Use this directory to compare funding routes in India and nine other countries. It includes grants, loans, guarantees, equity-linked support, tax incentives and benefits. Those categories are not interchangeable. Open the country entry for the full requirements, source-check date, availability and official links; this is a selective guide, not an exhaustive or ranked list.
Use it to build a shortlist, then open the country page for the full details, requirements and official sources.
Scope and freshness
Use this directory for discovery, then read the country entry and current official notice before applying. The underlying source review is dated 16 October 2026; corrections to SISFS and BIG availability were checked on 17 October. Amounts remain in local currencies. A listed programme is not a promise that applications are open or that you qualify.
Build a shortlist you can use
Write the registration country, operating location, ownership, business stage, use of money and maximum affordable repayment or dilution. Rule out entries with a failed essential condition before comparing award sizes. Where a deadline is not published, that means you need confirmation; it does not mean approval is automatic.
Preparing for equity discussions? Start with the investor introduction note. Still testing demand? Test the business idea before treating funding as the next milestone.
Turn the directory into a two-route shortlist
Start with the country in which the company operates and incurs the cost. An overseas programme may require a local entity, local ownership, a host institution or a defined research project. The country with the largest headline amount may have no usable route for your business.
Copy this shortlist format
Route | Applicant entity | Location and ownership fit | Eligible project | Cash contribution | Repayment or dilution | Application step | Official deadline or ongoing route. Fill this for the two closest matches, then open the country guides for the underlying sources.
If a required condition fails, remove the route before writing an application. When two routes fit, compare the cash timing and obligations against the milestone the business actually needs to reach.
India
Scroll across to compare every column.
| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) — startup applications closed | Grant, Convertible debt | Up to ₹20 lakh as a grant for proof of concept, prototype or product trials, and up to ₹50 lakh as convertible debentures or debt-linked… |
| Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana | Loan | Shishu ≤ ₹50,000; Kishore > ₹50,000– ₹5 lakh; Tarun > ₹5–10 lakh; Tarun Plus > ₹10–20 lakh. |
| CGTMSE credit guarantee | Loan guarantee | Credit guarantee framework ceiling increased to ₹10 crore. |
| Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) | Loan guarantee | Debt eligible for cover up to ₹20 crore net of collateral; transaction guarantee 85% of default for loans up to ₹10 crore, 75% above ₹10… |
| PM Vishwakarma | Loan, Toolkit incentive | Enterprise-development loans up to ₹3 lakh in two tranches; toolkit e-voucher up to ₹15,000. |
| PM SVANidhi — restructured street-vendor loans | Loan, Interest subsidy | Progressive tranches up to ₹15,000 / ₹25,000 / ₹50,000; repayment 12 / 18 / 36 months. |
| BIRAC BIG — no current open call confirmed | Grant | Up to ₹50 lakh grant-in-aid over up to 18 months, released in milestone-linked tranches. |
| BIRAC E-YUVA / Innovation Fellowships | Fellowship, Research grant | Fellowship plus research support; amount varies by fellowship category. |
| BIRAC-PATH — patent facilitation co-funding | Patent co-funding, Conditional grant | For eligible businesses/private research institutions: BIRAC bears up to 70% and applicant at least 30% of approved patent costs.… |
| Technology Development Board commercialisation finance | Loan, Equity, Exceptional grant | Normally loan up to 50% of project cost at 5% simple annual interest; equity up to 25%. Qualifying DPIIT startups with project cost up… |
| Karnataka ELEVATE NxT 2026 | State grant | Up to ₹1 crore, milestone-based. |
| SBI Finance to Start-ups — MSME UDAAN | Loan | Term/working-capital finance up to ₹50 crore; bank appraisal and tier-specific rules. |
| Union Start-Up finance | Loan | Startup term/working-capital finance; sanction amount and product limits confirmed by bank. |
| PNB Finance to Start-ups | Loan | Published product ₹1 crore– ₹50 crore; minimum 25% margin. |
| SBI Asmita — women-entrepreneur MSME loan | Loan | Brownfield above ₹10 lakh– ₹5 crore; greenfield above ₹1 crore– ₹5 crore. |
| Union Nari Shakti | Loan | From ₹2 lakh; current public page states no maximum ceiling. Final amount subject to appraisal. |
| SIDBI Venture Debt Financing to MSMEs | Loan | Rupee term loan normally ₹10 crore, potentially up to ₹15 crore; three-year tenure including moratorium. |
| SIDBI GST Sahay — existing customers | Loan | Invoice credit limit up to ₹50 lakh; purchases up to 100% of invoice, eligible credit sales up to 90%. |
| SIDBI EXPRESS machinery finance | Loan | Up to ₹3 crore; up to 100% financing with 25% fixed-deposit security. |
| SIDBI SWIFT overdraft | Loan | Working-capital overdraft up to ₹3 crore. |
| SIDBI STEP working-capital term loan | Loan | Up to ₹3 crore existing SIDBI customers / ₹2 crore new customers. |
| SIDBI ARISE project finance | Loan | Up to ₹50 crore, at most 80% of project cost. |
| SIDBI Ubharte Sitaare | Loan | Up to 80% of eligible project cost; project amount assessed by lender. |
| SIDBI STHAPAN greenfield project finance | Loan | Up to ₹50 crore and at most 75% of project cost; promoter contribution at least 25%. |
| SIDBI Green Finance Scheme (GFS) | Loan | Term loan up to ₹50 crore, capped at 75% of total project cost; repayment up to 10 years, including moratorium up to 18 months.… |
| SIDBI CASH Defence | Loan | Up to ₹20 crore for established MSMEs / ₹5 crore new entities; up to 100% purchase-order finance. |
| SIDBI CASH RXIL | Loan | Umbrella limit up to ₹5 crore; finance up to 90% of purchase-order value. |
US
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| NSF SBIR/STTR — NSF 26-510 | R&D grant | Phase I up to US$305,000; Phase II up to US$1.25 million. Fast-Track/supplements have separate rules. |
| NIH / CDC / FDA Parent SBIR — PA-27-100 | R&D grant, R&D contract | Component-specific Phase I / II budgets; the NOFO table includes US$400,000 or US$700,000 Phase I tiers and up to US$3 million Phase II… |
| SBA 7(a) | Loan | Individual 7(a) loan maximum US$5 million. |
| SBA 504 | Loan | Published maximum SBA 504 loan amount US$5.5 million; project structure/limits depend on eligibility. |
| SBA Microloan | Loan | Up to US$50,000 through an authorised intermediary. |
| Accion Opportunity Fund Small Business Term Loan | Loan | Up to US$250,000; repayment up to 36 months. |
| Kiva US Crowdfunded Business Loan | Loan | US$1,000–15,000; 0% interest, no fee or collateral. |
| EXIM Working Capital Loan Guarantee | Loan, Government guarantee | 90% lender guarantee; official product page sets no minimum or maximum transaction amount. |
| EXIM Multi-Buyer Express Insurance | Export credit insurance | Usually 95% commercial/political loss cover; sovereign buyers 100%, bulk agricultural commodities 98%. Not a cash award. |
| Qualified Small Business R&D Payroll Tax Credit | Tax incentive | Elect up to US$500,000 of qualifying research credit annually against specified employer payroll taxes; not an upfront grant. |
| WomensNet Amber Grants | Private grant | Current official rules: three monthly awards of US$15,000; three additional US$75,000 year-end awards for eligible monthly winners. |
| HerRise MicroGrant | Grant | US$1,000 monthly award to one selected business. Nonrefundable US$15 application administration fee; no award guaranteed. |
UK
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Start Up Loans | Loan | £500– £25,000 personal business loan; new applications at fixed 7.5% p.a.; 1–5 year repayment. |
| Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme | Investor tax incentive, Equity investment | Company can raise up to £250,000 through qualifying SEIS share issues; relief is for eligible investors. |
| Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) | Investor tax incentive, Equity investment | Most companies: up to £10 million in 12 months and £24 million lifetime qualifying risk-finance investment; special-company/KIC rules… |
| Innovate UK competitions (Innovation Funding Service) | Grant, R&D contract | Varies by competition. Grant intensity depends on the project and the size of your business. |
Canada
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program | Project contribution, Advice | Project-specific financial support; no standard founder award. |
| Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax incentives | Tax incentive | Basic investment tax credit 15%; qualifying enhanced rate 35%. CRA policy 7 Oct 2026 describes up to C$6 million expenditure limit for… |
| Futurpreneur Core Startup Program | Loan, Mentorship | Up to C$75,000 loan financing across Futurpreneur and BDC portions, plus required mentorship. |
| Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund | Loan | Loans up to C$50,000 through delivery organisations. |
| Canada Small Business Financing Program | Loan, Loan guarantee | Up to C$1.15 million total: ≤ C$1 million term loans plus ≤ C$150,000 line of credit; use-specific sublimits apply. |
| BDC Small Business Loan | Loan | Up to C$350,000; repayable bank finance. |
Australia
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Research and Development Tax Incentive | Tax incentive | Current programme guidance: refundable offset for qualifying turnover < A$20 million equals corporate tax rate+18.5 percentage points;… |
| CSIRO Kick-Start | Matched research support | A$20,000–60,000 dollar-matched support for a project delivered with CSIRO. |
| ARENA Advancing Renewables Program | Grant, Recoupable grant possible | Normally A$100,000–50 million; applicants typically at least match ARENA funding. |
| Export Finance Australia Small Business Export Loan | Loan | A$20,000–350,000 export-related loan. |
Singapore
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Startup SG Tech | Grant with equity subscription rights | POC up to S$400,000; POV up to S$800,000. Company paid-up capital at least 10% of the POC grant or 20% of the POV grant, respectively.… |
| Startup SG Equity / SEEDS co-investment | Equity investment | SEEDS co-investment caps: S$2 million general tech / S$12 million deep tech; stage/round-specific ratios, not automatic awards. |
| EDGE Grant | Reimbursement grant | Annual shared cap S$100,000; within it, S$30,000 subcap for specified digital/equipment categories. Generally ≤ 50% SME/30% non-SME;… |
| Enterprise Financing Scheme — SME Working Capital Loan | Loan, Government risk share | Up to S$500,000 per borrower; maximum 5 year term; group exposure limits apply. |
| Enterprise Financing Scheme — Venture Debt | Loan, Equity-linked financing | Up to S$8 million per borrower; ≤ 5 years; lender terms, warrants/RCPS and group limits apply. |
Germany
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| EXIST Startup Grant | Fellowship, Pre-incorporation support | Up to 12 months; published programme overview up to €3,000/month per founder for ≤ 3 people, plus supplies/coaching budget. |
| EXIST Research Transfer | Grant, Research commercialisation | Phase I development support; Phase II up to €180,000, ≤ 75% eligible costs, with company contribution. |
| KfW ERP StartGeld | Loan | Up to €200,000, including up to €80,000 working capital; KfW assumes 80% lender risk. |
| KfW ERP-Förderkredit Innovation (513/514) | Loan, Conditional grant | Loan up to €7.5 million at basic tier or €25 million at tiers 2/3. Eligible higher tiers may receive 3%/5% supplementary grant capped at… |
| KfW ERP-Förderkredit Digitalisierung (511/512) | Loan, Conditional grant | Loan up to €7.5 million at basic tier or €25 million at tiers 2/3. Eligible higher tiers may receive 3%/5% supplementary grant capped at… |
| Forschungszulage | Tax incentive | Normally 25% of eligible base; qualifying SMEs may request 35%. From 1 January 2026 assessment base up to €12 million, implying ceilings… |
France
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Bourse French Tech | Grant | Conditional grant up to €30,000; normally up to 50% of eligible expenditure, up to 70% depending on company category. |
| Bourse French Tech Emergence | Grant | Conditional grant up to €90,000; normally up to 50% of eligible expense, up to 70% depending on category. |
| Aide pour le développement de l’innovation | Grant, Repayable advance | Current catalogue: mixed grant and repayable advance up to €2 million; no application fee. Programme duration at most 36 months. |
| ARCE — business creation/recovery capital | Benefit capitalisation | 60% of remaining eligible ARE unemployment rights, subject to 3% deduction and applicable charges; two instalments. |
| Initiative France prêt d’honneur | Loan | Personal loan generally €3,000– €50,000 at 0% interest, without security demanded; amount decided by local approval committee. |
| Prêt Innovation Vert Invest EU | Loan | €50,000– €2 million loan, limited to twice company equity/quasi-equity. Fixed interest; 7-year term including 2 years’ principal grace.… |
Netherlands
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| WBSO R&D tax credit | Tax incentive | R&D payroll-tax relief or qualifying entrepreneur deduction; amount depends on entity, approved work and tax-year rules. |
| Innovation Credit | Repayable credit | Typically up to 45% for small firms,35% medium,25% large; collaborative rates and ceilings differ. |
| Proof-of-concept Funding — VFF | Loan | Interest-bearing proof-of-concept loan generally up to €450,000; North Brabant maximum €350,000. RVO current notice states 7.71% from 1… |
| DHI — foreign demonstration/feasibility/market validation | Grant | Component-specific; startup Market Validation support €25,000 with at least €50,000 project cost. |
| BMKB SME credit guarantee | Loan guarantee | Published guarantee financing up to €1.5 million; lender and guarantee conditions apply. |
UAE
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| Programme | Type | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Hub71 Access Programme | Equity investment, In-kind incentives | AED 250,000 flexible incentives plus AED 250,000 cash for equity through SAFE; selected top performers may receive additional AED… |
| Khalifa Fund financing programmes | Loan | Seven programme-specific financing products; use current TAMM offer for limits and contribution. |
| Mohammed Bin Rashid Fund for SMEs — SME Finance | Loan | SME Finance: interest-free establishment loan up to AED 1 million; repayment no more than 5 years excluding grace of 1–24 months,… |
| MBRIF Guarantee Scheme | Loan guarantee | Government-backed guarantee enabling a participating-bank loan; amount/terms assessed individually. |
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Sources and review: programme links lead to the provider or official authority. Eligibility and application timing are shown with each route; use the dated information for your shortlist and the linked current terms before applying.