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Deep Tech Grants in South America (2027): 14 Programmes in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Colombia With Amounts and Call Status

Deep Tech Grants in South America: Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia and International Programmes Checked for 2027

Deep tech startups need years of lab work before they sell anything, which is why non-dilutive money matters so much in South America, where venture rounds for hardware, biotech and new materials are small. Most of that money comes from public agencies: FAPESP, Finep and EMBRAPII in Brazil, ANID and Corfo in Chile, the Agencia I+D+i in Argentina, ANII in Uruguay and ProInnóvate in Peru. Almost every programme only funds companies registered in its own country, and several only in one state, so where you incorporate decides which grants you can get. We checked each programme below on its official page in October 2026: who can apply, how much you get, what you put in yourself and whether a call is open. The 2025 version of this article listed US grants, a conference and private contests taken from third-party lists; what we dropped and why is near the end. For grants outside South America, see our worldwide guide to grants for early-stage startups.
Quick answer: in Brazil, FAPESP PIPE (São Paulo) pays up to R$1.5 million per project and takes proposals all year, and EMBRAPII with Sebrae can cover up to 90% of an R&D project with a research lab, with no call to wait for. In Chile, ANID Startup Ciencia is the deep tech grant (up to CLP 134.55 million) and its 2027 call runs from October to December 2026, while Start-Up Chile takes founders of any nationality from 3 November 2026. Uruguay's ANII has an open window of up to UYU 3 million. Argentina's 2025 startup calls and Peru's StartUp Perú calls are closed, so watch for the next rounds. Teams from Argentina, Colombia and Peru can also be funded inside Horizon Europe consortia.
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Deep Tech Grants in South America Compared

ProgrammeCountryAmountWhat you put inStatus (October 2026)
FAPESP PIPEBrazil (São Paulo state)Phase 1 up to R$300,000; Phase 2 up to R$1.5 millionNo equity; company of up to 250 staffContinuous submission
Finep subvenção econômicaBrazilSet by each callCounterpart requiredCalls and state agents (Tecnova, Centelha)
Programa CentelhaBrazil (26 states and the Federal District)Set by each state, e.g. up to R$96,000 plus R$50,000 in grants in Minas GeraisNo equity; you open a small companyState calls of Centelha 3
EMBRAPII with SebraeBrazilUp to 90% of an R&D project with an EMBRAPII unitCash counterpart, partly covered by SebraeNo call; contact a unit
ANID Startup CienciaChileUp to CLP 134,550,000Co-financing; team of at least three2027 call: October to December 2026
Corfo Semilla IniciaChileUp to CLP 15 million (CLP 17 million women-led)25% (15% women-led)Regional calls on corfo.cl
Start-Up ChileChile (founders of any nationality)CLP 15 million (Build) to CLP 75 million (Growth)Equity-freeBIG 13 opens 3 November 2026
Agencia I+D+i Startup (TRL 3-4)ArgentinaUp to USD 150,000 non-reimbursable20%2025 call closed
ANII Apoyo a Emprendimientos InnovadoresUruguayUp to UYU 3,000,00020% (10% climate or women-led)Open window while funds last
StartUp Perú (ProInnóvate)PeruS/ 67,000 to S/ 150,000At least 30%National calls closed
Horizon EuropeArgentina, Colombia, Peru and others in EU-led consortiaSet per topicJoin a consortiumCalls in the 2026-2027 work programme
IDB LabLatin America and the CaribbeanEquity US$200,000 to US$3 million; loans US$500,000 to US$5 millionNot a grant; co-investors requiredRolling applications
Sources: each programme's official website, call text or rules, checked 30 October 2026. Rules change between rounds, so read the current call before you apply.

Brazil

1. FAPESP PIPE: research grants for small companies in São Paulo

The São Paulo Research Foundation's PIPE programme (Pesquisa Inovativa em Pequenas Empresas) is the best-known deep tech grant in Brazil. The company must have no more than 250 employees and be based in São Paulo state; for Phase 1 you can even set up the company after your proposal is approved, as long as the team combines scientific and business skills. Phase 1 checks technical feasibility with up to R$300,000 over nine months. Phase 2 develops the product with up to R$1.5 million over 24 months, and you can apply straight to Phase 2 if earlier research already proves feasibility. PIPE Invest adds R$500,000 to R$1.5 million for companies that have closed a private investment round. All three lines take proposals continuously, and FAPESP takes no equity.

2. Finep: subvenção econômica and Tecnova

Finep, Brazil's innovation agency, gives non-reimbursable money (subvenção econômica) from the national science and technology fund FNDCT to Brazilian companies of all sizes for R&D and innovation projects. It runs through public calls and continuous flow, within limits set by the science ministry, and the company must always put in a counterpart, so the state shares the risk rather than paying for everything. Small companies usually get Finep money through state agents: the Tecnova programme funds projects with significant technological risk, and the Pró-Amazônia line funds innovative companies in the Legal Amazon. Watch your state's innovation agency or research foundation for the next Tecnova call.

3. Programa Centelha: first grant for a scientific idea

The Centelha programme, funded by Finep and CNPq with the state research foundations, turns ideas into new companies. Individuals apply with an idea; if it is selected, they must open a micro or small company in that state, or already own one set up no more than 12 months before the call. Each state publishes its own call with its own budget: in the Centelha 3 call of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG Edital 010/2026), each project can get up to R$96,000 of subvenção plus up to R$50,000 in technology grants for the team. Centelha takes no equity. The programme lists 26 participating states and the Federal District; check your state's page for the next call.
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4. EMBRAPII with Sebrae: up to 90% of an R&D project, no call

EMBRAPII funds applied R&D projects that a company runs with one of its accredited research units (more than 90 labs and institutes). In the standard model EMBRAPII pays up to a third of the project as non-reimbursable money, and up to 50% for cooperative projects that include a company with gross revenue of up to R$90 million; the company's own share must be paid in cash. For small firms, the EMBRAPII and Sebrae partnership covers up to 90% of the project: EMBRAPII pays up to 50%, and Sebrae covers up to 70% of the small company's counterpart, capped at R$150,000 for a project of one small company, R$200,000 with a medium or large partner and R$300,000 for groups. It is open to micro and small companies and startups with annual revenue of up to R$4.8 million, and there is no call: you agree the project directly with a unit.

Chile

5. ANID Startup Ciencia: the Chilean deep tech grant

ANID, Chile's research and development agency, runs Startup Ciencia for young science-based and technology-based companies (EBCT). In the 2026 edition ANID paid up to CLP 134,550,000 per project for up to 12 months, extendable once by six months. Applicants must be micro or small companies under 10 years old with annual sales of up to 25,000 UF, and the team needs at least three people: a project director, a project manager and scientific or technical staff. Status: the 2026 call closed on 10 September 2025 and its results came out on 29 April 2026. The Startup Ciencia 2027 page lists an application window from October to December 2026 and results in April 2027; on 30 October 2026 it still showed the call as upcoming, with documents to follow when it opens.

6. Corfo Semilla Inicia: seed money before your first sale

Corfo's Semilla Inicia co-finances innovative ventures at the idea or prototype stage that have no sales yet, to reach technical and commercial validation. According to ChileAtiende, the government's service portal, Corfo covers up to 75% of the project with a cap of CLP 15 million, or up to 85% and CLP 17 million for women and women-led companies. Individuals over 18 and companies with less than 18 months of activity can apply. Corfo opens the programme in regional calls on corfo.cl, so check whether your region has one open.

7. Start-Up Chile: equity-free money for founders from anywhere (BIG 13 opens 3 November 2026)

Start-Up Chile, run by Corfo, calls itself the first public startup accelerator and gives equity-free money to founders of any nationality who run their startup from Chile. Build, a four-month pre-acceleration programme, gives CLP 15 million; Ignite, a four-month acceleration programme, lists CLP 25 million on its page (the BIG 12 brochure gave CLP 30 million) plus a possible CLP 20 million extension; Growth, an eight-month programme for internationalisation, gives CLP 75 million. Build keeps at least half of each generation for women-led startups. It is not deep tech only, but science-based startups use it to reach Latin American customers and investors. The BIG 13 application process opens on 3 November 2026 at 13:00 Chile time (GMT-3).
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Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia and Paraguay

8. Argentina: Agencia I+D+i Startup calls by technology readiness level

Argentina's research and innovation agency, the Agencia I+D+i, ran three Startup 2025 calls for technology startups up to seven years old, split by technology readiness level (TRL). The TRL 3-4 line paid up to USD 150,000 (in pesos) as non-reimbursable money for proof of concept and lab validation, with the agency covering up to 80% and the startup 20%. The TRL 5-6 line (up to USD 250,000, 80%) and the TRL 7-9 line (up to USD 500,000, 70%) are repayable: you pay back 120% over 10 years after a three-year grace period. Status: all three calls show project submission as closed. Watch the agency's calls page for the next round.

9. Uruguay: ANII support for innovative ventures (open window)

Uruguay's National Agency for Research and Innovation pays non-reimbursable money through Apoyo a Emprendimientos Innovadores to young Uruguayan companies and founders who have validated their solution with customers and can scale globally. ANII covers up to 80% of the project, up to UYU 3,000,000, and the founders put in at least 20% in cash; for climate projects and women-led ventures the share rises to 90%. Projects run for up to 24 months, at least one founder must work on it full time, and you can apply with a sponsoring institution. The call works as an open window until funds run out. One step earlier, Validación de Ideas de Negocios, run with the development agency ANDE, gives up to UYU 200,000 to test a minimum viable product through a sponsoring institution.

10. Peru: StartUp Perú (ProInnóvate)

Peru's innovation programme ProInnóvate runs StartUp Perú, which co-finances innovative startups with seed money. Emprendimientos Innovadores gives up to S/ 67,000 (S/ 60,000 of seed capital plus S/ 7,000 for an incubator) to individuals or companies up to 18 months old with sales of up to S/ 120,000. Emprendimientos Dinámicos gives up to S/ 150,000 (S/ 140,000 plus S/ 10,000 for an incubator) to startups one to five years old with sales of S/ 120,000 to S/ 1.2 million. Both cover at most 70% of the project over eight months; founders must hold at least 51% and one must work full time. Status: both national calls show as closed; ProInnóvate also runs regional rounds, so check its 2026 calendar.

11. Colombia and Paraguay

Colombia has no national cash grant aimed only at deep tech startups. The science ministry MinCiencias funds science and innovation mainly through calls financed by the royalties system (Sistema General de Regalías), listed in its 2025-2026 call plan, which usually need a university or research partner. The innovation agency iNNpulsa runs Aldea, which gives high-impact ventures specialised support according to their stage rather than money. In Paraguay, CONACYT's PROINNOVA programme includes lines for innovation and technology projects and for validating new ventures.

International Programmes Open to South American Deep Tech

12. Horizon Europe: funded partner in EU consortia

Horizon Europe, the EU's research and innovation programme, is open to partners from all over the world. According to the European Commission's EURAXESS Latin America office, institutions from Latin America and the Caribbean are eligible for EU funding in Horizon Europe calls, except those in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay, which can join but are not automatically funded. So a startup in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador or Paraguay can be a funded partner, while Brazilian and Chilean teams need national co-funding. Collaborative projects need at least three partners from different EU member states or associated countries. The 2026-2027 work programme, adopted on 11 December 2025, is the last one of the current programme. The EIC Accelerator is only for companies in the EU and associated countries. Read our guide to Horizon Europe opportunities for SMEs on grant-grants.com.

13. IDB Lab: equity and loans, not grants

IDB Lab, the innovation arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, is often listed as a grant source, but its startup products are investments. It invests US$200,000 to US$500,000 in seed rounds of impact startups in smaller ecosystems (including Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay) and US$1 million to US$3 million in Series A and B rounds, always with experienced co-investors and without leading the round. It also lends US$500,000 to US$5 million to profitable startups with revenue above US$1 million. Grants go to ecosystem projects run by organisations, and the innovation challenges listed on its site were closed when we checked.

14. FONTAGRO: agrifood technology consortia

FONTAGRO co-finances innovation networks across several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that bring science from the lab to the field in agriculture and food. It is for consortia of research institutes, universities and companies, not single startups. According to its Operations Manual, FONTAGRO can co-finance up to US$500,000 per project, and each call sets its own limit. The 2027 call page was online without published terms when we checked, so agtech startups should look for a research partner now.

Grant Dates for Your Calendar

These are the next fixed dates from the programmes above, plus the ones you can apply to at any time.
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Programmes Closed, Changed or Removed

These were in the 2025 version of this article or in our older list of 25 deep tech grants for South America:
  • DEEPTECH BOOST 2025 LATAM: a virtual mentoring programme of the Argentine venture builder CITES for Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru, not a grant; the 2025 edition is over.
  • Innovate LATAM: a conference, not a funding programme, and the old article only cited a third-party events list.
  • Giving Joy, Ready for Impact 2025 and the Visa Everywhere Initiative: micro-grants and contests with past deadlines, cited only from third-party roundups.
  • America's Seed Fund (SBIR), USDA Urban Agriculture grants and EDA Build to Scale: US programmes for US organisations; see our worldwide grants guide linked above.
  • Climate Finance Lab and the Tinker Foundation: they fund organisations and financial instruments, not startups.
  • U.S. Embassy Argentina grants: public diplomacy grants for organisations, not company funding.
  • 500 Global, Startupbootcamp and Riceberg Ventures: accelerators and venture funds that take equity, not grants.
  • Agencia I+D+i Startup 2025 and StartUp Perú: still listed above, but their latest calls are closed.

Which Grant Should You Apply For?

  • You run a lab spin-off in São Paulo: FAPESP PIPE, at any time; Phase 2 directly if feasibility is proven.
  • You are a small Brazilian company anywhere: talk to an EMBRAPII unit about a project with Sebrae co-funding, and watch your state's Centelha and Tecnova calls.
  • You are a science-based company in Chile: prepare ANID Startup Ciencia 2027 before December 2026; at the idea stage, Corfo Semilla Inicia.
  • You can move to Chile: Start-Up Chile from 3 November 2026.
  • You are in Uruguay: ANII's open window for innovative ventures, or Validación de Ideas first.
  • You are in Argentina or Peru: prepare for the next Agencia I+D+i and ProInnóvate calls, and look for a Horizon Europe consortium, where you can be a funded partner.

How Founders Combine Grants With Other Funding

Grants pay for R&D, not for everything, and they take months, so most deep tech founders combine them with investment. When you are ready for investors, compare deep tech VCs in North America and deep tech VCs in Europe, and meet them at deep tech startup events. Grant-grants.com, our sister site, explains non-dilutive funding and lists research grants for deep tech. Women founders can add our list of grants for female entrepreneurs, and if you are deciding where to incorporate, read our ranking of the best countries for early-stage startups.
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FAQ About Deep Tech Grants in South America

What is the biggest deep tech grant in Brazil?

For a single small company, FAPESP PIPE Phase 2 pays up to R$1.5 million over 24 months, but only in São Paulo state. Elsewhere in Brazil, EMBRAPII with Sebrae can cover up to 90% of an R&D project, and Finep funds larger projects through its calls and state agents.

Can I apply for FAPESP PIPE before I have a company?

Yes, for Phase 1. FAPESP allows the small company to be set up after the proposal is approved, but the grant is only paid once the company exists in São Paulo state.

When does ANID Startup Ciencia 2027 open?

ANID lists an application window from October to December 2026, with results in April 2027. On 30 October 2026 the page still showed the call as upcoming.

Can a foreign founder get a grant in South America?

Start-Up Chile accepts founders of any nationality who run their startup from Chile. Most national grants, such as PIPE, Startup Ciencia, ANII and StartUp Perú, require a company registered in the country.

Do these grants take equity?

No. FAPESP, Finep, Centelha, EMBRAPII, ANID, Corfo, Start-Up Chile and ANII grants are non-reimbursable and take no equity. Argentina's TRL 5-6 and 7-9 lines are repayable, and IDB Lab invests or lends.

Which programmes accept applications at any time?

FAPESP PIPE, the EMBRAPII and Sebrae partnership and ANII's Apoyo a Emprendimientos Innovadores. ANII's window stays open until its funds run out.

Are there grants for women-led deep tech startups?

Several programmes pay more to women: Corfo Semilla Inicia covers up to 85%, ANII up to 90%, and Start-Up Chile reserves at least half of each Build generation for women-led startups.

Can South American startups get Horizon Europe funding?

Teams in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay can be funded partners in Horizon Europe consortia. Brazil, Chile and Uruguay can join but are not automatically funded.

Is IDB Lab a grant?

Not for startups. IDB Lab invests US$200,000 to US$3 million in equity or lends US$500,000 to US$5 million, always with other investors.

Where can I get a backlink by writing about my startup?

You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-30 01:53 Top 15