KOSGEB | Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization

KOSGEB (Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Türkiye) is the primary public institution responsible for supporting entrepreneurship, SMEs and innovation-driven business development across Türkiye. Established to enhance competitiveness, productivity, and sustainability of enterprises, KOSGEB plays a central role in fostering new venture creation, scaling innovative startups, and strengthening the national entrepreneurship ecosystem through financial and non-financial support mechanisms.

Entrepreneurship constitutes a core pillar of KOSGEB’s mandate. The institution implements a comprehensive Entrepreneurship Support Framework that includes Traditional Entrepreneurship Support for business establishment and early-stage sustainability, as well as Advanced Entrepreneurship Support, which specifically targets technology- and innovation-oriented ventures operating in medium-high and high-technology sectors. Advanced Entrepreneurship Support offers higher grant ceilings and focuses on investments in machinery, software, equipment, qualified personnel, and certification, aligning with Türkiye’s industrial transformation and digitalization objectives.

Complementing these programs, KOSGEB strengthens technology-based entrepreneurship through TEKMERs (Technology Development Centers) and R&D and innovation-oriented support instruments. TEKMERs operate as incubation and acceleration environments established in cooperation with universities, technoparks, municipalities, and private sector partners, providing startups with physical infrastructure, mentoring, business development, and ecosystem access. Through its Istanbul provincial directorates and TEKMER-linked structures, KOSGEB maintains a strong on-the-ground presence in Istanbul, ensuring close interaction with the city’s dense startup, university, and investment ecosystem.