- What
- Equity-free ERF grants from an AED 5M fund plus programmes.
- Who
- UAE startups and SMEs; ERF needs 1+ year of operations in resilience-critical sectors.
- From abroad
- Open to companies from abroad — Presence in the UAE required for onboarding, demo days and showcase opportunities; Must obtain a business license in Sharjah for at least two years All programmes open to founders from abroad →
- Latest
- Last cohort Oct 2026 — SWIF fellowship kick-off and cohort announcement (12 women founders)Newest dated item on its own site · checked Oct 2026
- Timeline
- SWIF: 6-month fellowship, kick-off 5 Oct 2026, graduation 29 Mar 2027 ↗As published by the programme itself
Checked · October 2026 · sheraa.ae · How we check ↗
In detail
Sheraa is an accelerator + incubator in the UAE. Sharjah's startup hub (Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center) — 670+ startups supported; incubated startups have raised 1.14B in capital (site). Programmes: Startup Blueprint, Startup Dojo, Sharjah Startup Studio (S3), Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship and the Access Sharjah Challenge (2025 edition: AED 250,000 POC contract). Runs the AED 5M Entrepreneurs Resilience Fund with equity-free grants.
- Amount
- Equity-free grants (Entrepreneurs Resilience Fund, AED 5M) + programme support
- Terms
- No equity for ERF grants; programme terms not published
- Eligibility
- Programmes from aspiring founders to growth-stage startups; ERF: UAE startups and SMEs with 1+ years of operations in sectors critical to national resilience
- Sectors
- ERF: manufacturing, food security, healthcare, logistics; other programmes not sector-specific on the site
- Benefits
- Coworking
- $1M+ in founder perks
- Mentorship
- Access to government and corporate partners
- Status
- Active
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what Sheraa publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“You are required to obtain a business license in Sharjah for at least two years.”
“UAE'S LEADING EARLY-STAGE STARTUP ECOSYSTEM”
“670+ Startups Supported”
“1.14B Capital raised by Incubated Startups”
“AED 250,000 (~USD 68,000) Proof-of-Concept (POC) contract with Sharjah education regulators (SPEA and SEA)”
“A FUND VALUED AT AED 5M”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare accelerators & incubators in the UAE
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SheraaEquity-free ERF grants from an AED 5M fund plus programmes. | not published | No equity | Active |
| 500 Global UAEEquity investment of US$100,000+ through the Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global. | US$100,000+ | Equity; Phase 1 programme fee US$35,000 | Closed |
| CatalystSeed funding as SAFE notes, pre-seed and seed. | not published | Convertible | Active |
| Disrupt.comVenture builder that co-founds AI-first ventures and funds them from its own balance sheet. | not published | Equity | Open |
| Hub71AED 250K in-kind plus AED 250K cash via SAFE note; AED 250K top-up for high performers. | AED 250K | Equity | Open |
| in5 DubaiSubsidized business licence and coworking workspace. | not published | No equity | Active |
| IntelakAED 50K equity-free grant. | AED 50K | No equity | Active |
| NQubatorIncubation and acceleration programmes; Digital Commerce Cohort. | not published | Equity | Active |
| DIFC Innovation Hub — Fintech AcceleratorRegulatory sandbox access and programme support for fintech startups. | not published | No equity | Closed |
| Hamdan Innovation Incubator (Hi2)Free 16-week tech incubator with mentoring and investor introductions; no cash amount. | not published | No cost to join | Closed |
| Innovate For Tomorrow (Dubai Holding)AED 500,000 to the winner plus a funded UAE pilot; runners-up AED 250,000 and AED 100,000. | AED 500,000 | No equity | Closed |
| Plug and Play Abu DhabiAccelerator programme with potential VC investment. | not published | Not published | Active |
| Presight AI AcceleratorSix-month accelerator with a $50K in-kind SAFE note; no working application link today. | $50K | SAFE | Active |
| startADNo direct investment published; corporate pilots via sprint accelerators. | not published | No equity | 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).
All accelerators & incubators in the UAE → · Across the Gulf →
More programmes that take no equity →
Questions founders ask
What does Sheraa offer?
Equity-free ERF grants from an AED 5M fund plus programmes.
Does Sheraa take equity?
No equity — grant.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Open to companies from abroad — Presence in the UAE required for onboarding, demo days and showcase opportunities; Must obtain a business license in Sharjah for at least two years.
How do I apply?
Through its own application form — the Apply button on this page goes straight there.
Sources
Primary source · sheraa.ae · LinkedIn · linkedin.com/company/sheraa · Checked October 2026