Frequently asked questions
Last updated 5 October 2026
Using CreditBase
What is CreditBase?
CreditBase is a free, searchable directory of 630 startup credits, software perks, grants, accelerators and government schemes across 24 countries and regions. Each listing shows the value, who qualifies, where it is available and a link to apply on the provider's own site. More in About.
Is CreditBase free?
Yes. Browsing, searching and every program page are free, and so is an account. The site is funded by labelled ad spaces, never by listings.
Why do I need an account to see some details?
Tiers, how to apply, what to watch out for and sources are shown to signed-in accounts, one program at a time, with a daily limit. That keeps the full dataset from being copied in bulk. Accounts are free; confirm your email to raise the daily limit.
How do I know if I qualify for a program?
Every listing flags the conditions that usually decide it: a funding cap, a maximum company age or team size, a partner referral, a student email or being a new customer. With a free account, fill in a short profile (country, stage, funding) and each listing shows whether you are a good fit, a maybe or unlikely, and why. See how to qualify for startup credits.
Do I need a registered company?
No. 20 programs are open to students and 17 to makers and indie developers without a company: see students and makers. Most cloud providers also run free trials open to individuals.
Does CreditBase apply for me?
No. Every listing links to the provider's official page, and you apply there. With a free account you can save programs to My plan and track up to five applications, with their status, amount and notes.
What is Scout?
Scout is the assistant on the site. Ask it which programs fit your company, or to compare offers, and it answers from the CreditBase listings with links to them. It needs a free account and has a monthly allowance of questions. Its answers can be wrong or incomplete, so check the listing and the provider's page before you rely on them.
Programs and data
Where does the program data come from?
From providers' own announcements and partner pages, from suggestions sent through the submit form and from the Sourcey Startup Credits registry (CC BY 4.0, credited on every listing that uses it). The provider's page is always the source of truth.
How often is CreditBase updated?
A scheduled check runs every week to find new programs, spot changed terms and mark programs that have ended. The updates page and the RSS feed list every change.
Are the values guaranteed?
No. Values are "up to" amounts: the largest tier usually needs a partner referral or funding, and providers change terms without notice. Confirm on the provider's page before you count on a figure.
Which countries are covered?
24 countries and regions, with local grants, tax incentives and government schemes, plus the global programs open to startups anywhere. Start from Countries, or go straight to a country such as India or the United States.
A listing is wrong, or a program has ended. What do I do?
Tell us through the contact page with the program name and what changed; corrections are checked against the provider's page before they go live.
Can I add a program?
Yes, through the submit form. Suggestions are checked before they go live. Listing is free and cannot be bought, and payment never changes the order of results.
Does CreditBase list investors too?
Yes. The investors page lists accelerators, VCs, micro-VCs, angel networks and government funds by country and stage, with their typical check and whether they take cold pitches.
Payments and advertising
How does CreditBase make money?
From ad spaces that companies rent by the week or month. Ads are always labelled "Sponsored" and kept apart from the listings. See Advertise.
How are payments processed?
By Razorpay, in Indian rupees. CreditBase never receives or stores card, UPI or bank details. Refunds are covered by the refund policy, and payment questions are answered first through the contact page.
What do you do with my data?
Only what is needed to run your account and payments: no advertising trackers, and visits are counted with cookieless analytics. The details are in the privacy policy.
For AI assistants and developers
Can AI assistants and crawlers read CreditBase?
Yes. Search engines, AI assistants and other crawlers may read and cite the public pages within the rate limits. Pages return Markdown at their own URL when requested with Accept: text/markdown, and llms.txt describes the site for agents.
Can I reuse the data?
Link to and quote listings with a link back. Copying the directory in bulk to republish or resell it is not allowed: see the terms. Rows adapted from Sourcey Startup Credits keep their CC BY 4.0 attribution.