- What
- Government-backed bank-loan guarantees.
- Who
- Innovative companies in the UAE, or planning to establish, in priority sectors.
- From abroad
- Open to companies from abroad — Company must be UAE-based or willing to become UAE-based; Guarantee Scheme states it allows applications from any nationality All programmes open to founders from abroad →
- Latest
- Last cohort Jun 2024 — Selected 20 startups for Accelerator Cohort 8Newest dated item on its own site · checked Oct 2026
In detail
MBRIF is a government loan guarantee + accelerator in the UAE. Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund — federal programme sponsored by the UAE Ministry of Finance. Provides government-backed loan guarantees via partner banks at favourable terms — not outright cash grants. Accelerator track = mentorship only, no cash.
- Amount
- Government-backed bank-loan guarantees — terms not published
- Terms
- No equity
- Eligibility
- Innovative companies in UAE (or planning to establish); priority sectors per UAE National Innovation Strategy
- Sectors
- Technology, Education, Health, Water, Transport, Clean Energy, Space
- Benefits
- Gov-backed guarantee to banks · Zero equity
- Status
- Active — Guarantee Scheme and Accelerator both take applications through MBRIF’s application portal
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what MBRIF publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“All innovative companies that are UAE-based or willing to be based in the UAE and want to create businesses of the future should apply!”
“The MBRIF is a federal initiative by the UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF).”
“The Guarantee Scheme is a program launched by the Ministry of Finance under the MBRIF initiative, which provides innovative companies with access to affordable debt finance in the UAE, enabled by a government-backed guarantee to a bank listed with the MBRIF.”
“The purpose of the Guarantee Scheme is to promote and accelerate the growth of innovative companies by bridging the financing gap faced by innovators with affordable loans and reduced collateral requirements.”
“The Guarantee Scheme program allows applications from any nationality and does not take any equity in return, enabling financing through loans which are non-dilutive.”
“Members of the Accelerator do not receive direct funding from the Accelerator or the MBRIF. However, our members are given access to a global ecosystem of experts and coaching to help them unlock the real value of their business innovations”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare loans & guarantees in the UAE
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| MBRIFGovernment-backed bank-loan guarantees. | not published | No equity | Active |
| Amplify Growth FundGrowth loans from $3M (average $10M) over 3–4 years, with a warrant component. | $10M | Loan with warrants | Active |
| Emirates Development Bank (EDB)Up to AED 2M per startup with no assets required, tenors up to 72 months. | not published | No equity | Active |
| Khalifa FundLoans; amounts not published, vary by programme. | not published | No equity | Active |
| Mohammed Bin Rashid Fund for SME (The Fund)Interest-free SME loans up to AED 1M; credit loans up to AED 3M via partner banks. | up to AED 3M | No equity | Open |
| Ruwad — Sharjah Foundation to Support Pioneering EntrepreneursInterest-free loans up to AED 400,000; bank Murabaha financing up to AED 2M. | up to AED 2M | No equity | Active |
| Stride VenturesVenture debt averaging $4M, repayable over 6 to 18 months. | $4M | Loan | Active |
| Partners for Growth (PFG)Growth debt and asset-backed lending to tech companies. | not published | Loan | Active |
| Ruya PartnersPrivate credit for mid-market companies in MENA. | not published | Loan | Active |
| Tenami CapitalRevenue-based growth capital for founder-led tech companies, from DIFC Dubai. | not published | Capped return, bought back from revenue | Active |
No programmes match these filters.
Highest amount in each programme’s own “What” line. Other currencies converted for sorting only (Gulf pegs; KWD, EUR, GBP approximate).
More programmes that take no equity →
Questions founders ask
What does MBRIF offer?
Government-backed bank-loan guarantees.
Does MBRIF take equity?
No equity — loan guarantee.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Open to companies from abroad — Company must be UAE-based or willing to become UAE-based; Guarantee Scheme states it allows applications from any nationality.
How do I apply?
Through its own application form — the Apply button on this page goes straight there.
Sources
Primary source · mbrif.ae · LinkedIn · linkedin.com/company/mbrif