Free State innovators are encouraged to apply for the Khoebo Innovation Promotion Programme (KIPP), a fund to enable small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) to drive innovation.
The clarion call followed the launch of the programme by the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (DTIC), in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the University of the Free State (UFS) on Monday, 4 November, in Bloemfontein.
Attendees included academia, businesses, incubators, and innovators funded by the university and entrepreneurs.
Mmeme Mhlahlo, regional manager for the IDC, said none of the Free State projects benefited from the fund, amid the R113,8 million disbursed, to date, to more than 36 projects in various sectors of the economy.
She said the money was part of the R148.2 million committed.
“This programme requires us as Free State innovators to be disruptive and think outside the box. I am encouraging every entrepreneur to have an appetite for the programme and take advantage of the opportunities it presents, including incentives offered by government,” said Mhlahlo.
Tebogo Machethe, director of Innovation and Contracts in the Directorate of Research Development at the UFS, has also offered encouragement.
“The UFS supports innovation and ecosystems through its Vision 130, which seeks to shift the emphasis to research impact, embracing both knowledge and societal impact. Vision 130 identifies the need for a greater focus on collaborative research, research that is able to attract large-scale funding, and niche areas where the university is seen as a national and global leader,” said Machethe.
Takalani Ramuthaga, the DTIC’s director of the
Innovation and Technology Programmes, said: “We are looking
forward to receiving more applications for the innovation programme and other
programmes of the DTIC.”
For more information on Khoebo Innovation Promotion
Programme https://www.idc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/IDC-KIPP-Brochure.pdf
