KOSGEB Business Development: what is the selection rate, how are the top 500 chosen?

What was the selection rate in KOSGEB Business Development Support in 2024-2025?

The Ministry’s report carries three numbers: 14,744 applications, 2,758 qualifying businesses, and more than TL 853 million paid to 992 businesses. The three numbers describe three different stages.

14,744 applications, 2,758 qualified: roughly one in five

The number of qualifying businesses is about 19% of the applications. In other words, one in five applications won the right to support and four were left out. The ratio shows how selective the programme is.

992 payments: a portion of those who qualified

At the report date, 992 businesses had been paid; that is about a third of those who qualified. The gap comes from payment depending on expense documents and the programme calendar. A business that signs a support agreement is paid as it incurs costs.

Since 2024: 4,476 projects, TL 6.4 billion

According to KOSGEB’s announcement of 12 October 2026, TL 6.4 billion in support has been approved for 4,476 projects since the programme began. That works out to roughly TL 1.4 million per project. Not every project receives the TL 2.25 million ceiling; the amount depends on the project budget and the support rate.

How does evaluation work in the new model: board, jury and top 500?

KOSGEB’s new model splits selection into three stages. First the sector board scores, then the jury evaluates, and finally a ranking is formed from the average of the two scores. Each stage has a threshold, and the threshold works at both national and provincial level.

Stage one: the sector board score

Sector boards are made up of KOSGEB staff, academics and independent sector representatives. The board scores the project against the sector’s own measures. This score decides both whether you go to the jury and whether the Interest/Profit Share Support door opens for women and young entrepreneurs.

Stage two: top 1,000 nationwide, top 6 in every province

By board score, the top 1,000 projects nationwide and the top 6 in every province go to the jury. The two lists work together: a project outside the national ranking moves to the jury stage if it is in the top 6 in its province. The provincial threshold opens a separate door for small provinces at this stage.

Stage three: top 500 and top 3 per province by average score

By the average of the jury and board scores, the top 500 projects nationwide and the top 3 in every province receive support. The jury score is half of the average; a well-written plan must also be presented well before the jury.

Which founders does the top 3 per province rule favour?

The provincial threshold makes the province you apply from matter. In large provinces the number of applications is high and competition within the province is fierce. In small provinces, making the top 6 and the top 3 is numerically more likely.

National ranking in a large province, provincial ranking in a small one

A business founded in a large province competes in practice with the national top 1,000 and top 500; the provincial quota is an extra door for a few projects. In a small province the provincial quota can be the main door. In both cases the score is given by the same rule; the only thing that changes is the number of rivals.

The quota does not rescue a low-scoring project

The provincial threshold is a ranking rule, not a score exemption. The project still has to earn board and jury scores. A low-scoring project is judged on its score even if there is no other application in its province.

Application period: 12-31 October 2026

The third 2026 application period runs from 12 to 31 October 2026. Applications are continuous or call-based depending on the type; Business Development follows a period calendar. For preparation before the period, see our preparation checklist for a KOSGEB application.

What are the amount, rate and timeline in Business Development Support?

The support is repayable and interest-free: up to TL 2.25 million at an 80% support rate. For businesses whose founder is young, a woman, disabled, a veteran or a relative of a martyr, the ceiling rises by TL 250,000 to TL 2.5 million. The programme runs for 24 months, and repayment starts 12 months after it ends.

TL 2.25 million and 80%: the remaining 20% is the business’s

Because the support rate is 80%, TL 80 of every TL 100 of eligible cost comes from the support and TL 20 from the business. To reach the ceiling, the budget needs to be about TL 2.8 million. This own-funds share should be added to the cash flow when the plan is written.

Eligible costs: software and service purchases included

The programme page lists staff, machinery and equipment, moulds, software and service purchases. Service purchases cover training, consulting, mentoring, certification, testing and analysis, marketing, design and intellectual property. KOSGEB decides which cost is accepted. How digital items fit under these headings is covered in our article on the digital section of the business plan.

Sectors: manufacturing, programming, information services, R&D

The supported sectors are manufacturing; telecommunications; computer programming, consultancy and related activities; information service activities; and scientific R&D. A tech startup usually applies under programming or information services. A business in a sector not on the list cannot apply for this support.

What raises the sector board’s score: a measurable plan?

The details of the scoring criteria are not in the announcement; the board’s composition is. The academic reads the method, the sector representative reads the market, and the KOSGEB staff member reads the programme rules. Their shared language is numbers: target, budget, timeline and measurement.

A number in every item: how many, when, how much

The staff item states the number of people and months, the machinery item the quantity and the quote, the software item the licences and the term. An item without a number is left unmeasured in the board’s hands. Digital items follow the same rule: number of pages, number of articles, number of accounts, and the metrics to be tracked.

A budget that matches the cost headings

Budget lines should carry the same names as the cost headings on the programme page. The website sits under “software” or “service purchase: design”, and content production under “service purchase: marketing”. A line that does not match a heading needs explaining to the board.

Market and customer: where, and how will it be measured

The sector representative asks where the customer is. If the answer is “online”, the measure is online too: search demand, website visits, conversions. A live website and Search Console data turn the market section from a claim into a number.

A plan that stands without the support

The board reads whether the project depends on the support. The own-funds share, the repayment plan and income outside the support should be described together. How the plan will be adapted when the digital company definition arrives depends on the concept explained in our article what is a digital company; today the plan is written independently of the definition.

What does a founder who misses the ranking do?

Four out of five applications do not make the ranking. In the new model this founder has two routes: Interest/Profit Share Support for women and young entrepreneurs, and the next period.

Women and young entrepreneurs: 50 points and Interest/Profit Share Support

Women and young entrepreneurs with a board score of 50 or above gain access to Interest/Profit Share Support even if they miss the ranking. Women and young entrepreneurs who make the ranking can also choose this support. How it works is explained in our article on the TL 1 million business loan.

Newly founded businesses: Business Setup Support and the platform item

For a business not yet founded or just founded, Business Setup Support is non-repayable and open to continuous applications. Platform Costs Support for digital companies sits in this programme; its amount has not been announced. Details are in our article on KOSGEB platform registration fee support.

The next period: the plan grows, the digital footprint accumulates

Until the next call, website, content and measurement data accumulate, and the plan grows in numbers. We run the work of building the business plan together with the incorporation and digital transformation timeline in our digital transformation management service. We collect the developments on our digital company page.

Frequently Asked Questions

The definition and conditions of the digital company scheme are not final yet; support amounts and conditions may change. Check the latest information with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, KOSGEB and the Official Gazette before deciding. This is not legal or financial advice.

Sources: KOSGEB, Entrepreneur Support Programme renewed (12 October 2026) · Bigpara/DHA-AA, Ministry report and KOSGEB figures (7-8 September 2025)

Updated: October 2026