Start-up grants

- How to succeed with Innovation Norway

Do you have a business idea that is new, scalable and relevant in a large market? If so, start-up grants from Innovation Norway may be relevant. The scheme is aimed at innovative start-ups with a demanding development process and clear growth potential, nationally or internationally. Start-up grant 1 will be used to clarify whether there is a market willing to pay, while Start-up grant 2 will be used for technical and commercial clarifications that can form the basis for a profitable business model.

"At Aider, we often see that good projects are not based on the idea, but on the application. The entrepreneurs know what they want to build, but don't do a good enough job of meeting the requirements for Innovation Norway support: innovation, market, implementation capacity, capital requirements and documentation. Aider writes many such applications every year. That's why we know what needs to be in place for the project to be clear, credible and ready for funding.

How to qualify for Innovation Norway support?

To be eligible for the start-up track, the company must normally be in an early phase and established as a limited company before an application for a start-up grant is submitted. The scheme is not designed for ordinary start-ups of traditional businesses.

In practice, this means that the project must have a clear level of innovation, a realistic growth path and a credible plan for how the idea will be developed into a business with customers and revenue. To get Innovation Norway support, it's not enough to have a good idea; you also need to show why this can become a business that can actually grow.

How we ensure a professional application for start-up grants

The application process is demanding because it requires more than a good pitch. To apply for a start-up grant from Innovation Norway, you must have a realistic budget, a clear progress plan, a concrete description of what the funds will be used for and a good answer to why your project should be prioritized.

This is where Aider steps in as a strategic partner. We help you to refine the project, structure the application and write clearly. The aim is not to embellish the project, but to highlight what actually counts when considering who should receive Innovation Norway funding.

Innovation height and market potential

Many applications for start-up grants are too weak because they describe the solution but not the market. In phase 1, the key is to clarify whether there is a market willing to pay for the business idea. In phase 2, the aim is to find out whether the solution can form the basis for a profitable business model.

Aider helps you to make this concrete. We work with questions like: What problem is big enough that someone will pay to have it solved? What is new enough to make the project stand out? How big is the market, and what needs to be documented now for the application to be credible?

Implementation capacity and team

When you apply for Innovation Norway funding, it's not just the idea that's assessed. They also assess the company's ability to implement the project. This includes expertise, ownership, strategic anchoring, access to capital and the ability to commercialize the results.

That's why Aider helps you present your team correctly in your application for a start-up grant from Innovation Norway. We make experience, roles and capacity concrete. We build a project plan that is realistic enough to inspire confidence, and clear enough for the case officer to see how the money will be used.