HCLTech Grant — Edition XII

The HCLTech Grant, established in 2015 by HCLTech through its HCLFoundation, represents a substantial CSR commitment designed to support and acknowledge Indian NGOs. The initiative refers to these organisations as the 'Fifth Estate', recognising their role in driving social change, particularly in rural regions. It funds projects that have already won awards and are led by NGOs with a demonstrated history of effective work, strong credibility, and a clear capacity to deliver lasting socio-economic and environmental outcomes.

The grant targets marginalised, remote, underserved, and underdeveloped rural communities nationwide. Its objective is to encourage innovative, replicable, and sustainable models that correspond with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals, thereby contributing to comprehensive rural progress. For Edition XII, the total committed funds amount to ₹24 Crores, underscoring HCLTech's sustained investment in rural development.

Go to the HCLTech Grant page at https://www.hclfoundation.org/hcltech-grant.
Check the eligibility requirements thoroughly to confirm your organisation qualifies.
Fill in the online application form, providing your organisational profile and a project abstract.
Attach all required supporting documents—registration certificates, audited financial statements from the last three years, 80G and 12A/10(23C) certificates, CSR-1 registration, and any other statutory compliance papers.
Verify that every detail matches your official records, and submit before the stated deadline.
Organisations shortlisted at this stage will be asked to furnish a fuller project proposal later.

The selection process for the HCLTech Grant is structured across several review stages. Applications are first checked against defined eligibility criteria and the documents submitted. Following this, independent domain experts, specialists from HCLFoundation, and a Governance Partner evaluate the organisational profile and project abstract, looking at the relevance of the problem, the originality of the proposed solution, and the likely impact.

Organisations that pass this stage submit full proposals, which are examined for delivery capability, financial planning, sustainability, inclusiveness, and potential for scale. A field audit is then conducted by the HCLFoundation team and domain experts, alongside diligence carried out by the Governance Partner. A 12-member Sub-jury reviews the remaining applications, with the top three in each category moving forward. In the final phase, the Governance Partner performs detailed due diligence, including background checks and site visits. A 6-member eminent Jury then selects one winner (₹5 Crore) and two runners-up (₹50 Lakhs each) for each thematic category.