Oppstart 1 supports early-stage startups that want to validate whether there’s a paying market for their innovative solution. This grant helps you gain key market insights and early feedback from customers, partners, or investors — before you invest heavily in development.
What is it for:-
Startups that:
Are under 3 years old (in some cases up to 5) and not majority-owned by established companies
Have an innovative solution that is clearly new to the market
Have conducted some initial market analysis
Can describe their competitive advantage and customer focus
Are ready to test assumptions with real users through a minimum viable solution
What can the funding be used for?
Market research and customer interviews
MVP development (lean, resource-light)
Early testing and validation with potential users
Activities that build network and relevant competence
Costs that help you avoid building something based on untested assumptions
What is the goal :
To achieve “market acceptance” — meaning someone external is willing to take a risk alongside you. This could be through pilot agreements, capital from partners, or interest from early customers or investors.
Funding scope
Up to NOK 100,000 (100%) for companies without employees
Up to NOK 200,000 (75%) for companies with employees (includes internal time + external costs)
Final report includes:
Results from activities, key learnings, next steps, SWOT analysis, expected capital needs, and plans for future development and commercialization.