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Startup funding this week: international, 19 Oct 2026

This week's startup funding for international: 12 new programs and 10 closing in the next 14 days.

This week at a glance

This week brings exciting momentum for international founders seeking capital and acceleration. Our curated tracking reveals 12 new opportunities alongside 10 programs that are closing soon. These options span diverse sectors, including defense, climate tech, video games, and healthcare across multiple global ecosystems. Founders can secure non-dilutive awards or valuable mentorship.

Review each listing to identify programs aligned with your growth stage and target sector. You should prioritize initiatives closing within the next fourteen days to finalize required materials on time. Use getfund to explore open calls, verify specific requirements, and quickly find the right funding partners.

New this week

Cox Cleantech Accelerator closes on 8 November 2026. Invests 250,000 USD in climate tech startups while delivering twelve weeks of specialized programming, Atlanta workspace, and corporate network access.

iX Challenge: Verified reporting of the value created by defence contracts closes on 6 November 2026. Invites innovators tracking social value across UK defence supply chains to compete for up to £60,000 in development grant funding and pilot testing.

Battery Innovation: Feasibility Studies Rd 3 closes on 2 December 2026. Provides UK-led collaborative feasibility projects with grants between £70,000 and £500,000 to advance battery technologies and electrification across sectors.

GameBCN closes on 1 January 2027. Supports video game studios with a 3,000 euro grant, extensive training, mentoring, and demo day exposure at international gaming events.

Co-Creation Accelerator 2026-2027 closes on 30 April 2027. Distributes cascade funding grants for four-month collaborative projects under the EIT Digital 2026-2027 MoC Activities project.

NIH SBIR and STTR Funding Opportunities closes on 5 January 2027. Offers non-dilutive grant funding and product development resources for small businesses conducting early-stage biomedical research across regular cycles.

Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) lists no deadline. Delivers multi-track training, individual mentorship, investor access, and pitching opportunities for women entrepreneurs operating within the agrifood sector.

Founders6 lists no deadline. Runs a six-week remote accelerator for early founders featuring live mentorship, interactive workshops, and a 3,000 EUR equity-free prize.

AFWERX SBIR / STTR Topics (26.BZ, 26.BX & 26.TZ Release 6) lists no deadline. Provides specialized funding opportunities across ten modernization priority technology areas dedicated to advancing defense innovation.

Tourism Advance lists no deadline. Connects international and national startups with hospitality companies in Portugal to explore business use cases and launch collaborative pilots.

UK Defence Innovation: Security Open Call 2026 Cycle 2 closes on 29 October 2026. Awards up to £350,000 for long-term projects or £150,000 for standalone testing to UK organisations developing government security solutions.

EIT Health Regional Innovation Scheme Country Representatives 2027-2028 closes on 2 November 2026. Selects Regional Innovation Scheme Country Representatives for 2027-2028 through a competitive single-stage call featuring online pitch evaluations.

Closing in the next 14 days

Demo Day Pitch Competition closes on 19 October 2026. Features a live pitch event during STL Startup Week where three early-stage tech and AI finalists compete for cash prizes.

The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition closes on 19 October 2026. Delivers funding awards to domestic commercial entities to accelerate the development, scaling, and deployment of fault-tolerant quantum computing systems.

xTech|Search 10 closes on 19 October 2026. Provides independent small businesses with staged cash prizes, evaluator feedback, accelerator access, and entry into defense research pathways.

InnovateMass closes on 20 October 2026. Grants up to $350,000 alongside technical assistance for Massachusetts clean energy companies partnering with demonstration sites.

NIBS Competitions closes on 20 October 2026. Organizes international student competitions covering case studies, business planning, and business simulation challenges.

Ofwat Water Innovation Fund closes on 20 October 2026. Funds global innovators tackling water sector challenges like leakage, pollution, and climate change with potential access to industry facilities.

AFWERX SBIR / STTR closes on 21 October 2026. Supplies non-dilutive phased funding up to 2,100,000 USD for American small businesses developing dual-use technologies for Air and Space Force needs.

Clicks & Mortar closes on 21 October 2026. Assists Los Angeles physical product brands through hands-on retail training, creator exposure, and a marketplace showcase booth.

Engineering Biology Access to Infrastructure Pilot closes on 21 October 2026. Delivers grant support between £200,000 and £750,000 for registered UK small businesses scaling lab-proven engineering biology innovations.

Founder Institute Admissions closes on 21 October 2026. Accepts early tech founders across many cities into a structured pre-seed accelerator program driven by mentors and AI tools.

Everything closing soon is on the closing soon page.

By the numbers

Currently, founders can access 186 total open opportunities across the platform. Grants form the largest category with 80 active listings, while competitions provide 65 different avenues for funding and recognition. In addition, there are 20 accelerators, 17 general programs, and 4 incubators open for applications. This broad distribution allows teams at any stage to find appropriate non-dilutive capital or strategic support.

Browse the hubs: Grants: United States, Grants: United Kingdom, Grants: Germany, Grants: Global, Competitions: United States, Competitions: United Kingdom, Competitions: Germany, Competitions: Global, Accelerators: United States, Accelerators: United Kingdom, Accelerators: Germany, Accelerators: Global.

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Frequently asked questions
Which programs close first?
Competitions such as Demo Day Pitch Competition, The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition, and xTech|Search 10 close on 2026-10-19. InnovateMass, NIBS Competitions, and Ofwat Water Innovation Fund follow immediately on 2026-10-20. Applicants should submit early.
What types of programs are available?
The database tracks grants, competitions, accelerators, incubators, and general programs. These opportunities support diverse sectors including climate tech, defense, agrifood, retail, and engineering biology for startups across early and growth stages.
How can founders verify eligibility before applying?
Every opportunity has distinct geographic, legal, and technical requirements. To confirm that your team qualifies, open the program page on getfund and visit its official link to read the full guidelines before submitting.