[June 2026]
On 27 June, the world celebrates Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day, recognizing the vital role MSMEs play in driving economic growth, fostering innovation, creating jobs, and supporting sustainable development. To mark this occasion, we have compiled a curated collection of grants, accelerators, awards, competitions, and funding opportunities for MSMEs, startups, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Explore programs offering funding, mentorship, business development support, innovation resources, and market access to help enterprises grow, scale, and create lasting impact in their communities and beyond.
Open Call for House of AI Startup Challenge
Deadline: September 28, 2026
Applications are now open for the AI Startup Challenge to connect applied AI startups with Europe’s largest business district through a deeply embedded corporate innovation ecosystem…[more]
Call for Nominations: Youth Startup Innovation Award 2026
Deadline: July 12, 2026
Applicants are now invited applications to support youth-led, tech-based startups working to advance Sustainable Development Goals and scale their impact-driven solutions…[more]
Applications open for Funding Formula 2.0 Training Programme
Deadline: July 31, 2026
The Funding Formula 2.0 is seeking applications to support entrepreneurs, startup founders, and SME owners in strengthening their funding readiness and business growth capabilities…[more]
Global Citizen and PayPal Small Business Impact Awards
Deadline: July 19, 2026
The Global Citizen and PayPal Small Business Impact Awards offers to support small and medium-sized businesses creating social and environmental impact through innovative and community-focused practices…[more]
Apply Now: HEIPowered Startup Pitch Competition
Deadline: July 08, 2026
The HEIPowered Startup Pitch Competition offers early-stage startups an opportunity to showcase their ventures and compete for funding and mentorship support…[more]
Call for Expression of Interest for Tech-Savvy SMEs
Deadline: January 02, 2027
The MANTRA Expression of Interest seeks technology-driven SMEs to support the transformation of traditional manufacturing businesses across Europe…[more]
MANTRA: Green and Digital Transformation for Manufacturing SMEs
Deadline: October 01, 2026
The MANTRA project supports manufacturing SMEs in accelerating their green and digital transformation through tailored assistance, capacity building, and financial support…[more]
ASIA’S #1 Pitch Competition for Energy Tech Startups
Deadline: July 13, 2026
The Energy Tech Challengers is a pitch competition for energy startups in Asia-Pacific connecting them with investors and industry leaders…[more]
Apply now for iF Social Impact Prize 2026
Deadline: 19-August-2026
The iF Social Impact Prize supports initiatives that address major global and community-level challenges in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)…[more]
Call for Applications: Global Innovation Challenge 2026
Deadline: August 31, 2026
The Global Innovation Challenge 2026 is requesting applications to support young social entrepreneurs and innovators leading projects and startups that create positive social and environmental impact worldwide…[more]
Miller Center Accelerator Program for Social Enterprises
Deadline: 11-September-2026
The Miller Center Accelerator Program is designed to support social enterprise leaders in scaling their mission-driven organizations through mentorship, structured guidance, and strategic business development support…[more]
Submissions open for WSA Young Innovators Award
Deadline: 15-October-2026
The WSA Young Innovators Award is a global open call that highlights young-led digital solutions with proven social or environmental impact. It is part of the World Summit Awards ecosystem and focuses on real-world, market-ready innovations…[more]
Open Call: 500 Global Accelerator Program in Eurasia
Deadline: June 26, 2026
The 500 Global Accelerator Program in Eurasia is a 12-week program designed to support early-stage tech startups in the Eurasia region through structured acceleration, mentorship, and access to investment opportunities…[more]
Applications open for MEST AI Startup Incubation Program
Deadline: July 20, 2026
The MEST AI Startup Incubation Program is inviting applications to support African entrepreneurs in developing AI startup ideas into validated, scalable, and investment-ready businesses…[more]
CFAs: Africa Business Contest – Impact Challenge Award
Deadline: July 31, 2026
The Africa Business Contest – Impact Challenge Award is a City of Kobe initiative supporting business ideas for social impact and sustainable development in Africa…[more]
RFPs: Researcher–Sciencepreneur Collaboration Grant Program
Deadline: August 31, 2026
The Researcher–Sciencepreneur Collaboration Grant Program is accepting applications to support researchers and science-based entrepreneurs from Switzerland and sub-Saharan Africa in developing innovation collaborations that create a credible pathway to impact for science-based ventures…[more]
Applications open for Fit 4 Start Startup Accelerator Programme
Deadline: July 10, 2026
The Fit 4 Start Startup Accelerator Programme provides support to early-stage and innovative startups with coaching, mentoring, and equity-free funding to help them launch and scale in the European market…[more]
Call for Applications: UArctic Entrepreneurship Fund
Deadline: October 31, 2026
The UArctic Entrepreneurship Fund offers to support early-stage entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and capacity-building to develop solutions that strengthen Arctic communities and promote sustainable development…[more]
RFAs: Inclusive Incubation and Finance for More Entrepreneurs
Deadline: 02-September-2026
The ESF+ Inclusive Incubation and Finance for More Entrepreneurs Call is a European Commission funding initiative designed to promote inclusive entrepreneurship across the European Union…[more]
Apply Now: Google AI Startup Accelerator Program (Australia and New Zealand)
Deadline: July 19, 2026
The Google for Startups Accelerator: Australia and New Zealand is a ten-week equity-free program designed to support Seed to Series A startups building AI and machine learning-driven products by connecting them with Google’s expertise, tools, and global network…[more]
Call for Nominations: King’s Awards for Enterprise 2027
Deadline: 08-September-2026
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious business honours, recognising outstanding achievement in innovation, international trade, sustainability, social mobility, and young founder entrepreneurship…[more]
Call for Applications: SME Funding Program (Namibia)
Deadline: July 24, 2026
The SME Fund has opened its first call for applications to support MSMEs in Namibia with funding and business assistance aimed at strengthening enterprise growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation under the ProSME Project implemented in partnership with NIPDB, NPC, and GIZ…[more]
LEP Business Transformation Grant 2026–27 (United Kingdom)
Deadline: July 16, 2026
The LEP Business Transformation Grant is inviting applications to support micro and small businesses in Derry and Strabane to achieve sustainable and measurable growth through strategic business transformation projects…[more]
Open Call: Business Succession Planning Support Initiative (Canada)
Deadline: 28-July-2026
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is offering funding to support business succession planning resources for Canadian small businesses and entrepreneurs…[more]
NIDHI SEED Funding for Innovation-Driven Startups (India)
Deadline: July 31, 2026
The NIDHI SEED Support Scheme provides seed funding and incubation support to early-stage Indian startups to develop and commercialize innovative solutions…[more]
Nominations Open: Jankidevi Bajaj Women Entrepreneurship Award (India)
Deadline: 30-September-2026
The IMC-Ladies’ Wing Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar 2026 is a prestigious award that recognizes Indian women entrepreneurs whose enterprises contribute significantly to rural development, livelihood enhancement, and community well-being…[more]
Social Impact Startup Incubator for Youth (Mexico)
Deadline: July 15, 2026
The Social Impact Incubation Programme is inviting applications to support young entrepreneurs in developing early-stage social enterprise ideas through mentoring and incubation support…[more]
TELUS Business Awards for Growth and Innovation (Canada)
Deadline: September 02, 2026
The TELUS Business Growth Recognition Programme offers to support Canadian businesses with funding, technology, and exposure through a competitive awards initiative…[more]
Apply for Innovation and Enterprise Acceleration Programme (Nigeria)
Deadline: July 19, 2026
The Innovation and Enterprise Acceleration Programme is inviting applications to identify, nurture, support and scaling youth-led agribusinesses and agritech innovations transforming Lagos State’s food systems from farm to fork…[more]
Open Challenge Program for DeepTech and AI Startups in India
Deadline: July 15, 2026
The Open Challenge Program is seeking applications to support innovative DeepTech and AI startups in India through funding, incubation, and growth support…[more]
Misk Launchpad: Startup Pre-Accelerator (Saudi Arabia)
Deadline: 31-July-2026
Misk Launchpad is a 10-week hybrid pre-accelerator program designed for early-stage entrepreneurs to validate startup ideas, build MVPs, and prepare for launch…[more]