---
{"title": "How to find non-dilutive funding for tech founders", "description": "Learn how tech startup founders can prepare, search, compare funding options, and check eligibility before applying for non-dilutive funding.", "url": "https://cdings.com/how-to-find-non-dilutive-funding-for-tech-startup-founders/", "date": "2026-10-27"}
---
Learn how tech startup founders can prepare, search, compare funding options, and check eligibility before applying for non-dilutive funding.

Prepare your company details, funding goal, tax records, ownership information, and technical or business description before searching. Review government programs, local funding sources, and other grant opportunities, then check each funder's rules, eligible costs, deadlines, and documents. Raise Buddy can list grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for after you paste your website or describe what you do. [^1]

| Option | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Raise Buddy Free plan [^1] | Opens programs up to $1,000. [^1] | Free. [^1] |
| Raise Buddy Plus plan [^1] | Opens programs up to $5,000. [^1] | $14.99 a month. [^1] |
| Raise Buddy Pro plan [^1] | Opens every program, with advisors' review and AI connection. [^1] | $199 a month. [^1] |

## What you need before you start

Prepare the basic facts a funder may ask for before looking for non-dilutive funding. Keeping these details together makes it easier to review opportunities.

- **Business structure.** Know whether the business is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, corporation or another type.
- **Location.** Keep the registration location and operating location ready.
-**Business description.** Write a short explanation of what the startup builds, what problem it addresses, and who it serves.
- **Business history.** Note when the business started, its size, and basic revenue information.
- **Tax information.** Gather recent tax returns and any tax agency letters. Check each funder's own document list.
- **Funding purpose.** Decide whether the money is for product development, research, hiring, equipment, expansion, or another need.
- **Ownership details.** Record who owns the business because some programs have specific ownership rules.

For a technology startup, also keep a clear description of the product, the stage of development, and the work the funding would support. A simple summary page with these facts can help keep applications consistent.

## Step by step

1. **Define the funding goal.** Decide what the money will support and whether a grant, credit, prize, loan, or another funding type matches that goal. For non-dilutive funding, pay particular attention to whether the source requires repayment or gives an ownership stake.

2. **Set basic search rules.** Note the location, industry, business age, ownership details, technology area, research activity, and other requirements that matter for eligibility.

3. **Search reliable sources.** Review government programs, local business offices, research and innovation programs, and other organizations that offer funding opportunities. Search using the specific technology, industry, location, and project purpose rather than relying only on broad startup terms.

4. **Read eligibility rules carefully.** Check who can apply, what the money can be used for, whether the program accepts startups at the current stage, deadlines, and required documents before spending time on an application.

5. **Separate non-dilutive options from other funding.** Grants, prizes, and some credits can be different from loans because a loan creates a repayment obligation. Check the terms of every program rather than treating every listed funding type as the same.

6. **Build a shortlist.** Separate opportunities into ones that match now, ones that need preparation, and ones that need more information. Keep the funder's requirements beside each opportunity so gaps are easy to see.

7. **Confirm unclear details.** Contact the funder when rules, documents, eligible costs, matching requirements, or spending limits are not clear.

8. **Prepare each application.** Adjust answers to the specific program and provide the requested information. Keep the product description, company details, financial information, and project budget consistent.

9. **Track applications.** Record where each application was sent, when it was submitted, what action comes next, and whether the funder has requested more information.

10. **Review results and update the search.** Funding programs change, so keep business details ready for future opportunities. Recheck eligibility and deadlines before applying to an opportunity found earlier.

## Tools that can do it

Different sources can help with different parts of finding non-dilutive funding.

**Government program lists.** Government websites can show grant and loan programs. Check each program's own rules, documents, eligible costs, and deadlines.

**Local business support offices.** Local organizations may provide information about programs in a specific area. Check what services they provide and whether there are costs.

**Research and innovation funding programs.** Programs connected with research or innovation can be worth checking when the startup's project matches their stated requirements. Review the official eligibility rules and application process before preparing materials.

**Banks, credit unions, and community lenders.** These organizations can explain loan options, required documents, and costs for borrowing. A loan is repayable, so compare its terms with the funding goal before treating it as a non-dilutive option.

**Raise Buddy.** Raise Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste your website or describe what you do, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [^1] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [^1] It can read a Schedule C, Form 1120, 1065 or 990, or an IRS letter, from a photo or PDF into a draft profile you confirm, and it does not keep the EIN or the papers. [^1] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own Form 990-PF tax returns. [^1] It covers 25 ways to raise money, such as angel investors, SBA loans and equity crowdfunding, each with its official rules and a first step. [^1] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [^1]

Its program list includes the UK's Find a Grant, Australia's GrantConnect, France's Aides-territoires, Japan's jGrants, Spain's BDNS and Austria's Transparenzportal. [^1] The app works on the web and on phones. [^1] The web app needs nothing installed; you connect an AI assistant by adding Raise Buddy's address to it. [^1]

The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000, and Pro is $199 a month with every program, advisors' review, and AI connection. [^1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^1] A guest's search list ends after 5. [^1] Only English is shown for now. [^1]

## Common mistakes to avoid

- **Calling every funding source non-dilutive.** Check whether the source requires repayment or gives an investor an ownership stake before treating it as non-dilutive.

- **Applying without checking eligibility.** A funding opportunity only helps when the business meets the stated rules.

- **Ignoring spending limits.** Some funding can only be used for certain purposes, so check the allowed uses before accepting money.

- **Relying on a list without checking the source.** Confirm deadlines and requirements with the funder or lender.

- **Confusing grants and loans.** Grants and loans have different repayment expectations and costs.

- **Waiting until the last minute.** Documents, registrations, and answers can take time to prepare.

- **Using different business details in different places.** Keep financial and business information consistent across applications.

- **Not tracking follow-ups.** Missing a request for information can slow down the process.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is non-dilutive funding for a tech startup?

Non-dilutive funding generally means funding that does not require giving an investor an ownership stake. Grants, prizes, and some credits can fall into this category, while loans generally create a repayment obligation. Check the specific terms of each program because funding types can have different costs, eligible uses, reporting duties, and repayment requirements.

### What documents are needed to find non-dilutive funding for a tech startup?

Common documents include business registration details, location information, a business description, recent tax records, ownership details, and information about the project the funding would support. Some funders may request additional information. Check each program's own document list because requirements can differ between funding sources.

### Can a tech startup check eligibility before applying for funding?

Yes. Review the funder's rules for business type, location, ownership, project purpose, spending limits, deadlines, and required documents before applying. Raise Buddy gives each match a statement about whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, using the funder's own words. [^1]

### Can Raise Buddy find non-dilutive funding for tech startups?

Raise Buddy lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for after you paste your website or describe what you do. [^1] Because the list includes different funding types, check each funder's terms to determine whether a particular opportunity requires repayment or an ownership stake.

### Does Raise Buddy apply for grants and loans for a business?

No. Raise Buddy keeps track of where each application stands, but the business applies on the funder's own site. [^1] The founder still needs to review the requirements, prepare answers, and send the application through the required process.

### How much does Raise Buddy cost?

The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000, and Pro is $199 a month with every program, advisors' review, and AI connection. [^1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^1]

### Can Raise Buddy use a startup's tax documents to build its profile?

Raise Buddy can read a Schedule C, Form 1120, 1065 or 990, or an IRS letter, from a photo or PDF into a draft profile you confirm, and it does not keep the EIN or the papers. [^1] The resulting profile is something to confirm before using it to review funding opportunities.

Free plan opens programs up to $1,000; Plus is $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro is $199 a month (every program, advisors' review, AI connection). The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^1] - [Visit Raise Buddy](/go/start)

## Sources

[^1]: Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)