{ "schema_version": 1, "policy": "Archive only officially confirmed closed dated intakes. Keep recurring programme profiles. Inaccessible sources and unknown or indicative dates do not establish expiry. Snapshots preserve the full pre-refresh record.", "rounds": [ { "id": "epic-megagrants-2026-cycle-2", "programme_id": "epic-megagrants", "round_name": "Epic MegaGrants 2026 Cycle 2", "closed_on": "2026-09-04 23:59 America/New_York", "archived_on": "2026-10-18", "reason": "Official timeline confirms Cycle 2 submissions ended on 4 September 2026. Review and award notices continue; the recurring programme is retained.", "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.unrealengine.com/megagrants", "checked_on": "2026-10-18", "access": "read" } ], "record": { "id": "epic-megagrants", "name": "Epic MegaGrants", "org": "Epic Games", "country": "Global", "city_region": "Remote", "source_url": "https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/megagrants", "status": "Ongoing rolling program", "status_class": "open", "category": "H", "opens": "Rolling, always open", "closes": "Rolling", "recurring": true, "eligibility": "Creators, developers, students and researchers doing notable work with Unreal Engine, 3D or the metaverse", "au_eligible": "Yes, global applicants including individuals", "requires_local": "No; remote", "stage": "Concept to production", "themes": [ "xr-spatial", "creative-tech", "immersive-media", "film-music", "generative-ai", "museums-archives" ], "funding_amount": "Grants historically from about USD 5k to USD 500k, no cap stated", "funding_currency": "USD", "support_type": "Grant (non-dilutive)", "equity": "None", "other_benefits": "No obligation to use Epic products commercially; you keep everything you build", "ip_conditions": "You keep all your IP; no exclusivity", "matching_required": "No", "key_documents": "Project description, portfolio, budget, how it advances the ecosystem", "difficulty": "Low to moderate (light application)", "project_match": "XR / spatial computing, immersive storytelling, Infinity Engine music-visuals, museums", "why_relevant": "Among the most founder-friendly creative grants: no equity, keep your IP, individuals eligible, up to substantial sums. Ideal for the Infinity Engine and immersive-media work.", "risks": "Should involve Unreal / 3D / real-time tech meaningfully; competitive at the top end", "confidence": "High", "verify": "Confirm the program is still accepting and current scope", "scores": { "elig": 5, "value": 4, "align": 4, "early": 5, "infra": 3, "ip": 5, "reloc": 5, "cred": 4 }, "pitch": { "project": "Infinity Engine music-visuals pipeline / immersive storytelling", "framing": "A real-time, Unreal-powered pipeline turning music into immersive worlds for a local film community.", "next_step": "Package a demo reel and technical description, submit the rolling application." } } }, { "id": "canada-startup-visa-2025-certificate-intake", "programme_id": "canada-startup-visa", "round_name": "Canada Start-up Visa special 2025-certificate intake", "closed_on": "2026-06-30", "archived_on": "2026-10-18", "reason": "Official IRCC page requires a valid 2025 commitment certificate and application by 30 June 2026, and states that other applications are closed. The programme is paused.", "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa.html", "checked_on": "2026-10-18", "access": "read" } ], "record": { "id": "canada-startup-visa", "name": "Start-up Visa Program", "org": "Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada", "country": "Canada", "city_region": "Nationwide (designated organisations)", "source_url": "https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-up-visa.html", "status": "Ongoing permanent-residency pathway (subject to annual caps)", "status_class": "open", "category": "D", "opens": "Rolling, subject to intake caps, verify at source", "closes": "Rolling / capped", "recurring": true, "eligibility": "Founders with a qualifying business supported by a designated VC, angel group or incubator", "au_eligible": "Yes", "requires_local": "Leads to Canadian permanent residency; requires a designated-organisation commitment", "stage": "Early, scalable", "themes": [ "generative-ai", "ai-assistants", "health", "climate", "civic-tech" ], "funding_amount": "No direct government cash; the designated organisation may invest; PR is the core benefit", "funding_currency": "CAD", "support_type": "Residency pathway plus potential private investment", "equity": "Depends on the designated backer (often equity)", "other_benefits": "Permanent residency, strong AI research ecosystem (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver)", "ip_conditions": "You keep your IP; investor terms vary", "matching_required": "Needs a Letter of Support from a designated organisation", "key_documents": "Letter of Support, business plan, language test, settlement funds", "difficulty": "High", "project_match": "AI research-heavy ventures, health, climate", "why_relevant": "A rare startup route straight to permanent residency in a top AI-research country. Best if a long-term North American base appeals.", "risks": "Requires securing a designated backer first; capped intake; genuine relocation", "confidence": "High", "verify": "Confirm current cap status, designated-organisation list and processing times", "scores": { "elig": 4, "value": 2, "align": 4, "early": 3, "infra": 4, "ip": 4, "reloc": 1, "cred": 3 }, "pitch": { "project": "Deep AI cognitive-architecture venture", "framing": "A research-driven AI company that fits Canada's AI-institute ecosystem.", "next_step": "Pitch a designated incubator or angel group for a Letter of Support." } } }, { "id": "msca-postdoctoral-2026", "programme_id": "horizon-msca", "round_name": "MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026", "closed_on": "2026-09-09 17:00 Europe/Brussels", "archived_on": "2026-10-19", "reason": "Official call component identifies HORIZON-MSCA-2026-PF-01 as closed with deadline 9 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST.", "snapshot_commit": "3a9809599c9a0c413324888bf14fbdc4f82546ec", "sources": [ { "url": "https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/funding/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-2026", "checked_on": "2026-10-19", "access": "read" } ], "record": { "id": "horizon-msca", "name": "Horizon Europe and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions", "org": "European Commission", "country": "European Union (plus associated countries)", "city_region": "Host institutions across Europe", "source_url": "https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/funding/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-2026", "status": "2026 Postdoctoral Fellowships page lists an indicative 9 September deadline; definitive portal status could not be read", "status_class": "recurring", "category": "E", "opens": "Indicative launch 2026-04-09, marked TBC by the publisher", "closes": "Indicative 2026-09-09, marked TBC; not independently confirmed", "recurring": true, "eligibility": "Researchers holding a PhD, applying jointly with an eligible beneficiary; detailed host and mobility conditions must be verified in the definitive call", "au_eligible": "European fellowships accept any nationality; Global fellowships require European nationality or long-term residence. Individual host and mobility eligibility remains unverified", "requires_local": "Requires a European (or associated) host institution; mobility rules apply", "stage": "Research-stage; needs an academic or research host", "themes": [ "ai-assistants", "health", "privacy-data", "climate", "civic-tech", "xr-spatial" ], "funding_amount": "Salary, mobility and research costs (MSCA fellowships are well funded); consortia grants far larger", "funding_currency": "EUR", "support_type": "Grant (research funding)", "equity": "None", "other_benefits": "Salaried research placement, European lab access, publications, network", "ip_conditions": "IP terms set with the host; negotiable, generally researcher-respecting", "matching_required": "Typically no cash match for MSCA; host provides environment", "key_documents": "Research proposal, host agreement, CV, ethics", "difficulty": "High (competitive, academic proposal)", "project_match": "Hyperbaric / measured self-development research, dementia, privacy AI", "why_relevant": "A route to salaried, credible research funding on your health, AI and privacy questions with a European host. Turns a long-horizon idea into fundable science.", "risks": "Needs an academic host and formal proposal; not for a company; success rates are low", "confidence": "Partial source check", "verify": "Confirm current MSCA call, host eligibility and Australia participation route", "scores": { "elig": 3, "value": 4, "align": 4, "early": 3, "infra": 4, "ip": 4, "reloc": 2, "cred": 2 }, "pitch": { "project": "Digitally measured self-development / hyperbaric research or privacy-AI", "framing": "A rigorous research question needing a European host and instrumentation.", "next_step": "Find a willing European lab / supervisor, co-write an MSCA Postdoctoral proposal." }, "verification": { "checked_on": "2026-10-18", "result": "partial", "confirmed_fields": [ "status", "eligibility" ], "unverified_fields": [ "opens", "closes", "au_eligible", "requires_local", "stage", "funding_amount", "support_type", "equity", "ip_conditions", "matching_required", "other_benefits", "key_documents" ], "notes": "Not archived: the source labels its dates TBC and the linked Funding & Tenders page was unavailable. A past indicative date alone is insufficient evidence of closure.", "sources": [ { "url": "https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/funding/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-2026", "checked_on": "2026-10-18", "access": "read" } ] } } }, { "id": "wellcome-discovery-september-2026", "programme_id": "wellcome-trust", "round_name": "Wellcome Discovery Awards September 2026 round", "closed_on": "2026-09-22 15:00 Europe/London", "archived_on": "2026-10-19", "reason": "Official Closed round section gives 22 September 2026 at 15:00 BST, no late applications. Rolling intake from 23 September remains available.", "snapshot_commit": "3a9809599c9a0c413324888bf14fbdc4f82546ec", "sources": [ { "url": "https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/wellcome-discovery-awards", "checked_on": "2026-10-19", "access": "read" } ], "record": { "id": "wellcome-trust", "name": "Wellcome Trust research funding (incl. Mental Health)", "org": "Wellcome Trust", "country": "United Kingdom (funds global research)", "city_region": "London (global reach)", "source_url": "https://wellcome.org/research-funding", "status": "Discovery, mental health, infectious disease, and climate-and-health funding directory available; eligibility and dates vary by scheme", "status_class": "recurring", "category": "E", "opens": "Current intake not confirmed", "closes": "Current deadline not confirmed", "recurring": true, "eligibility": "Researchers, often needing an eligible host organisation; some schemes accept international applicants", "au_eligible": "Not established generally: Australian citizenship, host location and each scheme must be checked separately", "requires_local": "Host organisation usually required; not a company grant", "stage": "Research-stage", "themes": [ "health", "dementia", "ai-assistants", "privacy-data" ], "funding_amount": "Scheme-dependent; no universal award amount", "funding_currency": "GBP", "support_type": "Grant (research)", "equity": "None", "other_benefits": "Prestige, multi-year support, global health-research network", "ip_conditions": "Open-access and data-sharing expectations; IP terms via host", "matching_required": "Often no cash match; host provides environment", "key_documents": "Research proposal, host support, ethics, team", "difficulty": "High", "project_match": "Dementia support, preventative health, mental health, measured self-development", "why_relevant": "A premier funder for your health, ageing and dementia interests, including digital mental-health tools. Turns a wellbeing idea into serious funded research.", "risks": "Requires an eligible research host and rigorous proposal; open-access expectations; low success rates", "confidence": "Partial source check", "verify": "Confirm current Mental Health / Discovery calls and host-eligibility rules for Australia", "scores": { "elig": 3, "value": 5, "align": 4, "early": 2, "infra": 4, "ip": 3, "reloc": 4, "cred": 2 }, "pitch": { "project": "Dementia-support digital twin / preventative-health measurement", "framing": "A digitally measured, privacy-respecting approach to dementia support and prevention.", "next_step": "Partner an eligible research host (a QLD university) and target a Mental Health or Discovery call." }, "verification": { "checked_on": "2026-10-18", "result": "partial", "confirmed_fields": [ "status", "au_eligible", "funding_amount" ], "unverified_fields": [ "opens", "closes", "eligibility", "requires_local", "stage", "support_type", "equity", "ip_conditions", "matching_required", "other_benefits", "key_documents" ], "notes": "The funding directory confirms the research themes. It does not establish that an Australian university is an eligible administering host for every scheme.", "sources": [ { "url": "https://wellcome.org/research-funding", "checked_on": "2026-10-18", "access": "read" } ] } } } ] }