How we help you start a business

Do you have a business idea, or have you recently started a business? Find out what support you can get during the startup phase.
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Webinar for startups: From idea to market

Do you have an innovative business idea and are you considering applying for Startup grant 1? In this free webinar, you’ll learn what you should have in place before applying and what makes a good market validation project.

Read more about the webinar
View our upcoming webinar calendar
View the presentation: From idea to market

Tools

We guide you

Are you unsure how to take your idea or project forward? Through 'Single point of entry', you answer a few questions and receive recommendations on the options relevant to you.

This is not an application, but guidance on your next steps. We treat your information confidentially and only use your answers to give you the most relevant recommendations. We will respond as soon as possible. The form takes around 15–20 minutes to complete.

Get personalised recommendations‌
There are many business support organisations in Norway that can help you develop your idea or project. If you answer a few questions, you'll receive personalised recommendations within 1–2 days on the support and services available to you.

Who can apply for grants and loans?

Our funding schemes support different stages of the startup journey and are for businesses that:

  • are less than three years old (five years in exceptional cases)
  • is registered as a limited company before submitting the application (sole proprietorships, general partnerships, partnerships with shared liability and similar business structures are not eligible)
  • is a genuine startup with the potential and ambition to grow
How we process applications

1. Insight

We take time to understand your company and the plans you have outlined in your application. Your customer advisor, who is your point of contact, will often ask for more information. We may invite you to a meeting to present your project in more detail.

If your application falls outside our target group, we will decline it without requesting further information.

2. Assessment

Once we have enough information and documentation, we assess your project against our funding policy. We receive a large number of applications and have limited funds available.

At this stage, at least two of us, often more, assess each application. Your advisor summarises the assessment and writes a recommendation to reject or approve the application.

3. Decision

The recommendation is presented to a decision-maker who ensures that the assessment and decision comply with our funding policy. Decisions may be made at regional or national level, depending on the size of the project.

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Go to My page to start or continue your application.
Published 17 Feb 2026Last updated 5 Nov 2026
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