Ignite National Technology Fund has extended the application deadline for the Prime Minister’s SPARK and ELEVATE Program to November 2, 2026. The program is run under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and is open to researchers, innovators, startups, and industry professionals. Ignite described the extension as more time to innovate and more opportunities to create impact, and it urged eligible applicants to submit their proposals before the new date.
The program offers two funding tracks. SPARK provides up to 100 million Pakistani rupees per project for prototype development, giving research teams money to turn an idea into a working prototype. ELEVATE provides up to 200 million rupees per project for commercialization, which supports teams that already have a prototype and want to bring it to market. Together, the two tracks cover the full path from research to product, and the size of the grants is large by the standards of Pakistan’s research funding.
The program was announced by the Prime Minister on July 22, 2026, and is being implemented by Ignite with a budget of 352.5 million rupees for the 2026-27 financial year, according to the terms set out when it was launched. SPARK stands for Strategic Program for Advanced Research and Knowledge. ELEVATE applicants must have a confirmed pilot site or first customer to show commercial potential, and startup incubation does not fall under either track, since Ignite handles that through its National Incubation Centers. The first call asked for project concepts, with full proposals due later, and the new deadline of November 2 gives applicants a few more days at the concept stage.
Eligible applicants can apply through the program’s registration portal. With only days left, teams that have been preparing should finalize their submissions, and those who missed the earlier date now have a short second chance. The announcement did not give details on the number of projects to be funded or when decisions will be made. For researchers and startups with a prototype or a promising technology, the extension offers a chance to apply for one of the largest government grants available for technology development in the country, and the program’s slogan sums up its aim: spark the idea, elevate the impact.
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