Accelerators trade mentoring and a network for equity. Grants trade paperwork for non-dilutive money. These are the programs to watch, with the dates the official pages showed on 4 November 2026.
Open calls worth putting in your diary#
Accelerators#
- Y Combinator: applications on the site.
- Techstars: each program sets its own deadline.
- Antler and Entrepreneur First, which backs individuals before they have a company.
- 500 Global programs, Plug and Play and Start-Up Chile.
- Europe: Rockstart (Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bogotá; energy, agrifood and emerging tech) and YES!Delft.
- MENA and Africa: Flat6Labs.
Grants and public money#
- EIC Accelerator (EU): a grant below €2.5M plus €1–10M in equity. Short proposals are accepted any time and batched every first Tuesday of the month. The last 2026 cut-off for full proposals was 4 November.
- RVO Innovatiekrediet (Netherlands): open all year until 31 December 2026, up to €10M per technical project.
- SBIR/STTR (US) and Innovate UK (UK).
Grants are slow money. Start the application before you need the cash.