Below are 14 programmes open to founders in Qatar, drawn from the Incubateer catalog: 9 grants, 2 accelerators, 2 incubators, 1 programme. Each is labelled by what it actually is, because a page headed "grants" that quietly lists an equity accelerator is the kind of overclaim this product exists to avoid. Investors are not listed here; a founder cannot apply to a fund.
Most Qatari programmes expect you to base the company in Qatar, or at least to run the funded work there. Read the residency condition first.
Programmes in Qatar
- QSTP XLR8 Accelerator accelerator
Qatar Science & Technology Park, Qatar Foundation · 14-week accelerator: training, mentorship and a path to launch - Digital Incubation Center (Qatar) grant
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Qatar · Non-cash: 6-month Launchpad track, mentoring and workspace - Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) incubator
Qatar Development Bank and Social Development Center · Incubation plus funding across LeanStartup and specialised tracks - Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) Programmes incubator
Qatar Business Incubation Center · Varies by programme - QRDI Council Innovation Funding grant
Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council · Varies by call - QSTP Product Development Fund grant
Qatar Science and Technology Park · Varies by stage of product - Digital Incubation Center grant
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Qatar · Incubation support, workspace and seed funding for selected digital st - QSTP Accelerator and Funding Programmes grant
Qatar Science and Technology Park, Qatar Foundation · Grants through the Product Development Fund and Tech Venture Fund, plu - Qatar Business Incubation Center LeanStartup grant
Qatar Business Incubation Center · Incubation and access to no-equity financing and loans through partner - Qatar Development Bank Startup Programmes grant
Qatar Development Bank · Financing, incubation and the Startup Qatar investment programmes, wit - Startup Qatar Investment Program grant
Invest Qatar and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) · START track up to USD 1.1 million, GROW track up to USD 5.5 million, m - Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) Tech Venture Programs accelerator
Qatar Foundation / QSTP · Up to $100,000 grant + incubation + soft-landing - Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP)
Qatar Foundation · Up to QAR 5,000,000 (~$1,370,000) + facilities - Qatar Development Bank, Al Dhameen grant
Qatar Development Bank · QAR 500,000-5,000,000 (~$137,000-$1,370,000)
What to check before you apply
Two conditions decide most Gulf applications before anything else does. The first is the entity: nearly every programme wants a locally registered company, or a signed commitment to register one if you are accepted. The second is where the work happens, which is not always the same question. Read both on the programme's own page, not on ours, and not in a news story about the programme.
Programme terms move faster than any directory can. Everything here is re-checked weekly and anything whose apply link has died is removed rather than left sitting on the page, but the official site is always the authority. How that checking works, and what we refuse to claim, is written out on the methodology page.
Other GCC states
All six GCC states in one view, or browse by sector: fintech, healthtech, AI, deep-tech and cleantech.
Questions founders ask
What startup grants are available in Qatar?+
The Incubateer catalog lists 14+ startup programmes open to founders in Qatar, named above: 9 grants, 2 accelerators, 2 incubators, 1 programme. Much of the support in Qatar is not a cash grant but subsidised licensing, workspace, visas or incubation, and each listing says which it is rather than calling everything a grant.
Do I need to be a Qatar national to apply?+
Usually not. Most Gulf programmes are open to foreign founders, and several exist specifically to attract them. What they normally require instead is a local entity, or a commitment to set one up if you are accepted. The residency and entity conditions are the ones to read first, because they decide eligibility before anything about your stage or sector does.
Are these programmes non-dilutive?+
Many are. Government programmes and licensing or workspace support take no equity. Accelerators often do take a stake, and each listing above is labelled by what it is so you can tell them apart before you apply. Incubateer scores every programme honestly as strong match, worth a look, or long shot, rather than inflating the list.
How current is this list?+
The catalog is re-checked weekly and programmes whose apply link has died are removed rather than left to rot on the page. Programme terms change faster than any directory, so confirm the current round on the programme's own site before you plan around a number. If something here no longer matches the official page, the official page is right.
Scored, not just listed
See which of these you would actually win.
Incubateer scores your startup against every programme in the catalog and says honestly which ones fit. Strong match, worth a look, or long shot.
Check your eligibility