ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru) — Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the ELEVATE Aspire 2026 grant, startups must meet several key criteria.

Applicants must be a startup registered in Karnataka, with their operations situated outside the Bengaluru Urban region. The entity must be incorporated as a Private Limited Company, a One Person Company, a Registered Partnership Firm, a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), or a State/Multi-State Co-operative Society.

The startup should have been incorporated within ten years of the application date and must not have exceeded an annual turnover of ₹200 crore in any financial year since its incorporation. It is crucial that the applicant is an independent entity, not functioning as a subsidiary, spin-off, or internal division of an existing company.

Furthermore, the startup must have a minimum team size of two individuals. Applicants will be ineligible if they have been beneficiaries of the ELEVATE Grant-in-Aid scheme within the last three years. The core work of the startup should involve innovation or the improvement of products, services, or processes that demonstrate potential for job creation, wealth generation, or new market opportunities.

ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru) is open to startups at the idea, product and revenue stage. The programme is targeted at startups registered in Karnataka. Applicants should be registered as private limited, llp and partnership.