- What
- Tickets QAR 1.5–7M for small enterprises, QAR 3.5–18M for medium enterprises; equity under 50%.
- Who
- Qatari-owned operational companies with active Qatari management, under 250 staff, revenue under QAR 100M.
- From abroad
- Nationals or residents of Qatar — Qatari-owned operational company with active Qatari involvement in management All programmes open to founders from abroad →
Checked · October 2026 · qdb.qa/en/financing-and-funding/equity-and-inve… · How we check ↗
In detail
QDB Istithmar - SME Equity is a direct equity investment (QDB investment) in Qatar. The direct equity programme of Qatar Development Bank for innovative small and growing medium enterprises in Qatar - separate from Ithmar, which is the seed tier. QDB publishes no dedicated product page: the terms sit in the FAQ of its Investment page, and QDB's application form lists it as SME Equity.
- Amount
- Fund size QAR 365M - tickets QAR 1.5-7M for innovative small enterprises and QAR 3.5-18M for growing medium enterprises - less than 50% stake - 8-10 year horizon (5 years deployment, 3-5 years holding)
- Terms
- Yes - less than 50% stake
- Eligibility
- Qatari-owned operational company with active Qatari involvement in management - under 250 employees - revenue under QAR 100M - assets under QAR 50M - innovative small enterprises under 3 years of operations, growing medium enterprises at least 3 years of financial statements
- Sectors
- Sector-agnostic with a preference for strategic sectors - construction, contracting and trade excluded
- Benefits
- Growth capital without a majority handover - QDB stays under 50% - long holding period of 8 to 10 years
- For your investors
- Through its Co-Investment Program QDB co-invests up to QAR 11 million per deal alongside a certified investor; its Partial Guarantee Program covers up to QAR 1.825 million (USD 500,000) per investment round for accredited individual investors, investor groups and investment clubs registered in Qatar. The investor applies, not the startup.Sources · qdb.qa/…/co-investment-program · qdb.qa/…/partial-guarantee-program
- Status
- Active - selectable service on the QDB one-stop application form. No dated 2025 or 2026 deal announcement found, and the QDB year in review of January 2026 does not mention it
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what QDB Istithmar - SME Equity publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“Qatari-owned operational company; Active Qatari involvement in management”
“Size: QAR 365 million”
“Ticket size: QAR 1.5; 7 million and QAR 3.5; 18 million for innovative small enterprises and growing medium enterprises respectively, although exceptions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.”
“QAR 3.5-18 million for innovative small enterprises”
“Target shareholding: Less than 50% stake”
“Number of employees less than 250 Total turnover less than QAR 100 million Total assets less than QAR 50 million”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare state equity in Qatar
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| QDB Istithmar - SME EquityTickets QAR 1.5–7M for small enterprises, QAR 3.5–18M for medium enterprises; equity under 50%. | QAR 3.5–18M | Equity | Active |
| QDB IthmarSeed equity via convertible Musharaka; amount not published; founder adds at least 10%. | not published | Convertible | Active |
| Startup Qatar Investment ProgramSTART up to $1.1M, GROW up to $5.5M, released in tranches against milestones. | up to $5.5M | Equity | Open |
| QDB Pre-seed InvestmentUp to QAR 250K (100K cash, 150K in kind); QDB announced QAR 730K per company in Dec 2025. | QAR 730K | Convertible | 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).
Questions founders ask
What does QDB Istithmar - SME Equity offer?
Tickets QAR 1.5–7M for small enterprises, QAR 3.5–18M for medium enterprises; equity under 50%.
Does QDB Istithmar - SME Equity take equity?
Equity — QDB takes under 50% stake.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Nationals or residents of Qatar — Qatari-owned operational company with active Qatari involvement in management.
How do I apply?
Through its own application form — the Apply button on this page goes straight there.
Sources
Primary source · qdb.qa/en/financing-and-funding/equity-and-investment · LinkedIn · linkedin.com/company/qatar-development-bank · Checked October 2026