Norway startup grants 2026: the map after the cuts

Innovation Norway tightened sharply in 2026, and for many founders the map of public financing has changed. The nationwide startup grant has been nearly halved, and several schemes are gone. But there is still money to apply for – if you know where to look and adjust your strategy. Here is the picture as it stands in July 2026.

What was cut

The budgets for startup grants, loss provisions for risk loans and innovation contracts were reduced by roughly NOK 94 million, and three schemes were discontinued entirely: Startup Grant 3, Scaling Mentor and ecosystem grants. The service pages for those now return “not found”. Staffing was also reduced by around 100–110 full-time positions. The changes were announced on 15 January 2026 following the adopted national budget, and they remained in place after the revised budget in May.

According to figures reported by Shifter, early-phase grants fell from NOK 553 million to 341 million, while loss provisions for loans rose from 337 million to 518 million. In other words, part of the shift is a move from grants toward loans, not only an outright cut.

The causes are contested

It is tempting to read all of this as “the government cut funding”. The picture is more mixed. Shifter has noted that part of the change stems from Innovation Norway’s own reprioritisation – a shift toward loans and guarantees – and not solely from budget decisions. Wherever the cause lies, what counts for you as an applicant is the actual schemes. And one thing is worth noting: grants already awarded are not affected. If you hold a commitment, it stands.

What still exists

The map is thinner, but far from empty. These are worth investigating in 2026:

• Startup Grant 1 lives on and helps you test your business idea in the market. Responsibility moved, but the scheme remains.
• Innovation contracts, environmental technology and bioeconomy. Substantial budgets remain here for projects with a demanding customer or a clear sustainability purpose.
• SkatteFUNN. A tax deduction of 19% of approved R&D costs, capped at NOK 25 million a year. The project must be approved by the Research Council. This is often the most overlooked scheme for small companies.
• Loans and guarantees. Risk loans, innovation loans and guarantees were strengthened in 2026 – precisely where grants weakened.
• County and regional funds. Regional research funds and county schemes are local, but real sources that many overlook.
• EU programmes. Horizon Europe and the EIC Accelerator give access to far larger pots, often with partners.
• Private sources. Seed funds, angel investors and crowdfunding increasingly fill the space grants have vacated.

Find your regional research fund and your county’s business unit first – they are often closer than you think, and less contested than the national pots.

A concrete example of layered funding

Imagine a small technology company with a development project worth NOK 2 million. Instead of betting everything on one large grant, the financing can be assembled like this: SkatteFUNN covers 19% of the approved R&D costs, a regional grant takes a slice of the pre-project, an innovation loan finances the rest, and the company brings its own share from revenue or private investors. No single source carries all the risk, and you are not at the mercy of one application going through. This way of thinking has become more important as grants have shrunk.

How to adjust your application strategy

When grants shrink and loans grow, your plan has to change accordingly. Three moves help most founders:

1. Build funding in layers. Combine SkatteFUNN, a regional grant and possibly a loan instead of hoping for one large grant. A mix is both more robust and more realistic.

2. Write for the customer, not the form. The schemes that survived reward projects with real market traction and clear value. Show that someone actually wants what you are building.

3. Do not go it alone. Partners strengthen both the application and the delivery. In Partner matching you can find collaborators, and our free founder courses take you through the craft of applications step by step.

Timing and deadlines

Many schemes assess applications on a rolling basis, but they empty out over the year as the budgets are used up. SkatteFUNN has its own deadlines for application and reporting to the Research Council. Regional funds often come in rounds. Draw up a simple annual plan of the relevant deadlines, and submit early in the budget year rather than late – there is more money left in the pots.

Where to find the sources

Go to Innovation Norway’s own account of the cuts and the Research Council’s SkatteFUNN pages for the updated details. Our guide Find and win grants goes deeper into the application work itself.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most rejections are not about bad ideas, but about applications that miss. Here are the recurring pitfalls:

• Applying too late in the year. Once the budgets are spent, even a good application will not help. Be early.
• The wrong scheme. Read the purpose carefully – an application to a scheme that does not fit the project is wasted time for both sides.
• Weak market evidence. The schemes that survived the cuts want to see that someone actually wants the solution. Customer interviews, pre-orders or letters of intent carry weight.
• Forgetting SkatteFUNN. Many small companies leave it unused because they think it is complicated. It is often the easiest to combine with the rest.
• Doing everything alone. A co-applicant, mentor or partner raises both the quality and the credibility of the application.