Support to Start a Business in Qatar
Support to start a business in Qatar comes in two kinds. One is public money and help: Startup Qatar is the front door, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) funds and incubates, and Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) runs its own programme. The other is advice. That is where Noor Group comes in, with the route, the papers and the first year.
Startup support at a glance
- The most from Investment Program START, for startups launching in Qatar
- US$1.1 million
- The most from Investment Program GROW, for startups expanding to Qatar
- US$5.5 million
- The most from QDB pre-seed, for its portfolio companies
- QAR 250,000
- A year in QSTP’s Sprint programme
- 3 cohorts
From Startup Qatar, Qatar Development Bank and QSTP, checked 19 Oct 2026; see the sources at the end of the page. No programme guarantees funding.
Where founders in Qatar get support
Funding
The Startup Qatar Investment Program and Qatar Development Bank.
Incubation
QDB’s incubation hubs and QSTP’s Sprint and Incubation.
Residency
The Entrepreneur Residency, for founders an incubator endorses.
Grants
Research and technology grants listed on Startup Qatar.
Business setup advice
Advisers such as Noor Group help entrepreneurs with the route, documents and first year.
How our support works
- Tell us the idea
What you are building, its stage, and whether you are in Qatar or abroad.
- Pick the programmes
The ones that fit your idea, stage and ownership.
- Prepare and apply
We help with the papers; you apply to each programme directly.
- Set up the company
Mainland, free zone or QFC, with the first-year dates planned.
Our startup support services
Our startup support services sit beside the official programmes. A founder still applies to each programme directly.
Choosing a programme
Which programmes fit your idea, stage and ownership.
Plans and documents
The study, plan and papers each programme asks for.
Setup route
Mainland, free zone or QFC, and the activity to register.
Residency papers
The documents for the Entrepreneur Residency file.
First-year plan
Tax card, WPS and renewal dates from day one.
Staying compliant
Reminders and files for each renewal and return.
Government programmes: Startup Qatar, QDB and QSTP
- Startup Qatar
- Run by
- Invest Qatar, the investment promotion agency
- Offers
- The Investment Program, the Entrepreneur Residency and a list of programmes
- Qatar Development Bank
- Owned by
- The State of Qatar
- Offers
- Financing, incubation, training and advisory programmes
- Qatar Science & Technology Park
- Part of
- Qatar Foundation, in Education City
- Offers
- Sprint and Incubation, and a Tech Venture Fund
Funding and grants: who qualifies
| Programme | For whom | Up to | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investment Program, START | Tech startups with a proof of concept or MVP, launching in Qatar | US$1.1 million | Paid in tranches against agreed milestones |
| Investment Program, GROW | Established startups expanding to Qatar | US$5.5 million | Paid in tranches against agreed milestones |
| QDB pre-seed | Companies in QDB’s incubation and acceleration portfolio | QAR 250,000 (QAR 100,000 cash, QAR 150,000 in kind) | Convertible instrument |
| QDB direct financing | Companies under a Qatari citizen’s ownership, based in Qatar | Not stated | A feasibility study; a sector QDB supports |
| QSTP Tech Venture Fund | Pre-seed and seed deep-tech startups based in Qatar | A US$30 million fund | Invests alongside a lead VC |
| QBIC incubation and acceleration | Startups in the QBIC programme | QAR 100,000 investment cap | As listed on Startup Qatar |
| QRDI Technology Development Grant | Technology development projects | QAR 10 million, over up to three years | The applicant co-funds the project |
Incubators and accelerators
An incubator also matters for residency: the Entrepreneur Residency needs the endorsement of a recognised Qatar incubator, and the incubator nominates the founder.
QSTP’s programme runs in two stages, Sprint and then Incubation, and Sprint takes applications on a rolling basis.
Programmes listed
- QDB hubs
- QBIC, Digital & Beyond (with Ooredoo), Qatar FinTech Hub, Scale7, Factory One, Qatar SportsTech
- QSTP
- Sprint, then Incubation; three Sprint cohorts a year
- Also on Startup Qatar
- DIC IdeaCamp, TASMU Accelerator, AI Compute Credits
Startup registration in Qatar
Startup registration in Qatar follows the same steps as any other company, even inside a programme. These come first.
Choose the route
Mainland, free zone or QFC, for your activity.
Verify the activity
Activity names checked before the CR is established.
Approval before the lease
MOCI initial approval before you sign for premises.
Programme waivers
Registration and licence renewal cost waivers apply to Investment Program participants.
Residency and visas for founders
Entrepreneur Residency
Long-term and renewable, for founders a recognised incubator endorses; the incubator nominates you to Jusour.
Founders in Qatar
A bank balance of at least QAR 36,500 over the past three months.
Founders abroad
Among others: a passport valid six months, an attested three-month bank statement with at least US$10,000 and an attested police clearance.
Talent Community Program
Temporary residence for eligible startups, run by QDB with QSTP, QRDI and MCIT.
The Investment Program also lists work and entrepreneur visa issuance among its benefits. Staff visas follow the ordinary route through the Ministry of Interior.
Your first year
After MOCI initial approval and the lease, these dates come round.
- Within 60 days
Tax registration and the tax card.
- Every month
Wages through WPS by the 7th.
- Before expiry
Renew the CR and licences 30 days before they expire.
- After the year end
The first income tax return, within four months.
Related services
Questions about support to start a business in Qatar
What grants are available for startups in Qatar?
Startup Qatar lists research and technology grants. The QRDI Technology Development Grant offers up to QAR 10 million over up to three years, and the applicant co-funds the project. Most other funding on this page is investment or financing, not a grant: the Investment Program pays in tranches against milestones, and QDB pre-seed is a convertible instrument. No programme guarantees funding.
What is the Startup Qatar Investment Program?
It is a funding programme for technology startups under Startup Qatar, provided by Qatar Development Bank. START is for startups launching in Qatar with a proof of concept or minimum viable product, with up to US$1.1 million. GROW is for established startups expanding to Qatar, with up to US$5.5 million, paid in tranches against agreed milestones.
Is there a deadline for the Startup Qatar Investment Program?
None was shown when we looked on 19 October 2026. The “Apply now” button worked, there was no closing date, and the application itself opens on Qatar Development Bank’s site. Please reload the page on the day you apply, in case the terms have moved, and read who is eligible.
Can a foreigner get startup support in Qatar?
Yes. A technology startup from abroad can apply to the Startup Qatar Investment Program, either to launch here (START) or to expand here (GROW), and an overseas founder backed by a Qatar incubator can apply for the Entrepreneur Residency. QDB direct financing is different: it needs the company to be under a Qatari citizen’s ownership.
What does startup consulting in Qatar cover?
It is the advice a founder gets before applying anywhere. Take a two-person software team with a working prototype. We would look at whether START or a QDB incubator suits that stage, whether the company belongs on the mainland, in a free zone or in the QFC, and what plan the funder will want to read. Each programme still decides alone.
Where are the startup incubators in Qatar?
Qatar Development Bank has the longest list: QBIC (the Qatar Business Incubation Center), Digital & Beyond with Ooredoo, Qatar FinTech Hub, Scale7 for creative industries, Factory One and Qatar SportsTech. QSTP, in Education City, is the main one outside QDB; its programme for science and technology founders starts with Sprint and moves on to Incubation.
Can I get a visa through a startup programme?
Possibly, through Startup Qatar’s Entrepreneur Residency. It is long-term and renewable, but a recognised Qatar incubator has to endorse you first, and the incubator then nominates you. Applying from abroad, you also show an attested three-month bank statement with at least US$10,000, among other papers. The decision is the authorities’ to make, and our part is the paperwork.
Did not find your question? Ask an adviser. We reply with what applies to your case.
Sources
Official sources for the facts on this page, last checked 19 Oct 2026.
- Startup Qatar (an Invest Qatar initiative)
- Startup Qatar, About us
- Startup Qatar, FAQ
- Startup Qatar, Investment Program
- Startup Qatar, Entrepreneur Residency
- Qatar Development Bank, Direct financing
- Qatar Development Bank, Pre-seed funding
- Qatar Development Bank, Incubation hub
- QSTP, Who we are
- QSTP, Incubation Program
- QSTP, Tech Venture Fund
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Local investor services
- General Tax Authority, Income Tax Law and its Executive Regulations, 2024 edition (PDF)
- Minister of Labour Decision No. 50 of 2026 on the Wage Protection System (Al Meezan)
What are you building, and are you in Qatar yet?
Answer those two and we will come back with the programmes that fit.