2026 RANKED
We checked all 109 hand-verified programs in the Bursary database and picked the single best in each category for 2026 — biggest grant, deepest credits, fastest to apply, and more. Every pick links to its real application.
Why it wins: the most value for the least friction — six figures, no company required, and a self-serve application.
Who should apply: founders, indie builders.
The catch: No major catch — verify the exact eligibility on the official page before you apply.
Why it wins: the largest single payout on the board if you can win it.
Who should apply: founders.
The catch: You need a registered company to receive the award (you can usually apply first and incorporate before funds disburse).
Why it wins: the most cash you can take without giving up a single share.
Who should apply: founders, small businesses, indie builders.
The catch: You need a registered company to receive the award (you can usually apply first and incorporate before funds disburse).
Why it wins: the deepest free infrastructure to build and scale an AI product.
Who should apply: founders, indie builders.
The catch: You need a registered company to receive the award (you can usually apply first and incorporate before funds disburse).
Why it wins: the strongest funding-plus-network package for a company ready to scale.
Who should apply: founders.
The catch: The application is involved, so budget real time for it.
Why it wins: built for people still in (or just out of) school.
Who should apply: founders, students.
The catch: The application is involved, so budget real time for it.
Why it wins: reserved for women-led companies — real money with far less competition.
Who should apply: founders, small businesses, creators.
The catch: It charges an application fee, so weigh the cost against the odds.
Why it wins: funding aimed at filmmakers, artists and storytellers, not just software.
Who should apply: founders, indie builders, creators.
The catch: It has a fixed deadline (2026-07-13), so it is not always open — apply before it closes.
Why it wins: the biggest award you can chase as an individual, before you incorporate.
Who should apply: indie builders, founders.
The catch: It has a fixed deadline (2026-08-17), so it is not always open — apply before it closes.
Why it wins: low-effort and rolling — you can apply this afternoon.
Who should apply: founders, indie builders.
The catch: No major catch — verify the exact eligibility on the official page before you apply.
Every program in the Bursary database is checked against its live application page. For each category we ranked the open programs by claimable value and surfaced the single best, with the one honest caveat that matters most. Want the picks tailored to you specifically? Tell Bursary who you are and it ranks your matches and drafts the application — free.
Last updated 2026-06-26. Verify each program's eligibility on its official page before applying.