TÜBİTAK 1501: 75% of an R&D project, up to 20 million lira
TÜBİTAK 1501 funds industrial R&D projects at 75% for a company's first five supported projects, with the grant capped at 20 million lira per project. From the sixth project the rate falls to 60%. Projects can run up to 36 months, and applicants must be SMEs resident in Türkiye.
Türkiye refunds half of what a software company or game studio spends on advertising, app store commissions and hosting when it sells to customers abroad, and up to 70% when those customers are in one of twenty target markets. It is paid in cash, against invoices you have already settled. Try it with your own numbers.
01What does TÜBİTAK 1501 pay?
| First five projects | 75% support, with a maximum grant of 20 million lirasource |
|---|---|
| Sixth and later projects | 60% support, with the same 20 million lira maximumsource |
| Project duration | A maximum of 36 months per projectsource |
| Who can apply | Small and medium-sized enterprises resident in Türkiyesource |
| Eligible costs | Personnel, travel in economy class, tools, equipment, software and publications, materials and consumables, consultancy and services, and R&D services from universities and research institutionssource |
02Who qualifies for TÜBİTAK 1501?
- SMEs resident in Türkiye, including foreign-owned Turkish companies.
- Projects involving research, technology development and innovation activity.
- Any subject area, unless a particular call limits the topic.
- Companies able to fund the other 25% of the project themselves.
03What catches people out with TÜBİTAK 1501?
- It is competitive, and the assessment takes months, so it suits planned work rather than an immediate cash need.
- The grant is paid against project milestones, so the company funds the work first and is reimbursed after.
- The rate drops from 75% to 60% once a company passes five supported projects.
- Ordinary product development without research content tends not to score well.
04How does TÜBİTAK 1501 fit with the export incentive?
TÜBİTAK funds a defined research project. The export incentive reimburses the commercial spending that follows once there is a product to sell. They apply to different costs, so a company can use both, and most companies that qualify for a grant should also be claiming under the export programme.
| What you spend it on | Programme item | Paid back | Annual cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ads and player acquisition | Digital product promotion: ads & marketing (up to 10 products/yr) | 50% to 70% | 50 000 000 ₺ ≈ $1,043,841 |
| App store and platform commissions | App store & platform commissions (up to 10 products/yr) | 50% | 20 000 000 ₺ ≈ $417,537 |
| Hosting and servers | Hosting costs | 50% | 5 000 000 ₺ ≈ $104,384 |
Rates and caps here come from the same file as our calculator, so the two can never disagree. The caps are revalued upward every calendar year.
What Türkiye would pay back on your spending
Türkiye runs a government programme that refunds part of what a software company or game studio spends on reaching customers abroad. It covers advertising, app store and platform commissions, and hosting. The refund is paid in cash against invoices the company has already settled, so it does not depend on the company making a profit. The standard rate is 50%, and it rises to 70% when the customers being targeted are in one of the twenty countries on the Turkish Ministry of Trade's target list.
Put your own yearly figures in below. The rates and the annual caps come from the same file as our full calculator, and the total updates as you type.
05Questions we get asked
Can a foreign-owned Turkish company apply?
Yes, provided the applicant is an SME resident in Türkiye. Where the shareholders live is not the test.
How does 1501 differ from 1507?
1507 is the starter programme with a smaller project ceiling and a shorter maximum duration. 1501 allows larger and longer projects with a 20 million lira grant ceiling.
Does game development qualify?
The technical parts can. Engine work, tooling and novel technical systems have a real case. Content production on its own generally does not.
Who is telling you this
CyberScope Solutions is an Istanbul consultancy that manages Türkiye's IT export incentive claims for software companies and game studios. We set up the entity, file the claims in the ministry's system and deal with the reviewer when the questions come back. These programmes are what we work in every week.
- We do the filing. Claims run through DYS, the ministry's own system, and we handle the evidence pack, the deadlines and the follow-up questions.
- You find out early if it is not for you. The first call is thirty minutes and we will say plainly if your spend pattern does not suit the programme.
- These pages get rebuilt, not left. Rates and caps come from the same file as our calculator, so when one changes the page changes with it.
Turn that number into money
Send us the rough shape of your spend. You get back what it is worth, what setting it up involves, and how fast the first claim can go in. Companies already operating here treat this as routine, and the six month window means the clock is running on invoices you have already paid.
- A reply from a person within one working day
- No mailing list, no drip sequence
- Thirty minutes, and you keep the numbers either way
Got it.
We will read it properly and reply within a working day. If you would rather get it over with now, pick a time that suits you.
Book a 30 minute call