> Which public grants, loans and equity can pay for an MVP build in 13 European countries and the EU, and whether each can pay an outside or foreign team. Source: https://easifytechnologies.com/mvp-grants-and-funding-europe/ [Insights](https://easifytechnologies.com/insights/) [Articles](https://easifytechnologies.com/insights/article/) # MVP Grants and Startup Funding in Europe, Country by Country 20 October 2026 7 min read ![A euro banknote under a magnifying glass](https://res.cloudinary.com/c3ccc6ni/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_1400/easify/2025/06/18985-scaled) Public money for building an MVP exists in most European countries, but it rarely looks like the free grant founders hope for. On the rules as published on 20 October 2026, it is usually a **loan, an equity investment, or a grant for part of the cost** (often 50% to 70%), paid after you spend, and often with conditions about **who may do the work and where**. A handful of schemes fit an MVP build well; many more are closed, aimed at research, or built for established companies. This hub summarises what we found in each country and links to the full guide. Each guide sets out the schemes from their official sources and answers the question most guides skip: **can the money pay an outside development team, or one in another country?** This is orientation, not financial or legal advice. Hiring in Europe? Applying for funding and need a written scope and a fixed price to put in it? [Start a conversation _↗_](https://easifytechnologies.com/contact/) [MVP Development](https://easifytechnologies.com/services/mvp-development/) ## At a glance Country Best realistic route for an MVP build Type Outside or foreign team? Full guide Ireland Enterprise Ireland Pre-Seed Start Fund; LEO Feasibility and Priming grants Convertible loan; partial grants PSSF: overseas contractors explicitly allowed. LEO: outside teams allowed; some offices require VAT-registered suppliers [LEO grants](https://easifytechnologies.com/leo-grants-for-mvp-development/), [Enterprise Ireland](https://easifytechnologies.com/enterprise-ireland-funding-for-startups/) United Kingdom Money raised under SEIS or EIS; a Start Up Loan up to £25,000 Equity with investor tax relief; personal loan SEIS and EIS set no supplier-location rule; R&D relief excludes most overseas contractor costs [UK funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-uk-mvp/) Germany KfW start-up loans; Länder grants such as Berlin's GründungsBONUS Plus; EXIST for research teams Loans; partial grants Berlin names IT development as eligible; Bavaria's BayTOU wants the work done substantially in Bavaria [Germany funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-grants-germany-mvp/) Austria aws Preseed (Innovative Solutions or Deep Tech); FFG Kleinprojekt Grants for part of the cost Third-party IT services eligible, but value creation must be mainly in Austria; Forschungsprämie needs an EU or EEA contractor [Austria funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-austria-mvp/) Netherlands Vroegefasefinanciering (VFF); regional proof-of-concept loans Loans VFF silent; Innovatiekrediet caps outflow abroad at 50%; WBSO excludes outsourced work [Netherlands funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-netherlands-mvp/) Hungary Hiventures early-stage fund; DIMOP Plusz digital startup fund Equity Money must be used at the Hungarian site; no supplier-location rule stated [Hungary funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-hungary-mvp/) Spain ENISA participative loans Loan, matched by own funds ENISA silent; Kit Digital (closed) only paid EU-based registered agents [Spain funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-grants-spain-mvp/) France Bourse French Tech (up to €30,000); prêts d'honneur Grant for part of the cost; personal loans BFT silent on location; CIR and JEI exclude non-EU subcontractors [France funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-france-mvp/) Italy Smart&Start Italia Zero-interest loan, part grant in the South Third-party software development eligible; turnkey contracts excluded [Italy funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-italy-mvp/) Portugal None open for founders today [Portugal funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-portugal-mvp/) Poland PARP Platformy startowe (Eastern Poland) Grants External services eligible; competitive procedure above 80,000 zł [Poland funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/startup-funding-poland-mvp/) EU-wide EIC Accelerator, only for validated deep tech Grant and equity Subcontracting allowed only where justified; some calls restrict countries [EU funding](https://easifytechnologies.com/eu-funding-for-startups-mvp/) If you were looking for Ireland's Trading Online Voucher for a website or online shop, it closed in December 2024; [its replacement, Grow Digital, is explained here](https://easifytechnologies.com/trading-online-voucher-ireland/). ## The honest summary **Few schemes pay for a simple MVP.** In Portugal nothing aimed at founders is open today, in Hungary the open money is equity rather than grants, and in the Netherlands it is loans and tax reductions. EU-level programmes are built for deep tech that needs millions. If your product is a straightforward web or mobile app, expect to fund most of it yourself or from investors, and treat public money as a contribution rather than the plan. **The schemes that fit well have conditions.** Ireland's Pre-Seed Start Fund and Italy's Smart&Start are the clearest fits we found, and both still expect you to put in money of your own and meet eligibility rules on company stage, location and innovation. **Partial grants pay after you spend.** Ireland's LEO grants, Austria's aws Preseed and France's Bourse French Tech cover part of the cost, typically reimbursed against invoices. You need the cash to pay the developer first. ## The rules that catch an outsourced build Most founders who hire an outside team for their MVP run into one of these. Each is set out with its source on the country page. Rule Where we found it What it means for you Apply before you spend Ireland LEO, France Bourse French Tech, Berlin GründungsBONUS Plus, KfW loans Do not sign a development contract or pay a deposit before the application is in, or the cost may not count Supplier must be in the EU or EEA France CIR and JEI, Austria Forschungsprämie; the UK's R&D relief excludes most overseas work A team invoicing from outside the EU, including ours from India, does not count for these tax incentives Work or value creation must be in the country Austria aws and FFG, Vienna, Bavaria BayTOU, Hungary's Hiventures and DIMOP funds A mainly outsourced build may score lower or be ineligible; ask how the programme treats it No turnkey contracts Italy Smart&Start A single fixed-price "deliver the whole product" contract may be excluded; structure the work as defined services Supplier must be VAT-registered LEO Dublin City An invoice from outside the EU under the reverse charge carries no Irish VAT, so ask whether it is accepted Several quotes above a threshold Ireland (some LEOs), Austria FFG, Spain Neotec, Poland Get comparable quotes early; a written scope makes them comparable Outsourced R&D excluded Netherlands WBSO Only your own staff's hours count ![Flowchart of five checks before grant money pays a development team: apply before you spend, then check whether the scheme requires an EU or EEA supplier, work done in the country, no turnkey contracts or a VAT-registered supplier. Failing any check means asking the programme in writing because you may not qualify; passing all five means likely fine, confirmed in writing.](https://easifytechnologies.com/img/diagrams/grant-supplier-check.svg) None of these rules is about Easify specifically. We include them because a founder who learns them after signing a contract can lose the funding, and because it is better to know before you choose any supplier. ## How to plan your MVP budget around funding 1. **Read the scheme's eligible-cost and supplier rules first**, then ask the programme in writing whether the team you have in mind qualifies. Our country pages name who to ask. 2. **Get a written scope and a fixed price before you apply.** Many applications ask for quotes or a project plan, and a vague estimate is hard to fund. Our [€900 MVP Scoping Sprint](https://easifytechnologies.com/mvp-scoping-sprint/) produces a written scope, a fixed build price and a timeline in about two weeks, and the €900 is credited in full against the build if you build with us. No scheme requires or endorses our document; it is simply the kind of evidence that helps. 3. **Time the contract after the application,** for any scheme that requires it. 4. **Plan the cash flow** for partial grants paid in arrears. 5. **Budget the whole build, not only the funded share.** Most MVPs we build come to €4,000 to €25,000 over four to twelve weeks; the [MVP cost calculator](https://easifytechnologies.com/mvp-cost-calculator/) gives a rough range for your scope, and [what an MVP costs in Europe](https://easifytechnologies.com/mvp-development-cost-europe/) compares it with local agency prices. One of our clients in Ireland is using Local Enterprise Office support towards the MVP we are building with them now. ## Where Easify fits, and where it may not We are based in Budapest, with engineering in India, and we host client products in the EU. Invoices are in euros from our registered entity in India. That makes us a supplier outside the EU for tax purposes, which matters for the schemes in the table above that require an EU or EEA supplier or work done in the country. For those, we are the wrong choice, and we would rather say so now. For schemes that allow outside or overseas contractors, or that fund the company rather than specific suppliers (equity, most loans), the question does not arise. If you are not sure which applies to you, ask the programme first, then [talk to us](https://easifytechnologies.com/contact/) about the build. Scheme details checked against official sources on 20 October 2026. Schemes change; confirm with the programme before applying. From Budapest, for teams in Europe ## Applying for funding and need a written scope and a fixed price to put in it? Many grant and loan applications ask for quotes and a project plan. Our €900 MVP Scoping Sprint gives you a written scope, a fixed build price and a timeline in about two weeks, credited in full if you build with us. Check your scheme's supplier rules first, and we reply within one business day. [Start a conversation _↗_](https://easifytechnologies.com/contact/) [MVP Development](https://easifytechnologies.com/services/mvp-development/) Recent builds - [ ![Nonstop Nanny website](https://res.cloudinary.com/c3ccc6ni/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_720/easify/2023/07/NSN2) Nonstop Nanny · Childcare ### Web MVP and SEO for a Babysitter Booking Platform - MVP - SEO - WordPress - WooCommerce ](https://easifytechnologies.com/case-study/nonstop-nanny/) - [ ![Easify AI website](https://res.cloudinary.com/c3ccc6ni/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_720/easify/2024/05/10) Easify AI · SaaS & AI ### AI MVP Development for a Database Querying SaaS - MVP - WordPress - React ](https://easifytechnologies.com/case-study/easify-ai/) - [ ![Meetlyr website](https://res.cloudinary.com/c3ccc6ni/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_720/easify/2026/01/771shots_so) Meetlyr · SaaS & AI ### Product Design and Build for a Social Discovery App - UI/UX - WordPress - React ](https://easifytechnologies.com/case-study/meetlyr/) On this page - [At a glance](#at-a-glance) - [The honest summary](#the-honest-summary) - [The rules that catch an outsourced build](#the-rules-that-catch-an-outsourced-build) - [How to plan your MVP budget around funding](#how-to-plan-your-mvp-budget-around-funding) - [Where Easify fits, and where it may not](#where-easify-fits-and-where-it-may-not) Frequently asked Is there a grant that pays for my whole MVP? Almost never. Across the countries we checked on 20 October 2026, public money for an early-stage build is usually a loan, an equity investment, or a grant covering part of the cost (often 50% to 70%), paid after you have spent the money. Plan to fund the rest yourself or from investors. Which countries have the best public funding for an MVP build? On the rules as published today: Ireland's Pre-Seed Start Fund (a €50,000 or €100,000 convertible loan that explicitly allows overseas contractors), Italy's Smart&Start Italia (a zero-interest loan for 80% to 90% of a plan, with third-party software development named as eligible), France's Bourse French Tech (up to €30,000), Spain's ENISA loans, Berlin's GründungsBONUS Plus (IT development named as eligible), and in the UK, money raised under SEIS or EIS. Each has conditions; read the country page before planning around it. Can grant money pay a development agency in another country? Sometimes. A few schemes say yes outright, such as Ireland's Pre-Seed Start Fund. Several R&D tax incentives say no for suppliers outside the EU or EEA, including France's CIR and JEI rules, Austria's Forschungsprämie and the UK's R&D relief for overseas work. Many grants simply do not say, which means you should ask the programme in writing before you sign a contract. Do I have to apply before I spend the money? For most grants, yes. Ireland's LEO grants, France's Bourse French Tech, Berlin's GründungsBONUS Plus and KfW loans all require the application before the project starts or before costs are committed. Signing a development contract first is one of the most common ways to lose eligibility. What is the EU's own funding for startups? The European Innovation Council Accelerator, Horizon Europe and loans or equity backed by InvestEU and the European Investment Fund through local banks and funds. None is designed for a simple MVP build; the EIC Accelerator suits validated deep tech that needs millions to scale. How current is this information? Every scheme fact on the country pages was checked against official sources on 20 October 2026. Calls open and close, especially in Hungary, Portugal and Spain, so confirm with the programme before you apply. Can Easify help with a funding application? We are a development team, not grant advisers, so we do not write applications. What we can provide is what many applications ask for: a written scope, a fixed price and a timeline. The MVP Scoping Sprint produces exactly that for €900, credited in full against the build if you build with us. Keep reading - [ ![](https://res.cloudinary.com/c3ccc6ni/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_560/easify/2023/07/87shots_so) ### Edtech MVP Development: Buyers, Children's Data and Scope ](https://easifytechnologies.com/edtech-mvp-development/) - [ ![](https://res.cloudinary.com/c3ccc6ni/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_560/easify/2022/05/MVP-dev1-scaled) ### Enterprise Ireland Funding for Startups Building an MVP ](https://easifytechnologies.com/enterprise-ireland-funding-for-startups/) - [ ![](https://res.cloudinary.com/c3ccc6ni/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_560/easify/2022/05/MVP-dev1-scaled) ### EU Funding for Startups: Can It Pay for Your MVP? ](https://easifytechnologies.com/eu-funding-for-startups-mvp/) Want this done properly on your own site? [Start a conversation _↗_](https://easifytechnologies.com/contact/)