Grant · North Carolina, United States

NC IDEA SEED Grant

A US$50,000 grant for early-stage North Carolina startups with a proven concept and a clear path to scale, awarded with mentorship through a competitive cycle.

Closed Run by NC IDEA

Visit the programme's site

Verified 18 October 2026 · From the programme's own pages

Terms

Funding: US$50,000 US$50,000 grant
Instrument: Grant
Equity taken: None (equity-free)
Programme fee: not published
Duration: not published
Cohort size: not published
Cohorts: not published
Delivery: Hybrid
Stages: Pre-seed, seed
Sectors: Sector-agnostic
Open to founders from: United States
Perks: Mentorship and guidance

Application dates

ClosedFall 2026 cycle

Usual timing: The next cycle's dates are not yet published; Fall 2026 recipients are selected on 11 November 2026.

Who can apply

Headquartered in North Carolina with most operations in the state
A clear path to venture capital within two years or US$2M+ annual revenue within five years
Companies with more than US$250K revenue in the last 12 months (US$500K for food and beverage) are less likely to be considered
Apply to MICRO or SEED, not both, in one cycle
Stage: pre-seed, seed

What founders should check

The programme says it takes no equity. Still read the agreement for warrants, revenue shares or rights in a later round.
It does not publish a fee. Ask whether you pay for desks, services or the programme itself.
It mixes remote and in-person sessions in North Carolina. Ask how much time on site it expects.
The last window we track closed on 24 August 2026. The next cycle's dates are not yet published; Fall 2026 recipients are selected on 11 November 2026.

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