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National · Poland · Akces NCBR (subsidiary of Poland's National Centre for Research and Development, NCBR), with sectoral co-funding from the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MoND) for the MilTech track

Akces NCBR Acceleration Programmes

AcceleratorsGrantsEquityDefenceDual-useDeep tech
Ticket size
PLN 300k non-repayable grant + PLN 100k mentoring services per startup; optional equity investment up to PLN 600k

About the programme

Akces NCBR is Poland's only dedicated deep-tech accelerator, established as a subsidiary of NCBR (the country's largest R&D funding agency) to bridge the gap between laboratory research and market deployment.

  • It runs both horizontal programmes open to all innovations and vertical sector-specific tracks — notably MilTech (defence/dual-use, co-developed with the Ministry of National Defence) and SpaceTech — targeting startups and research teams at TRL 3–8.
  • Each cohort receives a combination of non-repayable grants, expert mentoring packages, and optional equity investment, supporting the full journey from proof-of-concept to commercialisation.

Why it matters

For defence-tech and dual-use startups, Akces NCBR offers one of the very few Polish public instruments that explicitly combines grant funding with mentoring and equity in a single accelerator vehicle, with direct Ministry of Defence involvement in defining priority technology areas.

  • The MilTech track provides validated access to defence procurement stakeholders and a pathway into Poland's rapidly expanding national security innovation ecosystem, including a planned follow-on MilTech Plus programme with a larger budget.
  • Companies that progress through the programme also gain visibility with institutional investors such as the Polish Development Fund and the defence-industrial complex.

Calls & cycles

none tracked
No call cycle on record. Check the official programme page.

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