Glossary

Funding terms without bureaucracy

Short explanations to help founders read funding texts faster.

Grant: Non-repayable funding, usually purpose-bound and tied to evidence.
Loan: Repayable financing, often with favourable conditions or partial risk coverage.
Equity: Investment capital in exchange for company shares.
De minimis: State-aid threshold for certain public supports. Relevant when several aids are combined.
TRL: Technology readiness level, from research to market readiness.
Cut-off: Deadline date for assessment in a specific application round.
MVP: Minimum viable product, the smallest usable product version for learning in the market.
Project start: Critical for many grants: starting before application or approval can destroy eligibility.