The federal government has announced an allocation of Rs352.5 million for the Prime Minister’s SPARK and ELEVATE technology grant programmes for the fiscal year 2026-27, giving a fresh push to Pakistan’s effort to turn university research and startup ideas into real, market-ready products. The funding will back promising research projects with grants of up to Rs200 million per project, one of the largest public innovation packages announced for the country’s tech sector in recent years.
According to official documents, the two programmes are designed to support up to 60 research and innovation projects every year, creating a steady pipeline that takes ideas from the laboratory bench to commercial shelves. The announcement signals that the government wants to stop treating research as an academic exercise and start treating it as an economic engine.
Rs352.5 Million to Turn Research Into Products
For decades, Pakistan’s universities and research institutions have produced talented graduates and interesting papers, but very few of those ideas have become products, companies or exports. The SPARK ELEVATE grants Pakistan programme is built to close exactly that gap. Instead of funding studies that end in filing cabinets, the money targets projects that can be prototyped, tested, scaled and sold.
Government officials say the investment is about bridging research and market needs. When local researchers and startups get serious funding at home, they do not have to look abroad for resources — and the resulting products, jobs and exports stay in Pakistan. It is a simple idea, but one that previous technology policies talked about far more than they funded.
What SPARK and ELEVATE Offer Innovators
The two tracks cover different stages of a technology’s journey. SPARK is the early-stage track: it funds research and proof of concept for work at technology readiness levels 1 to 5, offering up to Rs100 million per project. Universities, research institutions, startups and small and medium enterprises can apply, and the expected outcomes are working prototypes, publications and intellectual property.
ELEVATE is the scale-up track. It takes technologies that have already proven themselves — typically at readiness levels 6 to 8 — and funds validation, demonstration and commercial readiness with up to Rs200 million per project. Startups, industry players and academia-industry consortia are the main applicants, and the finish line is a validated system that is genuinely ready for the market.
Ignite, the national technology fund implementing the programme under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, plans to award up to 30 grants under each track every year, subject to evaluation, approvals and available funding. Projects can run for up to 18 months.
Application Deadline: October 26, 2026
Applications for the current cycle close on October 26, 2026 — just days away. Innovators, researchers and startups interested in the SPARK ELEVATE grants Pakistan funding window need to submit their proposals through the programme’s application portal before the deadline.
The government has also said it will hold informational sessions for potential applicants and stakeholders to explain the application process and eligibility criteria, so that a diverse range of projects — from university labs to garage startups — can compete for the funding.
Launched Alongside a $20 Million Venture Fund
The SPARK and ELEVATE programmes were launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems Expo in Islamabad on July 23, 2026. At the same event, the government announced a $20 million Pakistan Venture Fund as an initial commitment to bring more investment capital into the technology ecosystem.
Analysts see the two moves as complementary: the grants build the pipeline of research-backed products, while the venture fund provides the capital that helps the strongest of them grow into real businesses. Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said the programme matches the country’s talent and creativity with the resources needed to turn ideas into solutions with real economic impact.
Why This Matters for Pakistan’s Tech Sector
Pakistan’s IT and technology exports have been growing steadily, and programmes like SPARK and ELEVATE aim to deepen that growth by adding home-grown products to the mix — not just services. When funding flows to robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and other deep technologies, it creates high-value jobs and gives young engineers a reason to build their careers in Pakistan.
The real test, of course, is execution: grants must reach the best ideas on merit, and funded projects must be judged on what they produce over the next two to three years. But for a government that has historically talked about technology more than it funded it, putting Rs352.5 million on the table — with clear tracks, clear deadlines and a named implementing body — is a concrete step in the right direction.
Sources: official programme announcements and the Ignite National Technology Fund.
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