FYP funding in Pakistan: Ignite NGIRI and other options
The main source of final year project funding in Pakistan is Ignite’s National Grassroots ICT Research Initiative, known as NGIRI. It reimburses the cost of building an FYP prototype, up to Rs 96,800 per project in its most recent call. This page explains who was eligible, what the money covers, how the process works and what other funding options exist.
The latest NGIRI call on Ignite’s website is 2023-24, and it closed after 24 May 2024. No newer call has been announced. The figures below come from the 2023-24 rules, so check Ignite’s FYP funding page before you plan around them.
NGIRI at a glance (2023-24 rules)
| Question | Answer from the 2023-24 call |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Ignite, the National Technology Fund under the Ministry of IT and Telecom |
| What it funds | The prototype or working model of an ICT final year project |
| Maximum per FYP | Rs 96,800, inclusive of taxes: equipment up to Rs 84,700 and miscellaneous up to Rs 12,100 |
| Who can apply | Final year undergraduates (7th and 8th semester) in ICT-related degree programmes |
| Which institutions | HEC-recognised universities and degree awarding institutes that have nominated an NGIRI focal person |
| Not covered | Master’s students, and students who finished their FYP in an earlier year |
| Projects per department | Up to five approved FYPs per department |
| How to apply | Online, through the NGIRI portal on Ignite’s website |
| How you are paid | Reimbursement to your institution against original receipts, not an advance to students |
| Preferred areas | AI, cloud, cyber security, IoT, AR and VR, wearables, robotics, 3D printing, blockchain and other emerging technologies |
The eligible programmes listed in 2023-24 included computer science, software engineering, information technology, computer, electrical, electronics, telecom, biomedical, mechatronics and avionics engineering. Ignite could approve other related programmes on request.
What the money can be spent on
NGIRI splits the budget into two heads. Both limits include all taxes.
- Equipment, up to Rs 84,700. Tools and items used to develop the prototype: electronic components such as resistors, diodes and capacitors, motors, switch boards, sensors, AV cards, PCB fabrication, foundry work, and smart devices and screens.
- Miscellaneous, up to Rs 12,100. Other costs needed to complete the prototype, such as stationery, printing and overheads.
The scheme is built around physical prototypes. Hosting, cloud credits and software subscriptions are not mentioned in the 2023-24 FAQs, so if your project is software only, ask your focal person whether those costs would be accepted before you count on them.
How the process worked, step by step
- Confirm your university participates. It must have nominated a focal person for NGIRI, often in the ORIC office. If it is not listed on the portal, the university can submit Ignite’s focal person nomination form.
- Apply on the NGIRI portal before the deadline. Applications are online only. In 2023-24 the FAQs gave 2 May 2024 as the last date, and Ignite’s page says registrations closed after 24 May 2024.
- Wait for the approved list. Ignite publishes approved FYPs on its website and shares the list with institutions.
- Buy what the project needs and keep every original bill. Spend within the two budget heads.
- Hand the original receipts to your focal person. The focal person submits a signed and stamped expenditure report to Ignite on time.
- Reimbursement goes to the institution. How and when the money reaches your group then depends on your university’s own process, so ask your focal person at the start.
The NGIRI national championship
Funded projects can go forward to a national championship that Ignite organises. The prizes listed on Ignite’s site are:
| Position | Student team (up to 4) | Supervisor |
|---|---|---|
| National champion | Rs 400,000 | Rs 100,000 |
| First runner up | Rs 275,000 | Rs 75,000 |
| Second runner up | Rs 150,000 | Rs 50,000 |
According to Ignite figures reported in July 2024, NGIRI had funded 7,115 final year projects and disbursed Rs 384.24 million since 2012.
When will the next call open?
Nobody outside Ignite can say. As of 4 October 2026 no call after 2023-24 has been announced. Past calls have run between winter and May: the 2020-21 call was announced in December 2020 with a February 2021 deadline, and both the 2023 and 2024 rounds closed in May.
If you are in seventh semester now, the practical step is to ask your FYP coordinator or ORIC office whether the university has nominated a focal person, and to keep a costed component list ready so you can apply quickly if a call opens.
Other ways to fund a final year project
- University funds. Some universities run their own FYP or innovation grants through ORIC, an incubation centre or the department. One example is CUST’s Takhleeq FYP funding, which looks for projects with commercial potential. Ask your ORIC office what exists at your university.
- Industry sponsorship. A company that has the problem your project solves may pay for components or cloud costs, especially if you build on its data or hardware. Put the arrangement in writing with your supervisor’s knowledge. See industrial projects for students for how these partnerships usually work.
- Competitions. University, provincial and company hackathons and project exhibitions often carry cash prizes that can cover part of the cost.
- Incubation after graduation. If the project could become a business, National Incubation Centers offer workspace, mentoring and investor access after your degree. They do not fund the FYP itself.
HEC’s National Research Programme for Universities (NRPU) is often mentioned but is for faculty principal investigators, not undergraduate FYP groups.
How to make an FYP easier to fund
- Build something physical or deployable. NGIRI funds prototypes and working models, and its equipment list is hardware.
- Choose a preferred area. AI, IoT, robotics and the other listed technologies match what Ignite said it wanted.
- Price every item. A component list with real market prices, kept under each budget head, makes both the application and the expenditure report straightforward.
- Keep original bills from day one. Reimbursement depends on them.
- Start with a clear proposal. The problem, objectives and scope you write for your department are the same ones a funding panel reads. See the FYP proposal format.
Still choosing a project? Hardware-friendly ideas are in 70 FYP ideas for computer science students, and the FYP title examples show how to name one so the scope is obvious.
FYP funding questions
Is Ignite FYP funding available in 2026?
As of 4 October 2026, Ignite’s website shows 2023-24 as the latest NGIRI call, closed after 24 May 2024, and no newer call has been announced. Check Ignite’s FYP funding page and ask your ORIC office for updates.
How much funding does NGIRI give for one FYP?
In the 2023-24 call the maximum was Rs 96,800 per approved FYP, inclusive of taxes: up to Rs 84,700 for equipment and up to Rs 12,100 for miscellaneous costs. A future call may use different limits.
Who is eligible for NGIRI FYP funding?
In 2023-24, final year undergraduates in their 7th and 8th semester of an ICT-related programme at an HEC-recognised institution that had nominated an NGIRI focal person. Master’s students were not covered, and each department could have up to five approved FYPs.
Do students receive the money directly?
No. NGIRI reimburses the institution after the focal person submits an expenditure report with original receipts. How the money then reaches your group depends on your university.
Can a software-only FYP get NGIRI funding?
The scheme funds prototypes and working models, and its equipment examples are hardware. Software costs such as hosting are not mentioned in the 2023-24 FAQs, so confirm with your focal person before applying with a software-only budget.
Sources
Ignite: FYP funding (NGIRI) page, About NGIRI, NGIRI 2023-24 FAQs (PDF). Programme totals: ProPakistani, 4 July 2024. Earlier cycle dates: Eduvision, December 2020. NRPU eligibility: HEC. All checked 4 October 2026.