The TIA Seed Fund Programme (SFP) was established during 2013 in response to persistent gaps identified within the National System of Innovation. Empirical evidence indicates that a significant proportion of innovations fail to progress beyond the proof-of-concept and market assessment stages, thereby limiting their potential for commercialisation and access to follow-on funding.

The Seed Fund Programme was designed to address these challenges by providing targeted early-stage funding and structured support to innovators, researchers, and small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs). Through this programme, TIA aims to enable the development of prototypes, facilitate market validation, and increase the likelihood of successful commercialisation of South African developed technologies.

WHO IS ELIGIBILE TO APPLY?

This call is open to organisations with demonstrated capability in early-stage technology innovation support, including but not limited to:

• Incubators, accelerators, and enterprise development agencies

• Emerging fund managers and ecosystem intermediaries with experience in deep-tech and technology commercialisation

Link to Briefing Session to be held on 13 March 2026 @ 13:00 via Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/35822595220125?p=yk341EStFYW5FQbWfv

Closing Date: 31 March 2026 (Close of Business)