Our University operates mechanisms that facilitate access to finance in order to support local and regional entrepreneurs in establishing financially and socially sustainable businesses. The Karadeniz Technical University Technology Transfer Application and Research Center (KTÜ TTO) acts as an authorised Implementing Organisation under the TÜBÄ°TAK 1812 BiGG Investment Programme and supports technology- and innovation-oriented entrepreneurs in accessing investment finance. KTÜ TTO evaluates entrepreneurs’ business ideas, provides training and one-to-one mentoring for the development of business models, business plans, and financial plans, and facilitates the submission of eligible business plans to the TÜBÄ°TAK BiGG Fund
Evidence: https://ktu.edu.tr/tto/girisimcilik-ve-ticarilesme-hizmetleri
This financial support mechanism was actively implemented in 2025. Under the TÜBÄ°TAK 1812 BiGG Investment 2025-1 Call, companies to be established by entrepreneurs supported by an Implementing Organisation and awarded the Seal of Excellence following TÜBÄ°TAK evaluation were eligible to receive an investment of TRY 900,000 from the TÜBÄ°TAK BiGG Fund in return for a 3% equity share (https://tubitak.gov.tr/sites/default/files/2025-03/BiGG_Yatirim_2025_Yili_1_Cagri_Duyurusu-10.03.pdf). In 2025, KTÜ TTO also organised project preparation workshops for entrepreneurs, providing support in business model development, business plan preparation, financial planning, and preparation for the investment process (https://ktu.edu.tr/tto/duyuru/tubitak-1812-bigg-yatirim-2025-2-donemi-proje-hazirlik-atolyesi-basliyor). According to the results of the 2025 first call, five entrepreneurs supported through the BÄ°GGiriÅŸim Consortium led by KTÜ TTO qualified for financial support, and the consortium achieved a 42% success rate. Given that the overall success rate across Türkiye in the same call was 22%, this outcome demonstrates that the University’s mechanism for preparing entrepreneurs to access investment finance produced tangible results in 2025
Our University’s support for access to finance is not limited to the TÜBÄ°TAK BiGG Programme. KTÜ TTO connects entrepreneurs with investor networks, supports investment-readiness through tailored presentations and mentoring, and directs eligible ventures to public grant programmes, investment funds, and other financial instruments. These services are delivered together with company-establishment and commercialisation support, thereby contributing to the long-term financial sustainability of newly established businesses
Evidence: https://ktu.edu.tr/tto/girisimcilik-ve-ticarilesme-hizmetleri
This support is not restricted to members of the University community. In addition to students, graduates, and staff, entrepreneurs from outside the University may also apply for KTÜ TTO’s pre-incubation and entrepreneurship services. These entrepreneurs receive guidance on access to financial resources, applications to grant and support programmes, company establishment, and mentoring. In this way, the University provides an institutional mechanism that helps entrepreneurs in the local and regional community access start-up finance.
Overall, in 2025, our University operated an institutional system that supported local entrepreneurs in establishing financially and socially sustainable businesses by facilitating access to investment and grant funding. In particular, KTÜ TTO’s formal role as an Implementing Organisation in the TÜBÄ°TAK 1812 BiGG Investment Programme, its preparation of entrepreneurs for the TRY 900,000 investment mechanism, and the fact that five entrepreneurs from the KTÜ TTO-led consortium qualified for financial support in 2025 provide concrete evidence of the University’s financial assistance to local start-ups.
