NC IDEA is an independent nonprofit foundation that strengthens the North Carolina startup ecosystem by awarding competitive, non-dilutive grants and offering program support to help founders start, validate, grow, and scale innovative companies. Its flagship grant programs — NC IDEA MICRO and NC IDEA SEED — provide entrepreneurs with capital, mentorship, and tools to accelerate progress, reduce early-stage risk, and position companies for future investment or revenue growth without giving up equity. NC IDEA also supports community and ecosystem activities through ENGAGE and ECOSYSTEM grant programs for organizations that expand entrepreneurial opportunities statewide.
• NC IDEA MICRO Grants: up to $10,000 USD non-dilutive funding for early-stage companies to validate assumptions or advance initial development.
• NC IDEA SEED Grants: up to $50,000 USD non-dilutive funding awarded to innovative startups beyond proof of concept to scale faster and reduce risk.
• NC IDEA ENGAGE Grants: up to $5,000 USD (for entrepreneurial activities, programs, or ecosystem events) but not business operations funding.

• Must be headquartered and primarily operating in North Carolina (both MICRO and SEED).
• MICRO: early-stage companies testing assumptions or validating a business model — usually with MVP work done.
• SEED: growth-oriented startups with proof of concept and scalable potential.
• Startups should aspire to multi-million-dollar revenue or investor interest within a future timeframe.
• Typically excludes startups with prior very large funding (e.g., >$250K equity, >$1M non-dilutive support) for SEED.
• Founders are encouraged to commit to operating in NC for a period post-grant. 

Application & Submission: Founders submit applications for either the MICRO ($10K) or SEED ($50K) grant during an open grant cycle (typically twice yearly). 

Selection & Review: Applications undergo a competitive review assessing innovation potential, growth scalability, and impact. 

Grant Award & Engagement: Selected companies receive funding without equity requirements and may participate in related programming such as validation support or mentoring. 

Implementation & Reporting: Grant funds are deployed in milestone-based tranches (for SEED) or paired with short programs (for MICRO) to drive measurable progress. 

Ecosystem Access: Recipients and applicants gain access to ecosystem partners, feedback sessions, and strategic introductions to regional support networks.

✔ $10,000 USD MICRO Grant with associated program support.
✔ $50,000 USD SEED Grant with milestone-based deployment and advisory engagement.
✔ Mentorship and strategic resources connected to the NC startup ecosystem.
✔ Access to networking and ecosystem partners that support scaling and future investment readiness.
✔ Opportunity to participate in support events and info sessions to improve competitiveness and prepare for future opportunities.
✔ Ecosystem and ENGAGE grants for organizations driving broad entrepreneurial impact (up to ~$5,000).