The TÜBİTAK 1501 Industrial R&D Projects Grant Programme provides non-repayable grants to SME-scale companies (joint-stock or limited) for R&D projects that involve technical uncertainty. In the 2026/2 call, the support rate is 75% for the first 5 projects and 60% from the 6th project onwards; the TÜBİTAK contribution is up to TRY 20 million per project. Companies that solve a real technical problem and focus on a marketable output can benefit directly from this programme.
Industrial transformation with the TÜBİTAK 1501 grant
Many manufacturers in Türkiye’s organised industrial zones now have to compete globally on the technology and products they develop, not just on production capacity. For manufacturers looking to raise export value per kilogram, R&D financing remains a key item on the agenda.
An automotive supplier developing an electric vehicle component, or a textile producer making functional smart fabrics, faces serious financing risk without programme support. TÜBİTAK 1501 offers an institutional way to share that risk with the government: the grant is not repaid, and patents or trade secrets stay with the company.
Interest in the programme is high in every call period, but high interest also means more unprepared applications. It is not enough for a project to be merely “new”; it must be technically verifiable, have a solid academic basis and deliver a concrete economic output.
The TÜBİTAK 1501 application process in 5 steps
Applications are completed with an electronic signature through TÜBİTAK’s official Project Evaluation and Monitoring System (PRODİS). The process has five main stages:
- Preparing the project proposal: Entering technical, financial and administrative information into PRODİS in full; defining work packages and success criteria.
- Preliminary evaluation: TÜBİTAK checks the formal and eligibility requirements; any missing documents are then completed.
- Reviewer assignment and site visit: Academic experts in the field visit the company and assess the project technically and financially.
- Committee evaluation: The project is scored and ranked based on the reviewer reports.
- Decision: Acceptance, rejection or a request for revision; if the project is rejected, the reviewers’ feedback is shared.
The reviewer visit is the most critical stage, the one that decides the project’s fate. The reviewers assigned to a company come from leading universities in the field. So preparing the technical groundwork thoroughly before the visit, and investing in presentation quality, directly affect the outcome.
TÜBİTAK 1501 vs 1507: how the programmes compare
These are the two programmes companies confuse most often. The table below summarises the key differences:
| Feature | TÜBİTAK 1507 (SME Start-up) | TÜBİTAK 1501 (Industrial R&D) |
|---|---|---|
| Target group | SMEs in their first 5 projects (at least two as partnership projects) | Only SME-scale joint-stock or limited companies (2026/2 call) |
| Project budget | Project budget of up to TRY 3,500,000 | Up to TRY 20,000,000 TÜBİTAK contribution per project |
| Project duration | Up to 18 months | Up to 24 months in the 2026/2 call (up to 36 months with an extension) |
| Number of applications | First 5 projects (at least two as partnership projects) | No project limit in the programme; up to 2 proposals per organisation in the 2026/2 call (including 1507) |
| Support type | Non-repayable grant | Non-repayable grant |
Main eligible cost items
Support under the programme is entirely non-repayable. As the general support rate varies from call to call, check TÜBİTAK’s official website regularly for current rates. The main eligible cost items are:
- Personnel costs: Gross salaries of R&D staff working on the project; this significantly eases cash flow for companies in high-cost locations.
- Instruments, equipment and software: Devices and licensed software used for R&D.
- R&D service procurement: Technical and testing support from universities or accredited organisations.
- Materials and consumables: Raw materials and consumables needed to build prototypes.
- Travel costs: Domestic and international travel within the project.
3 core rules for writing a successful project
A technically strong idea does not secure approval on its own. Reviewers assess every project on three main dimensions:
- Innovation: The project must show concretely where it stands against existing technology and how it differs from competitors.
- R&D methodology: Work packages, person-month ratios and success criteria must be realistic, consistent and aligned with one another.
- Economic benefit: Concrete impacts of the project output, such as import substitution, export contribution or sector transformation, should be backed up quantitatively or qualitatively.
At FIX, we review projects through a reviewer’s eyes before submission, identify technical and financial gaps and address them. With this approach, we aim to reduce the risk of unexpected revisions or rejection at the evaluation stage from the outset.
If you’d like to look at R&D support from a broader perspective, see our Grant and Incentive Consulting service.