İSTKA Financial Support Programs (Mali Destek Programları)

Corporate–Startup Collaboration Financial Support Program (Kurum Startup İş Birliği Mali Destek Programı)

Funds cooperation programmes that connect corporations and startups in Istanbul through collaborative innovation pilots.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The 2025 Kurum Startup İş Birliği Mali Destek Programı (Corporate-Startup Cooperation Financial Support Programme, also branded İş Birliği İstanbul) was a competitive grant call administered by İSTKA — İstanbul Kalkınma Ajansı (Istanbul Development Agency) — with a total budget of TRY 150 million and per-project grants ranging from TRY 5 million to TRY 15 million. The minimum grant floor of TRY 5 million was higher than the TRY 3 million floor applied to the concurrent İDM and YZT programmes, reflecting the programme's focus on larger, partnership-structured projects. The programme funded projects where established organisations and startups collaborated on open innovation, technology transfer, or new product and service development.

Eligible lead applicants were municipalities, organised industrial zones (OIZs), technoparks, universities, NGOs, and similar institutions operating within Istanbul (TR10). Private companies and startups participated as required project partners rather than as leads. İSTKA covered up to 90% of eligible costs; the lead institution was responsible for co-funding the balance. Applications were submitted through the national KAYS portal (kaysuygulama.sanayi.gov.tr). The original April 18, 2025 deadline was extended to May 5, 2025 — the same extended date applied across all three 2025 İSTKA programmes.

The 2025 cycle is closed; awards were announced August 14, 2025. All project activities must be carried out within the Istanbul TR10 NUTS-2 region. Organisations preparing for the next annual cycle should engage a credible startup partner early, as the cooperation structure between the institutional lead and the startup must be substantiated in the application. The programme follows an annual call pattern with announcements typically in Q1; prospective applicants should monitor İSTKA communications from late calendar year onward.