Turkey TUBITAK 1507 R&D Grants 2026

TUBITAK 1507 is specifically designed for SMEs and startup companies that are beginning their R&D journey, offering simplified application procedures and higher support rates compared to the standard 1501 programme. While the 1501 programme targets all companies regardless of size and supports larger-scale R&D projects, the 1507 provides a more accessible entry point with dedicated mentoring to help first-time applicants navigate the R&D project management process.

Yes, Turkish companies can have multiple active TUBITAK projects simultaneously, including across different programme types such as 1507 and 1501, as long as each project addresses distinct R&D objectives without overlap. Companies must demonstrate they have sufficient technical and administrative capacity to manage multiple projects. TUBITAK reviews applications to ensure there is no duplication of funded activities across concurrent projects.

TUBITAK 1507 exclusively serves SMEs with seventy-five percent grant coverage on R&D expenditures, compared to the 1501 program's sixty percent available to companies of all sizes. The 1507 application features simplified documentation and shorter evaluation timelines recognizing SME resource constraints. Project budgets are capped lower, encouraging focused commercially oriented development. SMEs may transition to 1501 as they scale beyond size thresholds.

TUBITAK 1507 reimburses salaries for R&D personnel including engineers, scientists, and technicians proportional to documented time on approved activities. Employer social security contributions are included. Overhead covering electricity and facility maintenance is calculated as a fixed percentage of direct expenditure. Consumables, prototype supplies, equipment depreciation, and subcontracted testing from accredited Turkish laboratories constitute additional eligible categories.

TUBITAK technical panels assess diagnostic equipment proposals examining optical sensor calibration methodology, reagent chemistry formulation stability, and clinical validation study design adequacy. Indigenous point-of-care testing device development addressing hemoglobin measurement, blood glucose monitoring, and cardiac biomarker detection demonstrates import substitution potential quantifiable through customs import statistics. Comparison benchmarking against established international diagnostic platform performance specifications including sensitivity percentages, specificity ratios, and coefficient of variation reproducibility metrics substantiates competitive positioning claims. Manufacturing scalability assessments examining injection molding tooling requirements, electronic component supply chain reliability, and cleanroom assembly process capability documentation complete technical evaluation frameworks.

TUBITAK reimburses patent prosecution expenditures including Turkish Patent and Trademark Office filing fees, patent attorney professional service charges, and international PCT application costs incurred during funded project execution periods. European Patent Office designation fees and USPTO filing charges for inventions developed through 1507-supported projects qualify for supplementary reimbursement within prescribed ceiling limitations. Utility model registration costs providing faster but narrower protection for incremental manufacturing process improvements represent additional eligible expenditure categories. TUBITAK encourages defensive patent portfolio construction strategies establishing freedom-to-operate positioning against competitor infringement assertions while simultaneously building licensable intellectual property asset portfolios generating future royalty revenue streams.