Photonics grants
Explore grants for photonics companies. This directory covers funding for lasers, optics, integrated photonics, imaging and sensing, optical communications and photonic manufacturing, from research councils, innovation agencies and photonics industry programs.
Showing 25-48 of 866 grants
R&D Tax Credit — QSB Payroll Offset (Section 41) — TY2025 / Filed
🇺🇸IRS · United States
Supports United States small businesses through payroll tax offsets when they fund qualifying innovation activity.
The KMU-innovativ funding programme
🇩🇪BMFTR · Germany
Funds R&D projects at German SMEs and research institutions with rates up to 100%.
AFRL/RX Functional Materials Open BAA
🇺🇸Air Force · United States
Supports advanced functional materials research in the United States through Air Force opportunities.
NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds startups building next-generation scientific instruments — up to $2 million per company, no equity taken.
Draper TIF
🇺🇸UW Entrepreneurship Hub + WiSys · United States
Funds WARF-disclosed UW Madison inventions through patent and licensing preparation for market-ready transfer.
MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds astronomy research, instrumentation and new approaches through one door — a $100 million pool.
EIC Accelerator — Short Proposal
🇮🇱ISERD · Israel
Supports small and medium firms in early-stage deep technologies through public proposals and commercialization mentoring.
Academic-Industrial Partnerships (AIP) to Translate and Validate In Vivo Imaging Systems
NIH · United States
Funds a company and an academic group working as one team to turn an imaging, spectroscopy or data-science advance into something usable in the clinic.
EMERGING FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (EFRI-2026/27): Wave-Based Computing ( EFRI-WBC)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds computing that runs on wave dynamics rather than switches — exploratory grants, or four-year projects up to $2 million.
IQ ESSOR — Investment Feasibility and Digital Diagnostics (Volet 1)
🇨🇦IQ · Canada
Funds Quebec for-profit companies conducting feasibility studies or digital diagnostics to prepare major investment projects.
ARO Core BAA — Single Investigator
🇺🇸ARO · United States
Offers core basic research grants across physical, engineering, and information science domains in the Army.
Molecular Imaging of Inflammation in Cancer
🇺🇸NIH · United States
Funds molecular imaging that shows how inflammation and cancer interact inside a living body, rather than in a dish or a slide.
AFRL/RD Tactical BAA
🇺🇸Air Force · United States
Funds directed energy development from early concept through advanced demonstration in defense applications.
AFRL/RD DETER ARA
🇺🇸Air Force · United States
Supports directed energy concept teams through AFRL DETER by backing proposals in an open pathway model.
CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship
🇨🇳CAS · China
Funds international PhD placements between Chinese and global research networks.
Defence Rapid Impact
UKDI / DASA · United Kingdom
Funds innovators from any country developing near-term defence technology prototypes at TRL 6 or 7 through the MOD Defence Innovation Fund.
DSI Technology Innovation Programme
🇿🇦DSTI · South Africa
Funds research teams and institutions for DSI Technology Innovation in biotechnology, energy systems, and space technology.
Dutch Future Fund (DFF I & II)
🇳🇱Invest-NL · Netherlands
Funds Dutch venture and growth managers investing in clean transition, deep technology, life science, and digital ventures.
EMBRAPII + SEBRAE Innovation Support for Small Businesses and Startups
🇧🇷SEBRAE · Brazil
Funds Brazilian micro and small businesses building technology projects through SEBRAE-backed EMBRAPII co-funding.
Engineering (ENG): Electrical, Communications, and Computing Systems (ECCS)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds foundational engineering research on devices, circuits and control — $110 million across roughly 300 awards, with no deadline.
Eureka Network Projects — Permanent
EUREKA · Global / Multinational
Offers open access collaboration through Eureka Network Projects so small enterprises can join international innovation groups.
HTSM Call — Semiconductors & Quantum
🇳🇱Holland High Tech · Netherlands
Funds Dutch hardware and quantum development ideas through a call that connects research with scaling in semiconductor technologies.
Innovation Brokers Scheme
🇳🇱Holland High Tech · Netherlands
Offers Dutch small and medium businesses advisory vouchers and partner matching for high-tech collaborations in KET fields.
Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund
🇳🇱Invest-NL · Netherlands
Funds Dutch deep-technology start-ups and scale-ups in photonics, quantum, and nanotechnology with higher-risk capital.