Equity-free startup grants, vouchers, prizes, and funded programmes curated for founders who want capital or support without giving up ownership.
15 current opportunities
Funding guide
Non-dilutive funding can be useful before or alongside venture capital, especially when a startup needs validation, pilots, R&D, visibility, or runway without immediate dilution. This page surfaces open opportunities where the benefit is primarily grant, voucher, prize, funded support, or equity-free programme access.
Current opportunities
15 opportunities shown.
Portugal-based, technology-focused early-stage startups with a live product and website that want Web Summit preparation, an exhibition presence, investor and ecosystem connections, and international visibility.
Selected startups receive a 50% discount on a Web Summit 2026 ALPHA or BETA package, including three or four tickets, a one-day exhibition booth, startup activations, app and lounge access, event preparation support, and a dedicated Startup Success team. Eligible participants can also compete for a €15,000 Most Promising Startup prize or a €5,000 bootcamp and conference performance prize. Build Up Labs can support founders with the Startup Portugal Recognition process.
Apply free by 30 Sep 2026, or earlier if all places fill. Applicants must be Portugal-based legal entities with a valid NIPC, a live website, a developed brand and their own technology product or connected hardware. Startup / Scaleup Recognition is required, except for startups incubated in a certified RNI incubator that have already started the recognition process. Companies must have under 10 years of activity, although Web Summit may reject companies older than five years. Consultancies, agencies, subsidiaries of large companies, public companies, and startups that already bought Web Summit 2026 ALPHA/BETA access are not eligible. Selected teams must pay the remaining 50% package fee within 10 working days and showcase physically at Web Summit.
Portugal-based academic founders turning research, theses, R&D projects, or proofs of concept into a startup, especially students, researchers, or faculty connected to a national higher-education institution.
€30,000 non-repayable voucher per project, paid 100% in advance after approval, to fund early business creation and validation steps such as incubation, acceleration, company setup, events, marketing, pitch materials, proof of concept, pilots, IP protection, and regulatory or certification mapping.
For micro, small, and medium-sized companies, including startups. The company must be majority-owned by an individual who is currently, or was in the previous two calendar years, enrolled in a degree programme at a Portuguese higher-education institution or working as a researcher or teacher at one. Applications are submitted through Startup Portugal's official funding platform; ANI and Startup Portugal support the technical review, and FITEC decides within 30 working days after the notice closes.
Innovative SMEs established for at least two years in an eligible European country that have a TRL 4-8 solution and want to validate its technical, commercial, legal, or socioeconomic feasibility in a market in Africa, the Americas, Asia, or Oceania.
A fixed €60,000 grant for a six-month market feasibility project with a local counterpart in the target country. The call funds up to 70% of eligible costs, with €42,000 pre-financing and €18,000 after an accepted final report.
Apply in English from 1 Oct until 1 Dec 2026 at 14:00 CET. The applicant must be a legally established SME in an EU Member State, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, Türkiye, or the UK, established by 1 Dec 2024, and must not have received funding under an earlier Innowwide call. The project must be civil, last six months, include an independent local subcontractor in the non-European target country, and have at least €86,000 in eligible costs.
Startups and SMEs in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries with a game-changing, high-risk innovation that has completed TRL 5 and is ready for TRL 6-8 activities, strong scale-up ambition, and funding needs that private investors alone will not yet cover.
A grant component below €2.5 million for innovation activities, plus €1-€10 million in direct equity or quasi-equity for blended-finance applicants. Selected companies also receive coaching, mentoring, investor and partner access, and other EIC Business Acceleration Services.
Submit a short proposal at any time; these are batched on the first Tuesday of each month at 17:00 Brussels time. A GO is required before submitting a full proposal, with the final 2026 full-proposal batch on 4 Nov. Eligible applicants include single startups and SMEs, people or entities establishing one before the full proposal, and small mid-caps applying for investment only; third-country applicants must relocate to an eligible country before Step 2.
Portugal-incorporated startups that meet at least one size threshold: up to €250,000 in annual revenue, up to €1 million raised, or 2-25 full-time employees.
Three winners share €20,000 in cash prizes (€10,000, €6,000, and €4,000), receive three hours of expert mentoring and national visibility, and represent Portugal in the Santander X Global Award 2026.
Apply by 21 Sep 2026 at 23:59 Lisbon time. The company must be legally incorporated in Portugal and meet at least one published revenue, capital-raised, or team-size threshold. Six finalists are selected for pitch preparation before the national final in October.
Globally based startups incorporated in 2023 or later, at seed stage or earlier, and with less than €10 million raised in equity funding.
The winner receives €500,000 with 0% equity and returns to Slush 2027 as a main-stage speaker. The top 20 pitch at Slush 2026 and receive founder accommodation, curated Slush Week access, mentoring, investor matchmaking, and global visibility.
Apply by 7 Sep 2026. Create a company profile on the Slush Platform, submit the startup application and pitch deck, then apply to Slush 100 through Startup Activities. The startup must have been incorporated in 2023 or later and raised less than €10 million in equity funding; there is no geographical exclusion.
Pilot-ready agrifood startups with a prospective corporate client and a clear proof-of-concept or small-scale pilot that can show a pathway toward commercial activity.
EIT Food can co-finance startup-corporate proof-of-concept work such as sample creation, field trials, functionality and property tests, or efficiency assessments, helping de-risk pilots that could lead to larger commercial collaboration.
Apply by the final cut-off on 30 Nov 2026. Projects must be proposed with a prospective corporate client, stay below €60,000 in project costs, and include a letter of intent, budget, and pilot scope tied to commercial success.
Early-stage startups and SMEs with health-focused digital solutions that want healthcare stakeholder exposure, pilot or validation opportunities, clinical feedback, and visibility in Portugal's health innovation ecosystem.
Selected teams showcase at the IHT Conference HealthTech Showroom, join guided tours with expert groups, connect with clinicians, healthcare decision-makers and potential partners, get direct feedback, unlock pilot, validation and funding conversations, and receive two free full-access conference tickets.
Applications close 7 Sep 2026. Applicants should be SMEs with health-focused digital solutions and meet the startup criteria stated in the guidelines: established less than five years ago and annual revenue below €1M. Selected teams are expected to confirm participation between 14-21 Sep 2026 and attend the showroom at IHT Conference on 27-28 Oct 2026.
Early-stage startups with outstanding potential that want Web Summit visibility in Lisbon, investor and media exposure, startup activations, and a structured event preparation path with the startup success team.
Selected ALPHA startups receive three Web Summit tickets, a startup profile visible to attendees, investors, media, and partners, a one-day exhibition booth, a printed exhibition board, access to the Web Summit app, Startup Lounge, startup activations, and support from a dedicated startup success manager. Accepted startups can also apply for activations such as PITCH, Startup Showcase, 40 Words, Mentor Hours, masterclasses, roundtables, and investor-to-startup meetings. Startups selected through Build Up Labs' referral route receive 20% off automatically at checkout.
Apply through the Build Up Labs referral link with a business email address. Web Summit assesses applicants for high potential and programme fit; the 20% discount is applied only after selection, at checkout. PITCH is open to ALPHA and BETA startups exhibiting at Web Summit that have received less than €5M in funding to date and have not had a discernible change in business model in the last three years.
Startups with traction or fundraising momentum that fit Web Summit's BETA route and want concentrated access to investors, media, startup showcases, mentor sessions, and Web Summit's global founder network in Lisbon.
Accepted BETA startups can use Web Summit to build visibility with attendees, investors, international media, strategic partners, and potential customers. The startup programme highlights access to investor-to-startup meetings, Mentor Hours, Startup Showcase, 40 Words, startup masterclasses, PITCH eligibility, the Web Summit app, and startup success support to prepare for the event. Startups selected through Build Up Labs' referral route receive 20% off automatically at checkout.
Apply through the Build Up Labs referral link with a business email address. Web Summit reviews companies for high potential and fit; the 20% discount is applied only after selection, at checkout. BETA startups exhibiting at Web Summit may apply for PITCH if they have raised less than €5M to date and have not had a discernible business-model change in the last three years.
European SMEs, startups, and research organisations building defence or dual-use technologies, especially teams with AI, cyber, quantum, energy, surveillance, digital, hardware, advanced materials, or other deep tech that can be adapted to defence applications.
The EDF 2026 work programme allocates about €1B to collaborative defence R&D, including dedicated EUDIS non-thematic SME calls. SME-led research actions can fund projects up to €4M and SME development actions up to €6M, with business coaching support to help move R&D results toward defence products and market entry.
Applications close 29 Sep 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. EDF projects generally require cross-border consortia from EU Member States or Norway; the SME research call requires an SME coordinator, at least TRL 4, disruptive defence impact, and limits research organisations to 40% of the requested grant budget.
Early-stage AI startups building the next generation of communications, customer engagement, developer tools, automation, or AI-enabled business workflows, especially teams already using or able to use Twilio.
Recognition as one of 30 honorees, potential co-marketing opportunities with Twilio, additional marketing/prize opportunities for strong demos, possible showcase in TwilioWorld, and consideration for invite-only Founders Connect Fellowship opportunities.
Applicants must have a Twilio account. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and close Friday, 11 Sep 2026, with final honoree selection in late September to late October and honorees announced in mid to late November.
Women-founded or women-co-founded early-stage deep tech startups in EU Member States or eligible Horizon Europe Pillar III Associated Countries, especially teams preparing to move from validated technology toward market readiness.
€75,000 equity-free grant funding plus personalised business development support, mentoring, training, expert guidance, matchmaking, networking, and help bridging toward other EIC funding and support schemes.
At least one woman founder or co-founder must hold a top management role such as CEO or CTO, and women founders must collectively hold at least 25% of company shares at submission. The company must be a commercial SME registered for at least six months and no more than five years, be before high-fidelity MVP stage (TRL4-TRL6), have raised less than €1M in equity, and must not have already benefitted from Women TechEU or EIC Accelerator. The eligibility strand has weekly Tuesday cut-offs at 17:00 Brussels time until 14 Jun 2027; the next near-term cut-off is 8 Sep 2026. Eligible applicants are then invited to a full proposal, with the next submission deadline on 16 Sep 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time.
Early-stage and growth-stage founders, startup teams, operators, investors, and ecosystem builders who want a Lisbon-based event for practical learning, founder networking, startup visibility, and investor conversations.
Two days of talks across three stages, workshops and panels, startup showcase access, summit community access, and pass options that can include founder-only meetups, investor networking sessions, pitch competition eligibility, startup directory listing, or a startup booth.
Choose the pass that fits the goal: General for talks and expo, Founder for stronger networking and pitch eligibility, Startup Booth for exhibiting with two summit passes, Investor for curated deal flow, or VIP for premium access. Payment / Cost: early prices listed from €49 General, €99 Founder, €199 Startup Booth, €199 Investor, and €249 VIP; Build Up Labs partner link gives 50% discount.
Portuguese startups, SMEs, and eligible national entities needing advanced compute resources.; best for AI, simulation, scientific-computing, and compute-heavy startups.
CPU / GPU hours and storage on advanced computing infrastructure.
Eligible Portuguese entities with pre-commercial innovation projects.
Founder guidance
Non-dilutive funding is money or funded support that does not require founders to sell equity. Grants, vouchers, prizes, and some funded accelerators are common examples.
Usually not for high-growth startups, but it can fund validation, pilots, R&D, regulatory work, or market access before a priced round or alongside investor capital.
Prizes are included when the practical founder benefit is cash, funded services, investor access, or meaningful visibility without an immediate equity exchange.
