Iron Nation $1.5M--EDGE Grant $1.1M--Farming Robotics £2.5M

Hello startup people! Here’s the latest drop on Grants, Pitch Competitions, Awards, and Summits.

Healthcare and Accessibility startups: join FoundersBoost’s Fall cohort program. It’s virtual, startups receive up to $50K non-dilutive funding, plus cool stuff like Demo Day in San Francisco. Learn more here. Applications due by Sept 15. (hint: say that Diane Bailey referred you!)

~Diane

💪 The Biggies

Iron Nation Startup Competition | $1.5M

Iron Nation is launching a Startup Competition awarding a $1.5M investment to the winning scale-ready Israeli startup! If you’re building an exceptional advanced tech company with a proven product and a clear path to global scale, apply now.

EDGE Grant Competition | $1.15M

EDGE is a competition for Delaware grant funding. STEM-based companies and Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses are eligible for funding. The funds are provided as a $3 (state) to $1 (business) match.

Farming Futures R&D fund: Automation and Robotics | £2.5M

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to develop innovative solutions for automation and robotics in agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

Are you in an accelerator? Forward to your cohort peers, or connect me with your Managing Director. I’ll post the top opportunities in your community for free.

Newly Added:

🎤 Pitch Competitions

AWS Virtual Pitch Week – $125,000 investment
AI | Aug 21 | Apply

Slush 100 Pitch Competition – €500,000
All startups | Sept 7 | Apply

TOKEN2049 Nexus Startup Competition – Pitch at event
Web3; Crypto | Sept 14 | Apply

Women Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition – Recognition
UK; Women-led | Sept 30 | Apply

💰 Grants

Strengthening Healthcare Systems on ABCSSS Islands – €360,000 total grant
Aruba; Healthcare accessibility | Aug 25 | Apply

EDGE Grant Competition – $1,150,000 total pool
Delaware | Sept 11 | Apply

Farming Futures Automation and Robotics – up to £2,500,000
UK; AgTech; Automation; Robotics | Sept 30 | Apply

💼 Events

SAAS NORTH - Ottawa – 2,000+ attendees
SaaS; AI | Nov 4-5 | Apply

Micromobility America - San Francisco – 500+ Brands
Micro Mobility; e-Bikes | Nov 11-12 | Apply

Rockwell Automation Fair 2026 – 14,000+ attendees
Industrial operations; Automation | Nov 16-19 | Apply

Slush - Helsinki – 12,000+ attendees
All startups | Nov 18-19 | Apply

TOKEN2049 - Singapore – 25,000+ attendees
Crypto | Oct 7-8 | Apply

🔨 Challenges

Iron Nation Startup Competition 2026 – $1,500,000 investment
Israel; Deep Tech; Dual Use | Aug 31 | Apply

Africa Energy Innovation Challenge (AEIC) – $10,000
Africa; Energy management; Social enterprise; AgTech | Sept 10 | Apply

2026 South Africa MedTech Innovation Challenge – R3 million total pool
South Africa; Healthcare; Diagnostics; AI | Sept 25 | Apply

🏆 Awards

ECOWAS Startup Awards – $65,000 total pool
West Africa; EdTech; HealthTech, CleanTech, more | Aug 31 | Apply

President Tech Award – $5,000,000 total pool
Uzbekistan; Tech startups | Aug 31 | Apply

2027 Pet Care Innovation Prize by Purina – $50,000
Pet Tech | Oct 5 | Apply

Closing Soon! Last Chance!

🤩 View the full list of 100+ open opportunities - including all Last Chance Opportunities - by signing up here.

Build with Gemini XPRIZE – $2,000,000 total prizes
Google Gemini; AI | Aug 17 | Apply

iF Social Impact Prize – €100,000 total pool
UNSDG’s | Aug 19 | Apply

LIFT Beauty Accelerator – $10,000 + Pitch to JCPenney
US; Underrepresented; CPG; Beauty brands; Consumer brands | Aug 21 | Apply

Beyond the Deal Room curates grants, pitch competitions, awards, and tech summits for 13,000+ founders, VC’s and startup organizations. Over $100M global opportunities, mostly non-dilutive, are available across all verticals each year.

For Startup Organizations: Bring this list to your newsletter and community groups for FREE. Reply to this email for details.

Disclaimer: I receive no compensation for promoting any of these events. While I try to be as accurate as possible when posting requirements such as deadlines, it’s your responsibility to confirm all requirements.

📣 Who am I? Your biggest cheerleader. Startup operator, accelerator operations leader, and advisor to early-stage founders. Named a Top 100 Women Tech Leader (2024). I help founders tap into non-dilutive funding—grants, competitions, and beyond—to build traction between VC rounds. Connect with me on LinkedIn.