Headlines about "up to 5 million lira of AI support from KOSGEB" reach business owners in Türkiye every few weeks, and the first question is the right one: is this for me? The short answer, for most businesses, is no; the long answer requires knowing which programme is open to whom, which are grants and which are loans, and where the much-discussed "SME AI voucher" actually stands. This guide draws that map. Everything below was verified on 2 September 2026 against the institutions' own documents, with a few details from news reports of official statements; programmes change, so check the institution's own page before applying.
The programme behind the headlines: KOSGEB's AI Credit Programme
The "AI support" in the news is the Yapay Zekâ Kredi Programı announced by KOSGEB, the Turkish SME development agency, on 9 July 2026. The key word is in the name: credit. It is a loan, not a grant.
Under the programme's directive and announcement, the frame is this:
| Item | What it says |
|---|---|
| Type | A loan; no interest and no commission |
| Amount | 500 thousand to 5 million lira per business; the effective limit is tied to the contracted provider's free-usage allowance, defaulting to 500 thousand lira |
| Who can apply | Businesses registered with KOSGEB that hold a valid Teknogirişim Rozeti (tech-startup badge) on the application date; a GO Dijital wallet account is also required |
| What it can be spent on | Only with providers that have signed a protocol with KOSGEB; the announcement lists compute (GPU, CPU, memory), secure storage and AI data-centre or platform services |
| How it is used | The credit is transferred, blocked, to a GO Dijital wallet; the block is released against a definitive letter of guarantee; unused amounts lapse after 12 months |
| Repayment | 24-month term, no payments for the first 12 months; the directive sets four equal instalments at four-month intervals, while KOSGEB's own announcement page says "12 equal monthly instalments"; the two KOSGEB texts conflict, so confirm the schedule in the credit contract |
| Applications | 9 July to 31 December 2026, through the KOSGEB SME information system |
In other words, the programme is designed for technology startups that build AI models or buy heavy compute. It is not for a shop, clinic, agency or e-commerce business that wants to hand routine work to a digital worker.
What is the Teknogirişim badge, and do you have one?
This is the gating condition. The badge is a status created by the Ministry of Industry and Technology under a regulation of 3 July 2025: an independent company of SME size, at most fifteen years old, with documented innovativeness. Accepted evidence, obtained within the three years before application, is admission to a technology development zone, admission to a TEKMER incubator, or support from TÜBİTAK's 1512 or 1812 startup programmes; an alternative assessment is possible with the directorate's approval. The badge is valid for three years and is applied for through a portal.
If your company is not a technology startup and holds none of those documents, the AI credit is closed to you. Knowing that saves time.
Where does the "SME AI voucher" stand today?
The voucher idea rests on the Türkiye Artificial Intelligence Action Plan 2026-2030, brought into force by a presidential circular published in the Official Gazette on 18 August 2026. The publicly reported target is at least one thousand AI vouchers in the first twelve months, under a programme named "SME AI Voucher and Ready Solution Packages". The same plan carries a "GPU for Everyone" heading for access to compute, with a first call targeted within six months.
What is missing as of today: no application channel, no voucher amount and no eligibility rule has been published on any institution's site we could find. The voucher is a plan target, not a programme you can apply to. When the mechanics are published, this guide will be updated.
What is TOBB's "AI support for SMEs"?
The TOBB Business World AI Summit of 29 July 2026 consisted of panels and a B2B programme matching SMEs with software firms; it carried no voucher, grant or quota. TOBB's concrete programme open to SMEs is the AI Transformation Programme with Meta, run with the Ministry of Trade and the Habitat Association: free training for one thousand SMEs, in periodic sessions, with registration on the Habitat Association's site (next session 15 September 2026 in Ankara, applications by 8 September). The content is largely about using advertising and messaging tools.
In short: training and introductions, no money.
What an ordinary business can actually use today
The table sorts the programmes circulating under the AI heading by grant, loan and training. Dates are as of 2 September 2026; some may have passed, so confirm on the institution's page.
| Programme | Type | For whom | For what | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TÜBİTAK 1711 AI Ecosystem Call | Grant | A consortium: a customer organisation (may be an SME), an AI-developing SME, a university and TÜBİTAK's AI Institute | Projects in five priority areas; if the customer is an SME, 70% of the provider's cost is granted | Deadline 18 September 2026; organisation pre-registration by 14 September |
| TÜBİTAK 1507 | Grant (75%) | SME capital companies | R&D and innovation projects only; subscribing to a ready-made tool is not by itself an R&D project | 2026/2 call, 11 November 2026 |
| KOSGEB Capacity Building | Bank loan with interest support | Specific sectors (manufacturing, telecommunications, software, information services, R&D) plus a "fast-growing" condition (waived for badge holders) | Software, consulting and working capital included | Periodic; the 2026/3 window runs 22 August to 15 September 2026 |
| KOSGEB SME Digital Transformation | Bank loan with interest support | Manufacturing only, micro businesses excluded | Transformation based on an approved digital-maturity report; AI appears in the definition | Ongoing |
| Free training | Training | Everyone | The Ministry's and Google's "AI for Everyone" platform; the TOBB and Habitat programme | Ongoing / periodic |
The table says something plain: there is no grant today that hires a digital worker and pays its monthly salary. Grants go to R&D projects, loans go to specific sectors and badge-holding startups.
Five common misreadings
- "5 million lira of support" is not a grant but an interest-free loan that requires a letter of guarantee, is open only to badge-holding startups and can be spent only with contracted providers.
- The voucher does not exist yet. Any offer that says "buy it with the voucher" before an application channel is published rests on a mechanism that is not there.
- TOBB's support is training and matchmaking, not funding.
- 1507 and 1501 are for R&D; subscribing to a ready-made AI tool does not count as R&D.
- The "100% digital transformation consulting grant" still circulating on blogs belongs to an older KOSGEB programme that has been withdrawn.
So what should you do?
Waiting for support is the most respectable excuse for postponing the work. Three suggestions:
- Watch the voucher programme, but do not tie your setup to it. When it is published, the definition of a "ready solution package" will matter; if you already have a working job on that day, you will know what to ask for. This guide will be updated.
- If you have no badge, do not spend time on the credit. Nor on 1507 if you are not running an R&D project.
- Start small and measurable. A digital worker's cost is not a project budget but a monthly salary per worker; the first job can be a single routine. The seven-day plan in the where to start guide and the cost guide exist for this. The free training programmes are also a good first step for giving a team a shared vocabulary.
Frequently asked questions
Is KOSGEB's AI support a grant?
No. The AI Credit Programme is an interest-free, commission-free loan; it requires a letter of guarantee and is repaid.
I have no badge. Can I still apply?
No. A valid Teknogirişim badge on the application date is required, and the badge itself needs evidence of innovativeness such as admission to a technology development zone or a TEKMER incubator, or the relevant TÜBİTAK startup support.
Where do I apply for the AI voucher?
Nowhere, as of today; no application channel, amount or eligibility rule has been published. The Action Plan's target is at least one thousand vouchers in the first twelve months; this guide will be updated when the mechanics appear.
Is there support that covers a digital worker's monthly fee?
Not directly, today. Loans go to specific sectors and badge-holding startups, grants go to R&D projects; a subscription to a ready-made tool is outside their scope.
How current is this information?
All of it was verified on the institutions' own pages on 2 September 2026; dates may pass and amounts may change. Check the linked source before applying.