The Techno-Entrepreneurship badge framework is made applicable to SMEs, but what is the status for start-ups?

The Techno-Entrepreneurship Badge is a document indicating that small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”) possess a technology and innovation-based and scalable business model. The Techno-Entrepreneurship Badge was defined, and the procedures and principles for its issuance to enterprises were determined, by the “Regulation on the Identification and Certification of Technology and Innovation-Focused Enterprises,” published in the Official Gazette dated July 3, 2025.

Enterprises shall submit their applications to the Ministry of Industry and Technology through an application portal to be established. To apply, enterprises must be established in Turkey as sole proprietorships or share capital companies, meet the criteria required of an SME, have an independent enterprise status in accordance with the Regulation on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, should have been established within the fifteen years prior to the application date, and possess a technology and innovation-based, scalable business model.

The assessment of whether an enterprise possesses an innovative and scalable business model can be conducted in several different ways.

If, within the last three years as of the application date, the enterprise, in relation to its technology and innovation-based project involving research and development and/or product/process/service innovation:

a) has been accepted into one of the technology development zones designated by the Ministry under the Technology Development Zones Law No. 4691,

b) has been accepted into one of the technology development centers supported by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Support Administration Presidency, or

c) has received support or is in the process of receiving support under TÜBİTAK 1512 – Entrepreneurship Support Program or 1812 – Investment-Based Entrepreneurship Support Program, the enterprise shall receive the Techno-Entrepreneurship Badge.

If the enterprise does not meet the referred conditions, a committee to be established by the Directorate General for National Technology (“Directorate General”) shall conduct an assessment on this matter, or the Directorate General may authorize an assessment body to evaluate the application. The Directorate General shall make its final decision by evaluating this opinion together with the other application criteria, without the need for a new committee decision.

The committee and the assessment body committee to be established shall conduct their evaluation based on the following criteria: The enterprise’s R&D capacity, the innovative and original aspects of the outputs, contribution to technological development at national and global scale and economic and social impact created, and the enterprise’s growth performance and scaling potential.

Enterprises may object to negative decisions only once or reapply no earlier than six months from the date the decision was rendered.

The validity period of the Techno-Entrepreneurship Badge is three years from the date of its issuance. For renewal of the badge, the enterprise must apply through the portal. The badge of an enterprise that does not submit a renewal application within the specified period shall be revoked.

The Directorate General is authorized to audit as to whether the holders of the Techno-Entrepreneurship Badge fulfill their obligations.