University of Technology, Université des Mascareignes, Curtin Mauritius, Middlesex University Mauritius and Polytechnics Mauritius. The organisers note that these are proposed partner nodes and that participation is subject to signed agreements.

Why it matters

The programme gives early-stage founders a route from idea to funded prototype without needing a technical background or upfront cost, and it ties training directly to challenges set by local organisations. For Mauritius's AI ecosystem, it widens the pipeline of new ventures beyond people who already work in technology.

How to apply

Registration is through an online form: Register for the National AI Startups Lab. Questions can be sent to contact@npccmauritius.com or by phone on 467 7700. Full details are on the official page: https://npccmauritius.org/ai-startups-2026-edition/