Through small, project-based grants, NC IDEA MICRO awards funding to startups actively moving their companies forward by validating assumptions and developing a business model.
Donor Name: NC IDEA
State: North Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/23/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
The mission of the NCIDEA to strengthen the economy of North Carolina through a strategic combination of grants and programs, deployed directly and through a network of partners, in furtherance of Vision to help people achieve their entrepreneurial potential.
Funding Information
NC IDEA MICRO couples $10K in funding with an eight-week program to accelerate your company’s progress.
Program Benefits
During the grant period, and continuing once companies become MICRO alumni, grant recipients can take advantage of:
- Opportunities to participate in monthly seminars and workshops on topics such as marketing, sales and meeting with fellow founders
- Access to NC IDEA staff to get feedback on pitches, funding opportunities, market pivots and other topics facing your startup
- Introductions to potential partners, mentors, advisors, funders and customers.
Eligibility Criteria
- Geography
- SAME – Companies headquartered in and that conduct a majority of corporate operations in the state of North Carolina.
- Industry and Company Type
- SAME – Innovative companies with proprietary intellectual property or other means of sustained competitive advantage.
- Market Opportunity
- NC IDEA MICRO grants are awarded to companies addressing large, rapidly growing market opportunities with a unique value proposition and demonstrating a clear path to scale—either through venture capital within four years or by achieving $2M+ in annual revenue within seven years with potential to exceed $10M+.
- NC IDEA SEED grants are awarded to companies addressing large, rapidly growing market opportunities with a unique value proposition and demonstrating a clear path to scale—either through venture capital within two years or by achieving $2M+ in annual revenue within five years with potential to exceed $10M+.
- Stage of Development
- Working to demonstrate proof of concept (existence of a problem, marketing readiness and an MVP) to move to a quantifiable next step of validation.
- Demonstrated proof of concept (existence of a problem, marketing readiness and an MVP) and ready to scale the business.
- Team
- At least one FT founder within 6-12 months.
- At least one FT founder.
- Revenue
- On a path to generate revenue within 12 months of receiving a MICRO grant or are generating revenue.
- Generating revenue or on a path to achieve initial revenue during grant period. Companies that have revenue exceeding $250K, or $500K for food and beverage companies, in the last 12 months for their startup are less likely to be considered.
- Prior Investment
- founder contributions and “friends and family” equity funding). Competitive applicants detail use of equity funding and how the grant is impactful to startup.
- Impact of Grant
- Enable a company to achieve measurable milestones to validate key assumptions, moving its business forward to be competitive for SEED within 2 years, or securing growth through other channels, such as revenue, debt, or equity investment.
- Enable company to scale to a point that it could raise institutional investment, win grants or increase revenue to ensure its continued growth and sustainability.
For more information, visit NC IDEA.
