KOSGEB entrepreneur support latest: what new business owners need to know in 2026
KOSGEB entrepreneur support in 2026 runs under revision 12 of the Entrepreneur Support Programme Directive, dated 30 April 2026. A new business has two doors. Business Setup Support is a non-repayable TRY 10,000 (sole trader) or TRY 20,000 (company) grant, applied for within one year of registration, plus staff support for three years. Business Development Support goes up to TRY 1.5 million, is repayable and is open only to certain sectors.
For most people opening a shop, a store or a service business, the relevant door is Business Setup Support. Business Development Support goes to fields such as manufacturing, software and information services, through calls that open a few times a year. The second call of 2026 covered 20 April to 8 May. Both have one thing in common: support arrives after registration, so you cover the first costs yourself.
Which KOSGEB rules apply to new businesses in 2026?
The programme rests on two main supports with very different terms. Business Setup Support is small but broad: it covers every sector KOSGEB supports and takes applications all year. Business Development Support is large but narrow: it is repayable and tied to certain sectors and call periods. The table puts them side by side.
| Item | Business Setup Support | Business Development Support |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | TRY 10,000 sole trader, TRY 20,000 company | Up to TRY 1,500,000 |
| Top-up | +TRY 10,000 for women, young, disabled, veteran or martyr-family founders | +TRY 150,000 for the same groups |
| Repayment | None, 100 percent support rate | Yes, 80 percent support rate, interest-free |
| Business age | Within 1 year of registration | Within 3 years of registration |
| Sectors | Sectors KOSGEB supports | Manufacturing, telecoms, software, information services, R&D |
| Applications | All year | During call periods |
Why the directive matters
Headlines give numbers; the directive sets the conditions. Reading the latest revision before you apply stops you knocking on the wrong door.
Amounts can change
KOSGEB can update the directive during the year. The figures here follow the 30 April 2026 revision. Check KOSGEB’s page on the day you apply.
What does Business Setup Support give someone opening a shop?
Two things: a setup grant and staff cost support. The setup grant is TRY 10,000 for a sole trader and TRY 20,000 for a company, and it is not repaid. Staff support equals one month of the gross minimum wage at its total cost to the employer, paid for each year in which the business’s social security premium days reach 360 or more, for three years.
Training comes before the application
Under the directive, founders must complete KOSGEB’s traditional entrepreneur training before applying for Business Setup Support. Finishing it before you open gives you room within the one-year window.
How staff support is worked out
The 2026 gross minimum wage is TRY 33,030; the cost to the employer is higher. 360 premium days is roughly one employee for a full year. Keep one insured employee all year and that year’s payment falls due.
Who can get the TRY 1.5 million Business Development Support?
Businesses in manufacturing, telecoms, computer programming, information services and scientific R&D that registered less than three years ago. The support rate is 80 percent and it is repayable. No interest or commission is charged, and repayment starts after the 36-month programme period. Applications are accepted only during call periods.
How projects are scored
Under the second 2026 call, the top 1,000 projects nationally and the top 6 in each province go to a jury. Support goes to the top 500 nationally and the top 3 per province.
The loan side
The programme’s interest support covers 50 percent of the interest on a working capital loan of up to TRY 1,000,000 with a term of up to 36 months.
What does the “TRY 2 million grant” headline leave out?
The TRY 2 million in headlines is the programme ceiling KOSGEB announced in May 2024, not a single grant. Its largest part, the TRY 1.5 million Business Development Support, is repayable and not open to retail or ordinary service businesses. What a shopkeeper actually receives is usually the setup grant and staff support.
Two myths heard on the high street
“KOSGEB pays your shop rent” and “everyone gets 2 million” both go round. The directive has no such item. Base your decision on the directive, not on hearsay.
The one question to ask
Ask your local KOSGEB office: “Which support does my activity code fall under?” The answer gives you your real ceiling in one sentence.
What it means for you: support comes after registration, so first costs come from your till
You apply for Business Setup Support after you register; Business Development Support adds a call and a jury. So rent, deposit, signage and first stock are paid before any support arrives. Plan your cash around your own till, not around the grant. If support comes, it is a cushion; if it does not, the business still stands.
An example: a hair salon in Avcılar
Say you are opening a hair salon in Avcılar as a sole trader. You have done the training and have your tax certificate. If your activity code is in a KOSGEB-supported sector and you apply within a year, you receive TRY 10,000; as a woman or young founder, TRY 20,000. Keep an apprentice insured for a full year and that year’s staff support follows.
See demand before support arrives
Support that arrives months later makes the opening riskier. We explain how to measure demand before signing a lease in open online before you open a shop.
In what order do the applications run?
There are six steps, and the first two come before registration: training, registration, the setup application, the staff support years, a development call if you qualify, and the loan. Applications go through e-Devlet, Turkey’s e-government portal. The list gives each step its deadline or threshold.
- Traditional entrepreneur training. Finish it before registering.
- Register as a sole trader or company and get your tax record.
- Apply for Business Setup Support within 1 year of registration.
- Staff support: every year premium days pass 360, for 3 years.
- In an eligible sector, a Business Development call within 3 years.
- If needed, interest support on up to TRY 1,000,000, 36-month term.
Not missing a call
Development calls open a few times a year; the third period of 2025, for example, covered 1 to 31 October 2025.
Keep documents in one folder
Training certificate, tax certificate, activity certificate and social security records belong in one folder. Hunting for paperwork on application day is the most common cause of delay.
Where does the digital setup budget fit in?
Digital setup is one of the few costs you can incur before signing a lease, with the amount known upfront. Adapte’s Start a Business Online campaign costs TRY 36,000 + VAT, fixed and paid upfront; with 20 percent VAT that is TRY 43,200, but check the current rate on your invoice. Whether a cost qualifies for KOSGEB support is KOSGEB’s decision, so ask your office before you apply.
The itemised bill
You will find domain, hosting, site and content costs line by line in the cost of starting a business online, and yearly running costs in what does a website cost per year.
Quick Summary
- The rules follow the 30 April 2026 revision of the Entrepreneur Support Programme Directive.
- Business Setup Support: TRY 10,000 sole trader, TRY 20,000 company, non-repayable; +TRY 10,000 for certain groups.
- Apply within 1 year of registration; training comes first.
- Business Development Support: up to TRY 1.5 million, repayable, sector- and call-bound.
- “TRY 2 million” is the programme ceiling, not one grant.
- Support comes after registration; plan cash around your own till.
Short Glossary
Non-repayable support: Non-repayable support is the term used for a grant-type payment a business does not return to KOSGEB.
Call period: A call period is the phrase used for the limited window in which KOSGEB accepts applications for a given support.
Premium day: A premium day is the unit used to count insured days reported to Turkey’s Social Security Institution for an employee.
Next Step
Whatever the support timeline, seeing demand before you pay rent is in your hands. Apply to the Start a Business Online campaign and open online before you open your doors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Source: KOSGEB — Entrepreneur Support Programme, Business Development Call 2026, Period 2 (in Turkish)
Sık Sorulan Sorular
A long support timeline makes the order question bigger. The first six months of three scenarios are tabled in shop first or website first. For the campaign scope, see the Start a Business Online campaign page.
Payment is upfront at a fixed price: TRY 36,000 + VAT. With 20 percent VAT that is TRY 43,200; check the current rate on your invoice. If you have a coupon code, mention it when you apply.
Under the directive, within one year of registering the business. Traditional entrepreneur training must be completed before you apply.
Business Development Support is open to manufacturing, telecoms, software, information services and R&D. For retail and ordinary service businesses, the relevant door is usually Business Setup Support.
Updated: October 2026