TÜBİTAK 1507: the starter R&D grant, at 75%
TÜBİTAK 1507 is the starter programme for companies that have not run a funded R&D project before. It supports 75% of a project with a budget ceiling of 3 million lira, over a maximum of 18 months. A company can take support for its first five projects, provided at least two of them are joint applications.
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 1507 pay?
| Support rate | 75% of eligible project costssource |
|---|---|
| Project budget ceiling | A maximum of 3,000,000 lirasource |
| Duration | Projects cannot exceed 18 monthssource |
| Who can apply | Capital companies established in Türkiye at SME scalesource |
| Project count | Support is available for a company's first five projects, provided at least two of them are joint applicationssource |
02Who qualifies for TÜBİTAK 1507?
- SME-scale capital companies established in Türkiye.
- First-time applicants to TÜBİTAK funding, which is what the programme exists for.
- Projects that fit inside eighteen months and a 3 million lira budget.
- Companies able to find a partner for at least two of their five projects.
03What catches people out with TÜBİTAK 1507?
- The joint application requirement catches people out. Two of the five have to be collaborative.
- The budget ceiling is per project, so a larger programme of work has to be split or moved to 1501.
- Support arrives against milestones, so the company carries the cost first.
- Eighteen months is short for anything with a long production cycle.
04How does TÜBİTAK 1507 fit with the export incentive?
1507 is where most first-time applicants start, and it sits comfortably alongside the export incentive because the two cover different costs entirely. A studio can run a funded technical project and claim its marketing and hosting spend under the export programme in the same year.
| 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
What counts as a joint application?
A project run with another eligible organisation rather than alone. Two of a company's five supported projects have to take that form.
Should we start with 1507 or 1501?
1507 exists for companies new to the system, and its smaller scale makes the first application considerably easier. Companies with larger projects and some track record go straight to 1501.
Is the 75% paid up front?
No. Funding follows project milestones, so the company spends first and is reimbursed against evidence, in the same rhythm as the export incentive.
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