Qatar Open Innovation (QOI) Challenges
QRDI Council · Challenge-based pilot funding
$100KUp to $100,000 in QRDI funding per challenge to build and pilot a solution, plus data/pilot-site access
Startups and SMEs solve challenges set by Qatari government bodies (e.g. KAHRAMAA, MoECC) and win up to $100k to develop and pilot the solution.
Key terms
- Solutions typically need TRL 5+
- Stages: scouting, shortlisting, evaluation, awarding (~6 months)
- No live challenges as of Oct 2026 (11 past programs closed)
- Country eligibility set per challenge
Eligibility
- Where
- Worldwide
- Stages
- seed, series-a, growth
- Needs VC/accelerator backing
- No
- Needs partner referral code
- No
- Must be incorporated
- No
- AI focus required
- No
- Students / researchers
- Not eligible
- Nonprofits
- Not eligible
Also required
- TRL 5+ solution
- Rules vary per challenge
How to apply
Sign up on qoi.qrdi.org.qa, submit the participation form and proposal deck during a challenge's scouting phase.
- Benefit
- cash
- Equity-free
- Yes
- Decision time
- ~6 months
- Credit validity
- —
- Deadline
- Challenge-based
- Status
- Paused — next round TBA
Verified 2026-10-23 · source