Where the free money is now.

For companies founded in the last five years or funded in the last two. Bootstrapped and pre-seed founders qualify. Includes up to $45K in partner perks; credits expire six months after grant.

Equity-free funding for pre-revenue prototype or product-stage founders in the Cincinnati tri-state’s eight counties. Funds growth projects, not operating expenses; direct customer engagement is expected.

Self-serve entry is available without VC backing and can include Azure OpenAI access. Higher tiers up to $150K are associated with the investor network.

For shipped Base dapps, tooling, analytics, educational content, and community resources. The research found discovery and self-nomination paths, with W8/W9 KYC before payment.

For US for-profit small businesses. Ten winners per month from June through December 2026; complete two free courses or events to unlock the application.

For independent writers, streamers, video creators, and educators covering Base, its ecosystem, or builders. Creator of the Week bounties are reported up to $500.

Escrowed content, demo, feedback, and development bounties with zero platform commission. Strong near-term fit for AI-assisted content production; grants may follow two to three wins.

Quarterly opportunity for US small businesses with community impact. The program reportedly favors high-need ZIP codes and low-to-moderate-income communities.

0% equity with IP retained. US for-profits under 500 employees qualify if 51%+ US-owned; first-time founders are encouraged. A 3-page Project Pitch comes first.

Reported for pre-Series B startups building with OpenAI APIs, with no VC required. The self-serve amount was reported by third parties and may vary.

The no-VC self tier is modest. Portfolio and GenAI tiers can reach much higher values but require an accelerator, VC, or approved organization ID.

A self-serve entry point for bootstrapped startups. AI-first scale tiers can reach $200K–$350K but are generally accessed through approved partners.

Up to 20 GitHub Enterprise seats free for one year, followed by 50% off year two. Advanced Security is listed at 50% off in year one.

Available with a business website and domain email for companies under 100 employees that are not already paying customers. Partner referrals can extend the benefit to six months.

A possible fit only where the work is open-source ecosystem infrastructure or public goods. The AI-agent commercial product alone is less aligned.