Registered nonprofits can get most of their office software free, and open-source maintainers and researchers have their own free plans, credits and grants. When we checked on 12 and 13 October 2026, Google offered Workspace for Nonprofits free for up to 2,000 users and up to $10,000 a month in Search ads. Microsoft gave up to 300 free Business Basic seats plus a $2,000 yearly Azure grant. Canva gave Pro to one team of up to 50, and Slack gave Pro to workspaces of up to 250 members. Every program checks your status first.
Jump to nonprofits, open-source maintainers or researchers. We checked each program’s official page on 12 and 13 October 2026. Free seats, credits (a prepaid balance the provider draws down as you use it) and in-kind ads (ad space Google gives instead of money) are not cash, and each section says what happens when the free part ends.
Google Ad Grants
$10,000
Monthly ceiling on in-kind Google Search ads for verified nonprofits
Claude for Open Source
6 months
Of Claude Max 20x for maintainers who meet one threshold
Anthropic AI for Science
$20,000
Most you can get in Claude API credits, for a 6-month research period
Best free offers to start with
Two starting points for each reader. Each card opens the full entry.
Nonprofits: office softwareGoogle for NonprofitsFree Google Workspace for up to 2,000 usersOne verification opens Workspace, Ad Grants, Maps and YouTube, each switched on separately. Indian NGOs need FCRA registration.Nonprofits with a website to promoteGoogle Ad GrantsUp to $10,000 a month in Google Search adsIn-kind ads, not cash. Keep a 5% click-through rate to stay active.Maintainers of widely used projectsClaude for Open SourceAnthropic6 months of Claude Max 20x free (normally $200 a month)Meet one of six tests, from downloads to merged pull requests. Only approved applicants hear back.Maintainers of popular GitHub reposFree GitHub Copilot Pro for open-source maintainersFree Copilot Pro (normally $10 a month)No form. GitHub checks every month, and if you qualify you claim the offer in your Copilot settings.PhD students, postdocs and facultyGoogle Cloud research creditsUp to $1,000 a year for PhD studentsFaculty and postdocs get one award of up to $5,000. India is on the country list. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for review.Life-science researchers using AIAI for ScienceAnthropicClaude API credits, up to $20,000 for 6 monthsReviewed monthly. Proposals are judged on scientific merit and go through a biosecurity screen.
Free credits and software for nonprofits
Every offer starts with proof that you are a registered charity in your country. Google, Canva, Atlassian, Asana, monday.com, OpenAI and Anthropic use the country rules of Goodstack, a nonprofit verification service. Most programs exclude government bodies, hospitals and political groups, and many exclude schools, though Salesforce accepts schools and universities.
| Program | Free or discount | What you get | Indian NGOs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google for Nonprofits | Free | Workspace for Nonprofits for up to 2,000 users; Maps credits from $250 a month | Yes, with FCRA |
| Google Ad Grants | Free, in kind | Up to $10,000 a month in Google Search ads | Yes, with FCRA |
| Microsoft for Nonprofits | Free, plus discounts | Up to 300 Business Basic seats; $2,000 Azure grant a year | Yes, with FCRA |
| Canva Nonprofits | Free | Canva Pro for one team of up to 50 | Yes, with FCRA |
| Slack for Nonprofits | Free | Slack Pro for workspaces of 250 members or fewer | Unclear |
| Atlassian Social Impact License | Free up to 25 users | Jira, Confluence or Loom; from 26 users every seat is 75% off | Yes, with FCRA |
| Salesforce Power of Us | Free | 10 Nonprofit Cloud Core licences | Trust or society certificate |
| monday.com for Nonprofits | Free | First 10 seats | Yes, with FCRA |
| Cloudflare Project Galileo | Free | Business-plan protection for at-risk public-interest groups | Yes |
| Claude for Nonprofits | Discount | Claude Team at $8 a user a month, $3 in low and middle-income countries; minimum 2 seats | Yes, with FCRA |
| OpenAI for Nonprofits | Discount | ChatGPT Business at $8 a user a month on annual billing, $10 monthly | Yes, with FCRA |
| Asana for Nonprofits | Discount | 50% off paid plans | Yes, with FCRA |
| HubSpot for Nonprofits | Discount | 40% off Professional or Enterprise, North America, Australia and New Zealand only | No |
| AWS Nonprofit Credit Program | Credit for a fee | US: $1,000 a year for a $95 fee if your budget is under $10M | Not confirmed |
| TechSoup | Membership | Core free, Plus $200 a year; donated or discounted tech | Yes, via TechSoup India |
| AWS Imagine Grant | Competitive grant | Cash plus AWS credit; the 2026 cycle has closed | No |
We could not confirm every detail for Asana, monday.com, Salesforce and the AWS credit on an official page (we mark these medium confidence), so check their terms before you apply. TechSoup sells that same AWS credit, so count it once. Most small US nonprofits get $1,000: AWS advertises up to $5,000, but on TechSoup’s US page that tier needs a budget over $50 million.
Google for Nonprofits: one check, several products
Google for Nonprofits verifies you once through Goodstack, then you switch on Workspace, Ad Grants, Maps and YouTube one by one. Google says most reviews take 2 to 14 working days.
- Workspace for Nonprofits: free for up to 2,000 users, with 100 TB of pooled storage.
- Paid upgrades: Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 a user a month on 1-year terms ($4.20 and $7.40 billed monthly).
- Maps: credits from $250 a month, switched on by someone with admin access to the billing account.
- YouTube: nonprofit features are included, but the YouTube Giving fundraising tools are US-only.
Google Ad Grants
Google Ad Grants gives verified nonprofits up to $10,000 a month of in-kind text ads on Google.com Search: ad space, never money. The $10,000 is a ceiling. You spend only what your ads win in auctions, and unused budget does not roll over. To stay active:
- Keep a 5% click-through rate (the share of people who see your ads and click) across the account. Miss it two months in a row and Google deactivates the account for a time.
- If your account was created on or after 22 April 2019, use Smart bidding (Google’s automatic bidding) set to conversions, such as donations or sign-ups, and record at least one conversion a month.
Billing trap: after approval, accept the payments-profile invitation Google sends, but do not add a card or create your own Google Ads account. Google says nonprofits are not charged.
Microsoft for Nonprofits after the 2025 changes
From 1 July 2025 Microsoft ended the free Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Office 365 E1 grants. Existing grant licences expire at your next renewal.
- Before renewal: move users to Business Basic or a paid plan by hand, or you risk losing data.
- Still free: up to 300 Business Basic seats, and an Azure grant of $2,000 a year (cut from $3,500 for sponsorships ending on or after 1 October 2023).
- Azure grant rules: it needs a credit card, switches to pay-as-you-go once the credit is used up and does not roll over.
- Use the seats: Microsoft can cut access if fewer than 85% of granted licences are in active use.
- Business Premium now: $5.50 a user a month, billed annually, on Microsoft’s own page. TechSoup’s Microsoft page still offered 10 free Business Premium licences on 12 October 2026, so go by Microsoft.
When the free part runs out
- Canva: past 50 users you move to Canva Enterprise at 50% off, not cheap extra seats.
- Slack: past 250 members you pay for Pro at 85% off, and fees paid before approval are not refunded.
- Salesforce: only the first 10 licences are free; paid Nonprofit Cloud editions cost $70 to $285 a user a month, billed annually.
- monday.com: seats from the 11th are 70% off; miss the yearly eligibility check and you pay full price.
- Atlassian: at 26 users or more you pay for every seat, not only the extra ones, at 75% off (85% in World Bank low and lower-middle income countries). Cut back to 25 users or fewer and the free tier returns at your next renewal.
Claude for Nonprofits is a discount, not a free plan, and Anthropic points organisations with fewer than five employees to individual Pro at $20 a month. Our Claude for finance and accounting guide explains what each Claude plan adds.
Indian nonprofits: registration and FCRA rules
Google for Nonprofits, Google Ad Grants and Microsoft accept an Indian society, trust or Section 8 company (a nonprofit company under India’s Companies Act) only if it also holds valid FCRA registration (under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, which governs foreign funds). Goodstack applies the same rule for Canva, Atlassian, Asana, monday.com, OpenAI and Claude, which rules out many small NGOs.
- Salesforce Power of Us: its 2023 guidelines ask for a trust or society certificate and list no FCRA rule. Section 8 companies are not named, so check first.
- TechSoup India: run by NASSCOM Foundation. International donor products need FCRA; NGOs without it may still get local donor offers.
- AWS nonprofit credits: we could not confirm an Indian partner, fee or rules when we checked on 12 October 2026.
- Not open in India: the AWS Imagine Grant (US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and HubSpot for Nonprofits (North America, Australia and New Zealand).
- Lower prices: the World Bank’s income list for its 2027 financial year puts India in the lower-middle income group, so Claude Team should cost $3 a user a month and Atlassian’s paid apps 85% off.
No FCRA registration? Start with Salesforce and TechSoup India’s local offers. At-risk human rights, media and civil society groups can apply to Project Galileo, which states no country limit. Indian startup and government schemes are on our page of startup credits and grants in India.
Every nonprofit program we track
A to Z. The Open to Indian applicants filter keeps programs that need FCRA registration, so read each entry’s India line. The list also includes Cloudflare’s Athenian Project for completeness: it serves US state and local election offices only, not nonprofits.
Show only
No programs match these filters.
Skip past this listAsana for Nonprofits
AsanaActiveVerified nonprofits (via Goodstack)
Nonprofits
50% off paid Asana plans
50% off paid Asana plans for eligible nonprofits; Enterprise via sales. Discount lasts as long as you stay on Asana.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Asana for Nonprofits
- Who qualifies
- US 501(c)(3) organisations and public libraries, or equivalent international charitable status
- Not eligible: hospitals and hospital auxiliaries, organisations that fail the reviewers’ anti-discrimination rules
- Verified by Goodstack (Percent)
- How long
- Ongoing while you remain a customer
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country list; ‘equivalent international designations’ accepted
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated and verification runs through Goodstack, which accepts Indian societies, trusts and Section 8 companies with FCRA registration.
- How to apply
- Complete the short form on the nonprofit page, then use the emailed discount code when buying a plan.
- Watch out for
- Plan names on the page conflict; confirm which tier the code applies to before paying
- Schools may be pointed to Asana for Education instead
- Status note
- 50% discount confirmed on 12 October 2026. The page is inconsistent: plan names (Starter/Advanced vs Premium/Business) and whether schools qualify (FAQ lists K-12 and higher education; another section sends them to Asana for Education).
Official page for Asana for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Athenian Project
CloudflareActiveUS election-office websites only
Nonprofits
Free enterprise-level Cloudflare protection
Free enterprise-level Cloudflare security and performance for US state, county and municipal websites that run elections, voter registration or results reporting.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Athenian Project
- Who qualifies
- US state, county or municipal government site
- Site must cover election administration, voter data or results reporting
- How long
- Ongoing
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- United States only
- India
- No. US election offices only.
- How to apply
- Use the sign-up button on the Athenian Project page; Cloudflare guides you through adding the election site.
- Watch out for
- Not for campaigns, NGOs or non-US governments
- Audience is US government election offices, not nonprofits, startups or individuals
- Status note
- Sign-up open on 12 October 2026. The page still refers to the 2020 US elections, so its content is dated.
Official page for Athenian Project (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Atlassian Social Impact License (formerly Community License)
AtlassianChanged 25 February 2026Verified nonprofits/social enterprises
Nonprofits
Jira, Confluence or Loom free for up to 25 usersBest case: Over 25 users: all seats 75% or 85% off
100% off Jira, Confluence (Standard/Premium), Loom (Business/Business+AI) or Teamwork Collection for up to 25 users; otherwise 75% off cloud and Marketplace apps, 85% in low/lower-middle income countries.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Atlassian Social Impact License (formerly Community License)
- Who qualifies
- Recognised nonprofit in its country of registration under Goodstack’s criteria, or a valid social enterprise under Atlassian and Goodstack’s definition
- Non-governmental and non-political
- Must not harm the environment, human rights or public safety
- Goodstack vets each application; Atlassian decides at its sole discretion
- How long
- No end date stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Global, using Goodstack’s country rules; 85% Global Access tier for World Bank low and lower-middle income countries
- India
- Yes. The World Bank FY2027 list puts India in the lower-middle income group, so Indian nonprofits should get the 85% Global Access tier on paid apps. Goodstack requires a society, trust or Section 8 company with FCRA registration.
- How to apply
- Submit the Social Impact License request form linked from Atlassian’s nonprofit page; Goodstack verifies, then apply the discount to your cloud site.
- Watch out for
- The 100% offer covers up to 25 users only
- Atlassian can deny or end a discounted licence at any time and may ask for more documents at review
- Rovo and Atlassian platform apps are included; check usage limits before relying on AI features
- Above 25 users every seat is charged at 75% off (85% with Global Access), not only the extra seats; if you drop back below 25 seats, the 100% discount returns at renewal
- Status note
- Atlassian’s blog dated 25 February 2026 renamed Community licences to Social Impact licences and added the 100% (up to 25 users) and 85% Global Access tiers. The nonprofit page on 12 October 2026 says ‘Now available’ with no end date.
AWS Imagine Grant
Amazon Web ServicesActiveCompetitive grant; 2026 cycle closed
Nonprofits
Up to $50,000 cash + $20,000 AWS creditBest case: Up to $200,000 + $100,000 credit (Pathfinder)
Competitive grants: Pathfinder (frontier AI) up to $200,000 cash + $100,000 AWS credit; Go Further, Faster up to $150,000 + $100,000; Momentum to Modernize up to $50,000 + $20,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for AWS Imagine Grant
- Who qualifies
- Registered 501(c) nonprofit based in the US (UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have their own versions)
- Any budget size, any cause
- Educational institutions excluded
- Pathfinder needs frontier AI (generative, agentic or autonomous) as a core workload
- Past winners are advised to wait a cycle unless the project is clearly different
- How long
- One-off award per annual cycle
- Referral or funding needed
- No, but highly competitive; one application per organisation per cycle
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not applicable
- Countries
- Organisations headquartered in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
- India
- No. Not open to Indian organisations; only US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are listed.
- How to apply
- Sign up for alerts on the AWS Imagine Grant page and submit in the portal when Round One opens (it opened 19 March this cycle); Round Two is by invitation.
- Watch out for
- Amounts are maximums; AWS sets actual awards at its discretion
- Short annual window; missing Round One means waiting a year
- Using AWS is not required, but the grant suits projects that will build on AWS
- Status note
- The 2026 cycle was closed on 12 October 2026. Published US timeline: Round One 19 March to 5 June, Round One results and Round Two invites 14 July, invite-only Round Two 10 August to 14 September, results mid-November, winners announced 1 December. The Children’s Health Innovation Award is invitation-only in 2026.
Official page for AWS Imagine Grant (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
AWS Nonprofit Credit Program (via TechSoup)
Amazon Web ServicesActiveVerified via TechSoup; admin fee applies
Nonprofits
$1,000 AWS credit a year ($95 fee, US)Best case: $5,000 for budgets over $50M (US)
AWS Promotional Credit once per fiscal year via TechSoup. In the US the amount depends on budget: $1,000 (under $10M, $95 fee), $2,000 ($10-50M, $190 fee) or $5,000 (over $50M, $475 fee).
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for AWS Nonprofit Credit Program (via TechSoup)
- Who qualifies
- US: 501(c)(1), (3), (8), (9), (11), (12), (14) or (15) organisations, or public libraries with 501(c)(3) status or in the IMLS database
- Outside the US: validated through a TechSoup partner NGO (check techsoup.global)
- Credit tier is set by annual budget on TechSoup’s US page
- Educational institutions are not eligible (pointed to AWS Educate)
- How long
- 12 months per TechSoup (AWS says at least 1 year or until used); one request per fiscal year (1 July to 30 June)
- Referral or funding needed
- No; request through TechSoup (US) or a TechSoup partner NGO and pay an admin fee
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Offered globally through TechSoup and its partner NGOs; check techsoup.global for your country
- India
- Unclear. AWS says the program is global via TechSoup partner NGOs, but we could not confirm an Indian partner, its fee or its rules on 12 October 2026.
- How to apply
- Register with TechSoup (US) or your country’s TechSoup partner, request the AWS credit for your budget tier and pay the admin fee, then redeem the emailed promo code under Credits in the AWS Billing console.
- Watch out for
- Most small nonprofits get $1,000, not $5,000; the $5,000 tier is for budgets over $50 million on TechSoup US
- TechSoup charges an admin fee ($95, $190 or $475 in the US); fees and amounts outside the US are set by the local partner
- Credits do not cover Reserved Instances, AWS Marketplace, Route 53 domain registration or transfer, Mechanical Turk, crypto mining, upfront fees or some support plans
- After credits expire or run out, normal AWS rates apply automatically
- Status note
- AWS’s page on 12 October 2026 still says ‘up to $5,000’. TechSoup’s US request page (copyright 2026) shows the budget tiers: $1,000 for a $95 admin fee, $2,000 for $190 and $5,000 for $475. An undated TechSoup blog post says the small-nonprofit amount was cut from $2,000 to $1,000 with a lower fee.
Official page for AWS Nonprofit Credit Program (via TechSoup) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Canva Nonprofits
CanvaActiveRegistered nonprofits (via Goodstack)
Nonprofits
Canva Pro free for one team of up to 50 users
All Canva Pro features plus team collaboration tools, free for one team of up to 50 users at registered nonprofits; more seats are 50% off Canva Enterprise.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Canva Nonprofits
- Who qualifies
- Officially registered charitable nonprofit, NGO or social impact organisation, independent of government and not run for profit
- Not eligible: government agencies, political organisations, educational institutions, for-profit companies, most other 501(c) types, grant-making foundations
- Verified through Goodstack using country-specific documents; approval is at Canva’s discretion
- How long
- Ongoing while eligible
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Many countries (Canva says 175+ have nonprofit users); see Canva’s country eligibility list and Goodstack’s per-country rules
- India
- Yes. Canva verifies via Goodstack, whose rules accept Indian societies, trusts and Section 8 companies that also hold FCRA registration.
- How to apply
- Create a Canva account, apply on the Canva Nonprofits page and complete Goodstack verification with your registration documents.
- Watch out for
- Only one free team of up to 50 users; going beyond that means Canva Enterprise at 50% off, not cheap extra Pro seats
- Meeting the criteria does not guarantee approval
- FCRA requirement (via Goodstack) excludes many small Indian NGOs
- Status note
- Terms confirmed on Canva’s nonprofit page on 12 October 2026; no dated changes shown.
Official page for Canva Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Claude for Nonprofits
AnthropicActiveVerified nonprofits (via Goodstack)
Nonprofits
Claude Team at $8 per user a month (min 2 seats)Best case: $3 per user a month in low/middle-income countries
Claude Team at $8 per user a month for verified nonprofits, or $3 per user for nonprofits in low- and middle-income countries; Enterprise from $10 per user a month via sales. Minimum 2 seats.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Claude for Nonprofits
- Who qualifies
- Team (2-150 seats): verified by Goodstack; organisations of 20+ people are routed to sales
- Help FAQ lists 501(c)(3) organisations, K-12 schools and qualifying healthcare organisations
- Not eligible: government agencies, political campaigns, higher education, healthcare systems
- How long
- Ongoing while the organisation keeps nonprofit status
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- Countries where Claude is offered; $3 tier for World Bank low- and middle-income countries
- India
- Yes. India is lower-middle income on the World Bank FY2027 list, so the $3 per user tier should apply. Goodstack needs a society, trust or Section 8 company with FCRA. The help FAQ names US categories, so confirm at verification.
- How to apply
- Verify through Goodstack from claude.com/solutions/nonprofits (about 2-3 minutes for Team), then buy Team seats; larger organisations contact sales.
- Watch out for
- The FAQ points organisations with fewer than five employees to individual Pro at $20 a month, so very small teams may not get the Team rate
- Prices exclude tax; send a tax-exemption certificate to support for a refund
- Team members do not all need the same email domain
- Free AI Fluency for Nonprofits course included
- Status note
- Announced 2 December 2025 as up to 75% off Team and Enterprise. Prices confirmed on claude.com and in Claude’s nonprofit guide on 12 October 2026.
Official page for Claude for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Google Ad Grants
GoogleActiveVerified Google for Nonprofits accounts
Nonprofits
Up to $10,000 a month in Google Search ads
Up to $10,000 a month of in-kind Google Search text ads for nonprofits verified through Google for Nonprofits.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Google Ad Grants
- Who qualifies
- Active, verified Google for Nonprofits account
- Same organisation rules as Google for Nonprofits (no government bodies, hospitals or schools)
- Website must meet Google’s separate Ad Grants website policy
- How long
- Per month, ongoing while the account stays compliant; unused budget does not roll over and Google publishes no annual or lifetime cap
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Countries where Google for Nonprofits is available
- India
- Yes. Follows Google for Nonprofits rules for India: registered society, trust or Section 8 company, and all must be registered under the FCRA (checked 13 October 2026).
- How to apply
- Get verified in Google for Nonprofits, then activate Ad Grants from the nonprofit dashboard and build campaigns in the Ad Grants account.
- Watch out for
- $10,000 is a monthly ceiling, not cash; you only spend what your ads win in auctions, and unused budget does not roll over
- Account must keep a 5% account-level click-through rate each month; two misses in a row means temporary deactivation
- Accounts created on or after 22 April 2019 must use conversion-based Smart bidding and record at least one conversion a month
- Needs geo-targeting, at least two sitelink assets, and answers to the periodic program survey
- Search ads on Google.com only; other ad types need a separate paid Google Ads account
- After approval you must accept a payments-profile invitation to access the account; Google says nonprofits are not charged, so do not add a card or create your own Google Ads account during activation
- Google can suspend non-compliant accounts without notice
- Status note
- Google’s Ad Grants FAQ and help pages fetched 13 October 2026 still state up to $10,000 a month of in-kind Search ads, pre-loaded with no roll-over; no dated changes shown.
Official page for Google Ad Grants (opens in a new tab)Checked 13 October 2026
Google for Nonprofits (Workspace for Nonprofits, Maps Platform credits, YouTube Nonprofit Program)
GoogleActiveRegistered charities (via Goodstack)
Nonprofits
Free Google Workspace for up to 2,000 users
Free Google Workspace for Nonprofits (up to 2,000 users, 100 TB pooled storage), Business Standard $3.50 and Business Plus $6.16 per user a month on 1-year terms, Maps credits from $250 a month, YouTube nonprofit features.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Google for Nonprofits (Workspace for Nonprofits, Maps Platform credits, YouTube Nonprofit Program)
- Who qualifies
- Registered charitable organisation in a supported country, verified by Goodstack
- Must accept the Google for Nonprofits Additional Terms of Service
- Not eligible: government bodies, hospitals and healthcare organisations, schools and universities (their charitable or philanthropic arms can qualify)
- Maps credits need someone with admin access to the nonprofit’s billing account and authority to accept the Maps licence and credits policy
- How long
- Ongoing while the organisation stays verified
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- 180+ countries and regions (Google’s help page lists about 185)
- India
- Yes. India is on Google’s country list. The organisation must be a registered society, trust or Section 8 company AND hold valid FCRA registration.
- How to apply
- Request a Google for Nonprofits account and pass Goodstack verification (Google says most reviews take 2-14 working days), then activate each product separately.
- Watch out for
- Each product (Workspace, Ad Grants, Maps, YouTube) is activated separately after verification
- The FCRA requirement rules out many small Indian NGOs
- Discounted Workspace prices need a 1-year commitment; monthly billing is $4.20 (Business Standard) and $7.40 (Business Plus)
- YouTube Giving fundraising features are US-only
- Free edition and discounted Business plans are capped at 2,000 users
- Status note
- No dated program changes on the pages fetched 12 October 2026. The Maps public-programs page (updated 8 October 2026) says nonprofit Maps credits start at $250 a month and Google Earth credits at $75 a month. Discounted Enterprise editions are listed at 70%+ off with no user limit.
HubSpot for Nonprofits
HubSpotActiveNew customers in N. America, AU or NZ
Nonprofits
40% off HubSpot Professional or Enterprise
40% off list price on new Professional or Enterprise HubSpot products for registered nonprofits in North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for HubSpot for Nonprofits
- Who qualifies
- Registered nonprofit located in North America, Australia or New Zealand
- New HubSpot customer
- Signs a one-year contract
- Professional or Enterprise tier only
- How long
- Annual contract term
- Referral or funding needed
- No; applied through HubSpot sales
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- North America, Australia and New Zealand only (pilot)
- India
- No. Not available in India; HubSpot says the pilot will roll out to other regions later.
- How to apply
- Contact HubSpot sales and state interest in the HubSpot for Nonprofits Program in the form.
- Watch out for
- Starter products and some limit increases are excluded
- Cannot be applied to existing products or subscriptions
- Cannot be combined with other discounts
- Requires a one-year contract
- Status note
- Terms confirmed on 12 October 2026; HubSpot still describes the program as a pilot.
Official page for HubSpot for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Microsoft for Nonprofits (Microsoft 365 grants and discounts, Azure grant)
MicrosoftChanged 1 July 2025Validated nonprofits; one tenant each
Nonprofits
300 free Business Basic seats + $2,000 Azure a year
Up to 300 free Microsoft 365 Business Basic seats, a $2,000-a-year Azure credit grant, and discounts such as Business Premium at $5.50 per user a month (annual). The free Business Premium grant ended in 2025.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Microsoft for Nonprofits (Microsoft 365 grants and discounts, Azure grant)
- Who qualifies
- Nonprofit or NGO with recognised legal status in its country (equal to US 501(c)(3)), public libraries, public museums, and certain US rural and community health organisations
- Not eligible: government bodies and UN entities, schools and universities, most healthcare, public utilities, financial institutions, trade associations, sports bodies, political, labour and fraternal groups, individuals
- One validated grant tenant per organisation
- Validation by a third-party partner: Microsoft’s nonprofit FAQ says it can take up to 7 business days depending on country and document requests (checked 13 October 2026); its Learn eligibility guide still says up to 3 business days, longer if more documents are needed
- How long
- Azure grant is annual; licence grants last while the organisation stays eligible
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Global, with country-specific document rules in Microsoft’s eligibility PDF
- India
- Yes. India is listed in Microsoft’s eligibility PDF. The organisation must be a registered society, trust or Section 8 company AND hold valid FCRA registration.
- How to apply
- Register in the Microsoft Nonprofit Hub (nonprofit.microsoft.com), wait for validation, then activate each grant or discounted offer there.
- Watch out for
- A credit card is required to activate the $2,000 Azure grant in case usage goes over the credit; it is not charged while usage stays within the credit, the subscription switches to pay-as-you-go once the credit is used up, and unused credit does not roll over (Microsoft nonprofit FAQ, checked 13 October 2026)
- Former Business Premium or E1 grant users must be moved by hand to Business Basic or a paid plan before cancellation to avoid data loss
- Microsoft can cut access if fewer than 85% of granted licences are in active use
- Regular attestation to Microsoft’s donor rules is required to stay eligible
- A ‘Nonprofit Portal (Nonprofit Staff Pricing) Trial’ may appear after approval; it is not a grant and has no usable services
- Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on is $25.50 per user a month (annual), not free; Copilot Chat is included
- Status note
- From 1 July 2025 Microsoft discontinued the free Microsoft 365 Business Premium grant and the Office 365 E1 grant; existing grant licences expire at each nonprofit’s next renewal. The Azure grant was cut from $3,500 to $2,000 for sponsorships ending on or after 1 October 2023. The offers page on 12 October 2026 lists Business Basic free up to 300 users and the $2,000 annual Azure grant. (Corrected 13 October 2026 after a second check.)
monday.com for Nonprofits
monday.comActiveVerified nonprofits; reconfirm yearly
Nonprofits
First 10 seats free, 70% off extra seats
Nonprofit Plan: first 10 seats free with no credit card needed, 70% off seats from the 11th (sold in lots of 5), 33% off Enterprise (main page says AI capabilities), free training and support.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for monday.com for Nonprofits
- Who qualifies
- Recognised charity, nonprofit, NGO or social change organisation in its country, with legal documents (Goodstack country definitions)
- Not eligible: hospitals and health insurers, discriminatory organisations, chambers of commerce and trade associations, government-managed nonprofits without an independent board, paid sports, fraternal societies, political organisations, UK Community Interest Companies, schools and universities
- How long
- Annual subscription; eligibility must be reconfirmed each year
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Worldwide, using Goodstack’s per-country document rules
- India
- Yes. Uses Goodstack’s definitions, which accept Indian societies, trusts and Section 8 companies with FCRA registration.
- How to apply
- Fill in the eligibility form on monday.com/nonprofits and upload your registration documents.
- Watch out for
- If you do not reconfirm eligibility each year you are charged full price unless you cancel first
- No refunds for fees paid before approval
- One-year subscription required; no monthly plans
- Extra seats are sold only in lots of 5
- Main page says 33% off AI capabilities while the eligibility page says 33% off Enterprise per user; confirm before buying
- Payments above $7,000 must be made by wire transfer
- Status note
- Confirmed 12 October 2026. The eligibility page calls the free tier the ‘Nonprofit Plan’ but does not map it to a standard plan level.
Official page for monday.com for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
OpenAI for Nonprofits
OpenAIChanged 6 February 2026Verified nonprofits (via Goodstack)
Nonprofits
ChatGPT Business at $8 per user a month (annual)Best case: Up to 75% off ChatGPT Enterprise via sales
ChatGPT Business Standard seats at $8 per user a month (annual) or $10 monthly for verified nonprofits; up to 75% off ChatGPT Enterprise through sales.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for OpenAI for Nonprofits
- Who qualifies
- Nonprofit status validated by Goodstack
- Enterprise discount via sales for larger deployments
- How long
- Ongoing while eligible
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Countries where ChatGPT is available; Goodstack country rules apply
- India
- Yes. No country limit stated, ChatGPT is available in India, and validation is by Goodstack, which accepts Indian societies, trusts and Section 8 companies with FCRA registration.
- How to apply
- Fill in the Goodstack verification form linked from OpenAI’s nonprofit help article, then sign up for ChatGPT Business; the discount applies to Standard seats at checkout. For Enterprise, contact sales.
- Watch out for
- Business Premium seats are not discounted
- No nonprofit discount on the API
- No BAA on ChatGPT Business; Enterprise is needed for HIPAA work
- Existing Business subscribers get a prorated discount after approval
- Status note
- Launched 30 May 2024 (20% off Team, now Business; 50% off Enterprise). An update dated 6 February 2026 raised this to up to 75% off Business or Enterprise. The help article, updated in late September 2026, quotes $8 annual / $10 monthly per Business Standard seat.
Official page for OpenAI for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Power of Us Program
SalesforceActiveRecognised nonprofits and schools
NonprofitsEducators
10 free Nonprofit Cloud Core licences
10 free Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud Core licences for eligible nonprofits, plus nonprofit discounts on more licences; Slack discounts and a Tableau offer via TechSoup.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Power of Us Program
- Who qualifies
- Recognised charitable, nonprofit, educational or social change organisation in its country (K-12 and higher education institutions included)
- US: only 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organisations
- Not eligible: hospitals and academic medical centres (hospital foundations can qualify)
- Tax ID and legal documents; must comply with Salesforce’s Acceptable Use and External-Facing Services policies
- How long
- Ongoing while eligible
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Worldwide except Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and Crimea, per the 2023 guidelines
- India
- Yes. Salesforce’s 2023 eligibility guidelines list India and ask for a trust or society registration certificate. Unlike Goodstack-verified programs, no FCRA requirement is listed. Section 8 companies are not named, so check before applying.
- How to apply
- Apply in the Power of Us portal with your tax ID and legal documents (allow up to three days), then pick your product after the approval email.
- Watch out for
- Every staff member who uses Salesforce needs a licence; only the first 10 are free
- Paid Nonprofit Cloud editions on the pricing page run $70-$285 per user a month, billed annually
- Premier Success is activated when you make your first paid purchase; check what that adds to the bill
- Implementation and customisation are not included
- Status note
- Salesforce’s nonprofit pricing page on 12 October 2026 confirms 10 free Nonprofit Cloud Core licences. The Power of Us page itself describes ‘discounted’ technology without a licence count and still links 2023 eligibility guidelines.
Official page for Power of Us Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Project Galileo
CloudflareActiveAt-risk public-interest groups; vetted
Nonprofits
Free Cloudflare Business-plan protection
Free Cloudflare Business-plan protection (DDoS, WAF, CDN, SSL, Workers, Zero Trust access, Gateway) for at-risk public-interest groups in human rights, civil society, journalism and democracy.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Project Galileo
- Who qualifies
- Live website domain
- Public-interest mission (nonprofit status is asked for)
- Must explain why the organisation is a vulnerable target
- How long
- Ongoing while the site remains in the program
- Referral or funding needed
- No; a partner organisation can sponsor you, or use the contact form
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction on the page; Indian human rights, media and civil society groups can apply.
- How to apply
- Ask a partner organisation listed on the Galileo page to sponsor you, or fill in the contact form with your domain, mission, public-interest role and why you are a target.
- Watch out for
- Not for ordinary nonprofits without a security risk; you must show you are a likely target
- Approval is discretionary and can take time; Cloudflare suggests using the Free plan meanwhile
- Status note
- Running since 2014; protects 2,900+ properties per the page fetched 12 October 2026.
Official page for Project Galileo (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Slack for Nonprofits (Slack for Charities)
Slack (Salesforce)ActiveValid charitable status (via TechSoup)
Nonprofits
Free Slack Pro for up to 250 membersBest case: 85% off Pro/Business+ for larger workspaces
Free Slack Pro for workspaces with 250 or fewer members; 85% off Pro above 250 members; 85% off Business+ at any size; Enterprise discounts for 1,000+ members on request.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Slack for Nonprofits (Slack for Charities)
- Who qualifies
- Valid charitable status with the IRS, a local tax authority or charity commission, or a local TechSoup partner
- Not eligible: political or legislative groups, churches and religious organisations that promote a faith in their mission, schools and student groups, government offices, groups that try to influence public opinion, hospitals and health insurers, private grant-making foundations
- One application per workspace, submitted by a workspace owner
- Reviewed through TechSoup
- How long
- Ongoing while eligible
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country list; relies on local charitable status or TechSoup partner validation
- India
- Unclear. Slack does not list countries; Indian eligibility depends on local charity status or TechSoup partner validation, which we could not confirm.
- How to apply
- Create the workspace, have the owner fill in the Slack for Charities form, and complete the tax-exemption checklist; approved discounts apply within three days.
- Watch out for
- The free Pro upgrade stops at 250 members; growing past that means paying 85%-discounted Pro
- Slack does not refund fees paid before approval
- US nonprofits must send a tax exemption certificate to avoid sales tax
- Status note
- Terms confirmed in Slack’s help centre on 12 October 2026; no revision date shown.
Official page for Slack for Nonprofits (Slack for Charities) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
TechSoup nonprofit technology donations and discounts
TechSoupActiveNonprofits passing TechSoup verification
Nonprofits
Donated or discounted tech, up to 90% off
TechSoup verifies nonprofits and runs a catalogue of donated or discounted tech (Microsoft, Adobe, Dell, Intuit, AWS credits and more) at up to 90% off. Core membership is free; Plus costs $200 a year.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for TechSoup nonprofit technology donations and discounts
- Who qualifies
- Eligible nonprofit, charity or library that passes TechSoup’s online verification; each donor partner sets its own rules
- AWS credits depend on annual budget: under $10M, $10M-$50M, or over $50M
- Microsoft requests now need a Microsoft for Nonprofits account verified by Microsoft
- India (via TechSoup India / NASSCOM Foundation BigTech): registered society, trust or Section 8 company with valid FCRA registration for international donor partners
- How long
- Ongoing; each offer has its own terms (for example AWS credits last 12 months)
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- US site at techsoup.org; other countries are served by local TechSoup partners with their own catalogues
- India
- Yes. India is served by TechSoup India, run by NASSCOM Foundation (bigtech.nasscomfoundation.org). Its eligibility page says Indian NGOs must be registered societies, trusts or Section 8 companies and hold valid FCRA registration to get international donor products; NGOs without FCRA can register and may get local Indian donor offers. Catalogue and fees there differ from the US site.
- How to apply
- Register at techsoup.org (or your country partner, e.g. TechSoup India), complete nonprofit verification, then request products from the catalogue and pay any admin fee.
- Watch out for
- Most items carry an admin fee. AWS credits cost $95 for $1,000 (budget under $10M), $190 for $2,000 ($10M-$50M) and $475 for $5,000 (over $50M).
- Most Microsoft on-premises licences are no longer donated, only discounted. Check Microsoft’s own nonprofit page for current Microsoft 365 terms; TechSoup’s ‘free Business Premium’ line looks stale.
- Catalogues and eligibility differ by country partner. Indian NGOs without FCRA cannot get international donor products.
- The Plus $25 promo code is valid for one year, excludes tax and shipping, and cannot be used on items in the Plus catalogue.
- Status note
- Sites checked 12 October 2026. TechSoup Core is free; TechSoup Plus is $200 a year and adds $0 or reduced fees on selected products (AWS, Autodesk, Constant Contact, Dropbox, BambooHR), a $25 promo code, courses, a tech audit and support. Microsoft: TechSoup’s change page says most on-premises Microsoft donations ended after an ‘April 4’ deadline (year not shown), libraries lost eligibility for donated Microsoft licences, and donated cloud offers remain. That page still advertises 10 free Microsoft 365 Business Premium licences, but Microsoft’s own nonprofit page now lists Business Premium at a 75% discount, so the TechSoup page looks out of date.
Official page for TechSoup nonprofit technology donations and discounts (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Free AI plans and tools for open-source maintainers
Maintainer programs check that the project is open source, usually under an OSI-approved licence (one approved by the Open Source Initiative), and that people use it. AI programs add usage thresholds; tool programs add a non-commercial rule.
Do you qualify for Claude for Open Source?
Claude for Open Source gives 6 months of Claude Max 20x, normally $200 a month. You need any one of these:
- 500+ dependent repos or 100+ dependent packages
- 200,000+ monthly downloads
- listed committer of a recognised foundation or language project
- 100+ merged PRs (pull requests) to repos you don’t own in 12 months
- a repo with 20+ external contributors in 12 months
- an OpenSSF criticality score of 0.4 or more (the Open Source Security Foundation’s 0-to-1 rating of how critical a project is)
You must also be 18 or over, with a GitHub account at least 2 years old, public open-source activity in the last 90 days and an OSI-licensed project. There is also a discretionary ecosystem track.
Watch-outs: only approved applicants hear back, and an unused activation link expires after 90 days. Accepting lets Anthropic name you publicly. If you already pay for Claude, that subscription is paused and resumes after 6 months at your then-current plan and rate unless you cancel; Anthropic emails you at least 30 days before. Paid Max plans include a monthly API credit, but the open-source terms do not say whether the free plan gets it. The program is capped at 10,000 recipients, and Anthropic’s pages give no launch or end date.
Codex for Open Source and Copilot Pro
Codex for Open Source (medium confidence) offers 6 months of ChatGPT Pro with Codex to core maintainers of widely used public projects, plus case-by-case API credits. OpenAI does not say which Pro tier ($100, $200 or $500 a month) it gives, so we put no value on it.
Free Copilot Pro, normally $10 a month, has no form: GitHub checks every month for maintainers of popular repositories, without publishing the threshold. If you qualify, you claim the offer in your Copilot settings. Once accepted, the plan cannot be cancelled.
Developer tools: who counts as non-commercial
If your project sells paid support, hosting or add-ons, several of these exclude it. A for-profit company behind a project should look at free credits for startups instead; our Cloudflare for Startups guide covers one of those programs.
| Program | What you get | Commercial rule | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| JetBrains | All Products Pack | Non-commercial projects; no paid client work | 1 year; renewal not automatic |
| GitLab | Ultimate features and 50,000 compute minutes a month | Donations fine; no paid services or add-ons | 1 year; reapply at least a month before expiry |
| Docker-Sponsored Open Source | No Hub pull rate limits, Docker Scout, a year of Docker Team | No path to commercialisation; donations fine | 1 year, renewable |
| Netlify | 10,000 credits a month | No paid support or hosting; Netlify link and code of conduct | While you comply |
| Sentry | Business features, 5M errors | None stated | No term limit |
| 1Password | Teams account | Not tied to commercial activity; sponsorship fine | While eligible |
| Algolia DocSearch | Hosted search for public docs | None stated; keep the Algolia logo on your site | While you qualify |
BrowserStack, Fastly Fast Forward and Cloudflare Project Alexandria decide case by case and are medium confidence. Applications to Vercel’s program were closed when we checked on 12 October 2026, with no next cohort announced.
Cash grants for open-source projects
These three pay cash, and all three are selective.
| Grant | Amount | When to apply | Indian maintainers |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Secure Open Source Fund | $10,000 per project in tranches, plus $10,000 in Azure credits | Rolling | Yes |
| NLnet (Restack and CodeSupply) | EUR 5,000 to 50,000 for a first grant | Every two months, on the 3rd of odd months; next 3 November 2026, 12:00 CET | Unclear |
| FLOSS/fund | $10,000 to $100,000 a year | Form open; no 2026 tranche posted by 12 October 2026 | Yes |
- GitHub: pays $6,000 during a 3-week security program (15 hours of your time), then $2,000 at 6 months and $2,000 at 12 months after a 2.5-hour check-in each, about 20 hours in all.
- NLnet: replaced its closed NGI Zero funds with Restack and CodeSupply on 3 September 2026. Individuals can apply, but usually at least 60% of the money goes to team members in Horizon Europe-eligible countries (countries that can receive EU Horizon Europe research funding; India is not one). Work mostly generated by an AI model (a large language model, or LLM) is not eligible.
- FLOSS/fund (medium confidence): run by Zerodha from India for existing, widely used projects. Requests above $10,000 go in multiples of $25,000. You apply by publishing a funding.json file, so your application is public, and in 2025 payment took 4 to 16 weeks after the announcement.
Tax: grants, credits and free subscriptions can have tax consequences, and the Claude and Codex open-source terms make tax the recipient’s responsibility. Ask your accountant before you accept.
Every open-source program we track
A to Z, including the three cash grants. Paused programs sit in a separate list at the end: select Show ended and paused to see them.
Show only
Status
No programs match these filters.
Skip past this list1Password for Open Source
1PasswordActiveActive OSS projects 30+ days old
Open-source maintainers
Free 1Password Teams account
Free 1Password Teams account for open-source project teams and organisers of OSS meetups or conferences; lasts while the project stays eligible.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for 1Password for Open Source
- Who qualifies
- Core contributor to a project at least 30 days old, active, under a permissive open-source licence
- Not tied to commercial activity (GitHub Sponsors or Open Collective funding is fine)
- Teams accounts only; you must be an owner, and the steps ask you to add a second owner
- How long
- Ongoing while eligible
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Create a Teams account (14-day trial), add a second owner, then open an application issue in github.com/1Password/for-open-source.
- Watch out for
- Personal, Families and Business accounts do not qualify
- Membership can end if eligibility lapses
- Status note
- Confirmed on 1Password’s GitHub program repo on 12 October 2026.
Official page for 1Password for Open Source (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
BrowserStack for Open Source
BrowserStackActiveOSS projects; case-by-case review
Open-source maintainers
Free Live, Automate and Percy testing (5 users)
Free unlimited BrowserStack Live, Automate and Percy testing for open-source projects: 5 users, 5 parallel sessions, 3,500+ browsers and devices.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for BrowserStack for Open Source
- Who qualifies
- Open-source project (criteria not published)
- How long
- For the life of the project
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Sign up or sign in on the open-source page and submit your project URL.
- Watch out for
- Eligibility rules are not public; BrowserStack decides case by case
- Status note
- Offer confirmed on 12 October 2026; eligibility criteria are not published.
Official page for BrowserStack for Open Source (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Claude for Open Source
AnthropicActiveMaintainers meeting usage thresholds
Open-source maintainers
6 months of Claude Max 20x free (normally $200 a month)
6 months of free Claude Max 20x (normally $200 a month) for qualifying open-source maintainers and contributors; capped at 10,000 recipients unless Anthropic raises it.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Claude for Open Source
- Who qualifies
- Maintainer track (any one): 500+ dependent repos or 100+ dependent packages; 200,000+ monthly downloads; listed committer of a recognised foundation or language project; 100+ merged PRs to repos you don’t own in 12 months; a repo with 20+ external contributors in 12 months; OpenSSF criticality score 0.4+
- Discretionary ecosystem-impact track for others
- Individual, 18+, GitHub account at least 2 years old, public OSS activity in the last 90 days, OSI-licensed project
- Resident of a country where Claude.ai is offered; not Anthropic staff or their family
- How long
- 6 months from activation; activate within 90 days of approval
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- Countries where Anthropic offers Claude.ai, excluding sanctioned persons
- India
- Yes. India is a Claude-supported country; Indian maintainers who meet the thresholds can apply.
- How to apply
- Sign in with GitHub on claude.com/contact-sales/claude-for-oss, describe your planned use and why you qualify (up to 500 words); approved applicants get an activation link by email.
- Watch out for
- Anthropic only contacts approved applicants; silence is not a decision
- Accepting lets Anthropic name you publicly as a recipient (name, GitHub username, projects)
- Overages beyond the plan may be charged at standard rates
- If you already pay for Claude, billing pauses and resumes at your old plan and rate after 6 months unless you cancel
- Unused activation links expire after 90 days
- One subscription per person; inflated metrics (bots, padding) can get it revoked; tax treatment is your responsibility
- Max plans include monthly API credits, but the OSS terms do not say whether complimentary subscriptions get them
- Status note
- Open on 12 October 2026, with rolling review until the 10,000 cap is reached or Anthropic closes it. Anthropic’s pages carry no dates. Third-party reports date the launch to 26-27 February 2026 and a widening of the criteria to about 7 July 2026; neither date is on an official page.
Official page for Claude for Open Source (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Codex for Open Source
OpenAIActiveSelective: core maintainers of key repos
Open-source maintainers
6 months of ChatGPT Pro with CodexBest case: Plus case-by-case API credits from a $1M fund
Six months of ChatGPT Pro with Codex for core maintainers of widely used public projects, plus case-by-case API credits from the $1M Codex Open Source Fund and conditional Codex Security access.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Codex for Open Source
- Who qualifies
- Valid ChatGPT account
- Core maintainer or operator of a widely used public project; others can apply if their project matters to the ecosystem
- OpenAI weighs repo usage, ecosystem importance, active maintenance, your role and program capacity
- Codex Security only for repos you own, maintain or administer, reviewed case by case
- How long
- 6 months (ChatGPT Pro); OpenAI may vary duration and scope per applicant
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit in the terms; void where prohibited
- India
- Yes. The terms set no country limit and only require a valid ChatGPT account; ChatGPT is available in India.
- How to apply
- Apply through the form linked from developers.openai.com/community/codex-for-oss; applying means accepting the program terms.
- Watch out for
- API credits are optional and not guaranteed; the amount per project is not published
- The ChatGPT Pro tier given is not stated
- Benefits may expire if not activated within the period OpenAI sets
- OpenAI says application materials are not treated as confidential
- Recipients handle any taxes on benefits
- Status note
- Developer page open on 12 October 2026 with no deadline. Third-party coverage dates the launch to about 7 March 2026. ChatGPT Pro now comes in Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500 tiers ($100/$200/$500 a month) and OpenAI does not say which tier the program gives, so no dollar value is set.
Official page for Codex for Open Source (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Docker-Sponsored Open Source (DSOS)
DockerActiveNon-commercial OSS, actively developed
Open-source maintainers
No Hub pull limits, Scout, 1 year of Docker Team
Verified DSOS badge, no Docker Hub pull rate limits on your public images, Docker Scout on up to 100 repos, pull analytics, and one year of Docker Team for core contributors.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Docker-Sponsored Open Source (DSOS)
- Who qualifies
- Public Docker Hub repositories with public source code
- Meets the OSI open-source definition
- Active development (image or dependency updates in the past 6 months)
- No pathway to commercialisation (donations allowed)
- How long
- 1 year, renewable
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Submit the application form linked from docker.com/community/open-source/application.
- Watch out for
- Benefits only for project leads and core committers; licences cannot be shared
- Any paid tier or service disqualifies the project
- A separate abuse limit still applies to all pulls
- Status note
- Confirmed on Docker’s program and docs pages on 12 October 2026.
Official page for Docker-Sponsored Open Source (DSOS) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
DocSearch
AlgoliaActivePublic tech docs; keep the Algolia logo
Open-source maintainers
Free hosted search for your docs site
Free hosted search (crawler and index) for public technical documentation and technical blogs, in return for showing the ‘Search by Algolia’ logo.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for DocSearch
- Who qualifies
- Public technical documentation or technical blog, production ready
- Only documentation pages are crawled
- How long
- Ongoing while the logo stays and the site qualifies
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Sign up in the Algolia dashboard, submit your domain for validation, create the crawler and verify domain ownership within 7 days of approval.
- Watch out for
- Removing the Algolia logo makes you ineligible
- DocSearch record and query limits are not published; standard Algolia free plans hold 10,000 records
- Non-docs parts of the site need a paid Algolia account
- Manual review, when needed, takes 1-2 business days
- Status note
- Who-can-apply page updated 6 August 2026 (DocSearch v5 packages); no change to program terms noted.
Official page for DocSearch (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Fast Forward
FastlyActiveOSS projects or their foundations
Open-source maintainersNonprofits
Free or discounted Fastly services, set per project
Free Fastly services for open-source projects and the nonprofits that support them, plus discounted services for projects and their foundations; amounts are set per project.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Fast Forward
- Who qualifies
- Open-source project or supporting nonprofit/foundation
- Open licence, community-centred and working toward secure, trustworthy processes
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Fill in the form on fastly.com/fast-forward; Fastly confirms eligibility and then discusses technical needs.
- Watch out for
- No published benefit sizes; terms are agreed per project
- Status note
- Application form live on 12 October 2026; Fastly publishes no service list, values or dates.
Official page for Fast Forward (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
FLOSS/fund
ZerodhaActiveSelective grant for widely used FOSS
Open-source maintainersSolo developersNonprofits
$10,000 minimum cash grant, larger in $25K stepsBest case: Up to $100,000 per project per year
Cash grants from a fund of up to $1M a year for existing, widely used free and open-source projects. A project can get $10,000 to $100,000 a year. Requests above $10K go in multiples of $25,000.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for FLOSS/fund
- Who qualifies
- Existing, widely used and impactful FOSS project. Very new or little-used projects are not considered for now.
- Publish a funding.json manifest on your site or repo and submit its URL
- Have a bank account and the tax documents your jurisdiction requires
- How long
- Up to $100,000 per project per year. Applications are reviewed in batches (‘tranches’).
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Individuals, projects, groups, communities and organisations apply by publishing a funding.json manifest. The minimum request is $10K.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not applicable
- Countries
- No country limit stated. The fund supports FOSS projects globally and is run from India.
- India
- Yes. FLOSS/fund is run by Zerodha in India and has no country limit. Accepted applicants must supply paperwork such as tax residency documents required by Indian law, which can take up to 4 weeks.
- How to apply
- Write a funding.json manifest, host it on your project website or repository, and submit its URL at dir.floss.fund/submit. That listing is your application.
- Watch out for
- Your application and funding manifest are public in the directory.
- The FAQ says applications are reviewed at the end of each quarter. In practice year one had only two tranches because applications were too sporadic, and no tranche has been announced in the 12 months to October 2026.
- In 2025, payment took 4 to 16 weeks after the announcement because of cross-border paperwork.
- Allowed request sizes are $10K and then multiples of $25K, up to $100K a year.
- Recipients are asked to consider a public acknowledgement with a link; badges are provided.
- Status note
- Launched 15 October 2024. First tranche: $325K to 9 projects (30 May 2025). Second tranche (18 October 2025): 29 projects, $10K-$100K, completing $1M for year one (the post’s table adds up to $645K while its text says $675K). That post planned a fresh $1M for 2026 and a community-based selection process (a FOSS United voting proposal was under consideration, not decided). As of 12 October 2026 no 2026 tranche or update has been posted; the submission form is still open. Status ‘active’ is inferred from the open form and present-tense FAQ.
Official page for FLOSS/fund (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Free GitHub Copilot Pro for open-source maintainers
GitHubActiveAuto-granted to popular repo maintainers
Open-source maintainers
Free Copilot Pro (normally $10 a month)
Free Copilot Pro (normally $10 a month) for maintainers of popular open-source repositories; GitHub checks eligibility automatically every month.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Free GitHub Copilot Pro for open-source maintainers
- Who qualifies
- Maintainer of a ‘popular’ open-source repository (GitHub does not publish the threshold)
- How long
- Ongoing; eligibility re-checked monthly
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. Automatic and global; Indian maintainers see the offer in Copilot settings if eligible.
- How to apply
- Open Copilot settings from your GitHub profile; if eligible, click ‘Get access to GitHub Copilot’ and set the policies.
- Watch out for
- No published popularity threshold, so you cannot apply manually
- Once granted free access you cannot cancel the plan
- Heavy agent use can exhaust Pro’s monthly AI credit allowance
- Status note
- Confirmed in GitHub Docs on 12 October 2026. Copilot now meters usage in GitHub AI Credits; the plans page lists $10 base plus $5 flex monthly credits for Pro. Pro+ ($39 a month) and Max are paid only.
Official page for Free GitHub Copilot Pro for open-source maintainers (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
GitHub Secure Open Source Fund
GitHubActiveSelective fund, rolling applications
Open-source maintainers
$10,000 cash + $10,000 Azure credits per project
$10,000 per project paid to maintainers in tranches, $10,000 in Azure credits, a 3-week security program and Copilot access; possible extra Microsoft for Startups Azure credits up to $150,000.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for GitHub Secure Open Source Fund
- Who qualifies
- Current maintainer, or a team of up to two for one project
- 18+, active GitHub profile, located in a GitHub Sponsors-supported region
- Not a GitHub, Microsoft or affiliate employee
- About 20 hours of commitment
- How long
- About 12 months (3-week program plus 6- and 12-month check-ins)
- Referral or funding needed
- No; rolling applications
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- Regions supported by GitHub Sponsors
- India
- Yes. GitHub Docs list India as a supported GitHub Sponsors region, so Indian maintainers meet the region rule.
- How to apply
- Apply via the form on the program page; shortlisted projects get a virtual interview.
- Watch out for
- Cash is paid $6,000 during the program, $2,000 at 6 months and $2,000 at 12 months, so check-ins are required
- Sessions are scheduled in Pacific Time
- The $150,000 figure is a separate Microsoft for Startups route, not guaranteed
- Status note
- Rolling applications considered for all sessions on 12 October 2026; no cohort dates published.
Official page for GitHub Secure Open Source Fund (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
GitLab for Open Source
GitLabActivePublic OSI-licensed, non-profit projects
Open-source maintainers
GitLab Ultimate + 50,000 compute minutes a month
GitLab Ultimate features (GitLab.com or self-managed) and 50,000 compute minutes a month for qualifying public open-source projects, renewed yearly.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for GitLab for Open Source
- Who qualifies
- Every project in the namespace uses an OSI-approved licence
- Organisation may take donations but not profit from services or paid add-ons
- Group and source code must be public
- Personal namespaces not eligible (convert to a group)
- How long
- 1 year, renewable by reapplying
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Create a GitLab account, then apply through the Customers Portal; GitLab.com groups get a coupon code by email.
- Watch out for
- No support included
- Renew at least a month before expiry (up to three months early) or the group is downgraded
- GitLab Credits for Duo Agent Platform cannot be bought on community subscriptions
- Private projects need written permission
- Seats are counted concurrently; every non-Guest member uses a seat
- Status note
- Terms confirmed on 12 October 2026. GitLab Docs, re-checked on 15 October 2026, give 50,000 compute minutes per month. No dated changes listed.
Official page for GitLab for Open Source (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
JetBrains Open Source Development Licenses
JetBrainsActiveNon-commercial OSS core contributors
Open-source maintainers
All Products Pack free for 1 year, renewable
Free All Products Pack and Team Tools licences for active contributors to non-commercial open-source projects, for one year, renewable.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for JetBrains Open Source Development Licenses
- Who qualifies
- Applicant is the project lead or a core contributor
- Project meets the Open Source Definition and is non-commercial
- Licences only for active contributors with regular, visible contributions; non-code commits do not count
- How long
- 1 year, renewable at JetBrains’ discretion
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated; Indian OSS projects can apply.
- How to apply
- Fill in the request form at jetbrains.com/shop/eform/opensource with the project details and number of licences needed.
- Watch out for
- Licences may not be used for any commercial work, including paid client projects
- Renewal is not automatic; reply to the renewal email, and JetBrains can change criteria
- Licences can only go to the project’s active contributors
- Full versions of team tools (TeamCity, YouTrack, Datalore, Qodana) must be requested in the project description; the IDE agreement excludes them
- Status note
- OSS subscription agreement version 5.0 took effect 1 September 2026; request form open on 12 October 2026.
Official page for JetBrains Open Source Development Licenses (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Netlify Open Source Plan
NetlifyActiveOSS licence, CoC and a Netlify link
Open-source maintainers
Free plan: 10,000 credits a month, unlimited members
Free open-source plan with 10,000 credits a month, unlimited team members and free production deploys; sites stay live if credits run out.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Netlify Open Source Plan
- Who qualifies
- OSI-approved licence, or a Creative Commons licence with attribution or public domain
- Code of Conduct in the repo or linked from the site
- Netlify badge or ‘This site is powered by Netlify’ link on the site
- Non-commercial, including no paid support or hosting
- How long
- Ongoing while compliant
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Submit the form at opensource-form.netlify.com.
- Watch out for
- Removing the Netlify link or hosting non-OSS content can get the plan downgraded
- Commercial projects, including paid support or hosting, are excluded
- Status note
- Terms confirmed on 12 October 2026; extra credits are sold at Pro-plan rates.
Official page for Netlify Open Source Plan (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
NLnet grants: Restack and CodeSupply (successors to NGI Zero)
NLnet FoundationChanged 3 September 2026Competitive grant, Europe-focused
Open-source maintainersSolo developersResearchersNonprofits
EUR 5,000 to 50,000 for a first grantBest case: Larger follow-on grants for proven projects
Grants of EUR 5,000 to 50,000 (first grant) for open-source software, hardware and related work on the open internet stack. Grants can be scaled up for projects with proven potential. Individuals can apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for NLnet grants: Restack and CodeSupply (successors to NGI Zero)
- Who qualifies
- Results must be released under a recognised free or open-source licence
- Strong European dimension: usually team members in Horizon Europe-eligible countries receive at least 60% of the funds
- Proposals in English, plain text, in your own words. Any generative-AI use must be disclosed with the prompts and outputs.
- Restack excludes AI projects unless they already have over 1M active human users and are directly relevant to the stack
- How long
- One grant per accepted proposal. Calls are rolling, with a deadline every two months on the 3rd of each odd month.
- Referral or funding needed
- No. No funding or referral is needed. Individuals, collectives, foundations, NGOs, universities, public bodies, SMEs and companies can all apply.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not applicable
- Countries
- Horizon Europe-eligible countries are the norm. Proposers from elsewhere are considered only for exceptional projects where the proposer has unique technical expertise. No categorical exclusion of persons.
- India
- Unclear. India is not a Horizon Europe country. An Indian maintainer must show a European dimension (for example European team members or citizenship) or exceptional, unique expertise.
- How to apply
- Submit the online proposal form at nlnet.nl/propose and choose Restack, CodeSupply or ‘other/open call’.
- Watch out for
- The NGI Zero Commons and Core funds that most guides mention are closed. Apply to Restack or CodeSupply instead.
- Mostly LLM-generated work (‘vibecoding’) is not eligible. NLnet is revising its generative-AI policy (in place since December 2025) and advises applicants who plan to use LLMs to wait for the new version.
- Amounts are in euros, not dollars.
- Grants are mainly for technical development, and AI-generated projects or proposals are not accepted.
- Status note
- The final calls of NGI Zero Commons Fund and NGI Zero Core have closed; NGI Zero Entrust ran from August 2022 to January 2026. On 3 September 2026 NLnet opened the first calls under the EU Open Internet Stack initiative: Restack (EUR 7M to 2030) and CodeSupply (EUR 400,000 for open calls, software supply-chain security). Next deadline: 3 November 2026, 12:00 CET. Deadlines moved from the 1st of even months to the 3rd of odd months.
Project Alexandria (open-source sponsorships)
CloudflareActiveNon-profit OSS projects; case by case
Open-source maintainers
Cloudflare credits and plan upgrades sized per project
Recurring annual Cloudflare credits and plan upgrades sized to each open-source project: Pro, Business or Enterprise features, more Workers, Pages and R2, Zero Trust access, and a Discord support channel.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Project Alexandria (open-source sponsorships)
- Who qualifies
- Open source under a recognised OSS licence
- Run solely on a non-profit basis and/or aligned with the project mission
- How long
- Annual, recurring
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Apply on cloudflare.com/lp/project-alexandria.
- Watch out for
- Benefits are decided case by case; Cloudflare says small or niche projects can stay on free tiers without credits
- Some applicants on Cloudflare’s community forum report slow or no replies (anecdotal)
- Status note
- Launched 27 September 2024 (Cloudflare blog). The application page sits behind a browser check and could not be read on 12 October 2026, so current terms rest on the 2024 launch post. Credit amounts are not published.
Official page for Project Alexandria (open-source sponsorships) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Sentry for Open Source (Open-Source Sponsorship Plan)
SentryActiveOpen-source projects only
Open-source maintainers
Free Business-level plan (5M errors), no term limit
Free sponsored Sentry plan with Business features and large quotas (5M errors, 1B spans, 100K replays, 5,000 GB logs, Seer for 5 contributors) and no term limit.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Sentry for Open Source (Open-Source Sponsorship Plan)
- Who qualifies
- Open-source project, preferably under a permissive licence (Apache, MIT) linked from the GitHub repo
- How long
- No term limit
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated.
- How to apply
- Create a Sentry org, then submit the form on sentry.io/for/open-source with org, project and GitHub licence URLs.
- Watch out for
- You can turn on an on-demand budget; usage beyond the sponsored quotas then costs money
- Status note
- Quotas confirmed on 12 October 2026 (also 500 cron monitors, 25 uptime monitors, 10 GB attachments); no dated changes listed.
Official page for Sentry for Open Source (Open-Source Sponsorship Plan) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Ended and paused programs (1)
Vercel Open Source Program
VercelPausedCohort-based; applications closed
Open-source maintainers
$3,600 in Vercel credits over 3 years
$3,600 in Vercel platform credits over 3 years plus an OSS Starter Pack of third-party credits for selected open-source projects.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Vercel Open Source Program
- Who qualifies
- Actively developed and maintained open-source project hosted (or to be hosted) on Vercel
- Measurable impact or growth potential; new projects welcome
- Code of Conduct; credits used only for the open-source work
- Fully open-source nonprofits and startups with OSS projects can apply
- How long
- 3 years
- Referral or funding needed
- No; funded open-source companies are pointed to the Vercel Startups Program
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction stated, but applications were closed on 12 October 2026.
- How to apply
- Watch the program page for the next cohort and apply when it reopens.
- Watch out for
- Credits are for the open-source project only
- Applications open only in cohort windows
- Status note
- Cohort-based. Vercel’s page said applications were closed on 12 October 2026 and lists the Spring 2026 cohort; no next window announced.
Official page for Vercel Open Source Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Cloud and AI credits for researchers
Research programs want an academic or nonprofit affiliation, a proposal and patience. Several need an institutional email, and Anthropic does not reply if you are turned down.
| Program | Amount | Review | Credits last | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Cloud research credits | PhD students up to $1,000 a year; faculty and postdocs one award up to $5,000 | 6 to 8 weeks | 365 days after redemption | Listed countries, India included |
| AWS Cloud Credit for Research | Students up to $5,000; faculty and research staff no fixed cap | 90 to 120 days | Set per award | All except greater China |
| Anthropic AI for Science | Up to $20,000 in Claude API credits | Monthly | 6 months | Not stated |
| Anthropic External Researcher Access | $1,000 in Claude API credits, for AI safety research | Monthly | Not stated | Not stated |
| OpenAI Researcher Access | Up to $1,000 in API credits | March, June, September, December | 1 year | OpenAI API countries |
| Gemini Academic Program | Not published (medium confidence) | Monthly | Not stated | Gemini API regions |
| TPU Research Cloud | Free Cloud TPU access if you share results (medium confidence) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Lambda Research Grant | Up to $5,000 in Lambda cloud credits | Not stated | Not stated | No limit stated |
| NAIRR pilot | Compute, model and platform allocation | Monthly | 12 months | US only |
| NSF ACCESS | Explore tier up to 400,000 ACCESS credits, which you exchange for computing time (they are not dollars) | Requests any time | Grant length or 12 months | US-based lead researcher only |
- Google Cloud: master’s students are not eligible, and you need a Cloud Billing account ID before you apply.
- AWS: no fast-track reviews. Indian applicants deal with AISPL, which runs AWS in India.
- OpenAI: credits arrive 4 to 6 weeks after the decision and cannot be extended or renewed.
- TPU Research Cloud: the page does not say whether VM, storage or networking costs are covered, so budget for them.
Two lab offers are plans, not credits. Claude Team plan for scientists gives verified principal investigators (PIs) free Team Standard seats for 12 months, for the first 10,000 scientists; it needs a card and renews at the then-current price unless you cancel. CoreWeave Forge (W&B) gives a free academic licence for up to 100 seats.
The NAIRR pilot and NSF ACCESS need a US-based lead researcher. The NVIDIA Academic Grant Program was not accepting new applications when we checked on 12 October 2026, and no next call was listed. To choose a model for API credits, see our AI Leaderboard; students without a research post, see free credits and tools for students.
Credits are not cash. They expire, and normal rates apply to anything they do not cover. Set a billing alert before you start, and ask your accountant about tax treatment.
Every research program we track
A to Z. Select Show ended and paused to see paused programs. The India filter also hides the US-only programs and those whose country rules are unclear.
Show only
Status
No programs match these filters.
Skip past this listAI for Science
AnthropicActiveCompetitive: proposals judged on merit
Researchers
Claude API credits, up to $20,000 for 6 months
Up to $20,000 in Claude API credits for a 6-month period for researchers at academic and nonprofit institutions, with a focus on biology and life sciences.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for AI for Science
- Who qualifies
- Researchers attached to research institutions (academia or nonprofits)
- High-impact scientific projects, especially biology and life sciences
- Judged on scientific merit, impact, technical feasibility, the team’s subject and AI credentials, and biosecurity screening
- How long
- 6 months
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Not stated; Claude API supported countries
- India
- Yes. No country rule stated on the help article, and India is a Claude API-supported country.
- How to apply
- Fill in the AI for Science application form from the help centre; reviews happen on the first Monday of each month.
- Watch out for
- API only; does not apply to claude.ai
- No reply if not approved
- Proposals go through biosecurity screening
- Status note
- Launched 5 May 2025; help article dated 16 March 2026 confirms up to $20,000 for 6 months and monthly reviews.
Official page for AI for Science (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
AWS Cloud Credit for Research
Amazon Web ServicesActiveAcademic staff or grad students only
ResearchersEducatorsStudents
AWS credits per proposal; students up to $5,000Best case: No fixed cap for faculty and research staff
AWS Promotional Credit for research projects: students can request up to $5,000; faculty and research staff have no fixed cap. Rolling review, typically 90-120 days.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for AWS Cloud Credit for Research
- Who qualifies
- Full-time faculty or research staff, or graduate, post-graduate or PhD students at an accredited research institution
- Institution-issued email address required
- AWS account must be set up before applying
- How long
- Validity set per award
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- Global except the greater China region
- India
- Yes. AWS says the program is global except greater China; in India it is administered by Amazon Internet Services Private Limited (AISPL).
- How to apply
- Set up an AWS account, then submit a proposal via ‘Apply now’ on the program page; updates come from aws-research-credit@amazon.com.
- Watch out for
- No expedited reviews; allow 90-120 days
- EC2 credits cover on-demand and spot instances only
- Check spam for AWS emails
- Indian applicants deal with AISPL, which runs AWS in India
- Status note
- Rolling applications; no pause or change notice on the page on 12 October 2026.
Official page for AWS Cloud Credit for Research (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Claude Team plan for scientists
AnthropicLimited time, first 10,000 scientistsVerified PIs at universities/nonprofits
Researchers
Free Claude Team Standard seats for 12 monthsBest case: Premium seats $15 a month; first 10,000 PIs
Verified PIs get Claude Team Standard seats free (normally $20 a month) and Premium seats at $15 a month (normally $100) for 12 months; 1-25 seats; first 10,000 scientists.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Claude Team plan for scientists
- Who qualifies
- Principal investigator (or equivalent) at an accredited university or nonprofit research institute
- Natural sciences, maths, computer science, engineering or related fields
- Not for companies, CROs or industry R&D
- One plan per lab; PI adds lab members
- How long
- 12 months from sign-up, then the then-current price
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Yes
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Regions where the plan is available
- India
- Unclear. Terms require being located where the plan is available; no country list is given.
- How to apply
- Verify on claude.com/programs/team-plan-for-scientists (institution and research summary; most reviews take 5-7 business days).
- Watch out for
- Renews automatically at the then-current price after 12 months unless you cancel
- No usage for 90 days can end the promo price
- Extra usage is billed at standard rates; API not included
- Annual Premium is $180 per seat, paid up front; charges are non-refundable
- Cannot be combined with other offers; final price confirmed only after verification
- Status note
- Promotional terms effective 27 August 2026; limited to an initial 10,000 verified scientists and may close at any time. No end date stated. Former ‘Team plan for research labs’ subscribers were moved over automatically.
Official page for Claude Team plan for scientists (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
CoreWeave Forge (W&B) free academic licence
CoreWeave (Weights & Biases)Rebranded as CoreWeave ForgeAcademic email; non-commercial research
ResearchersStudentsEducators
Free Pro-level W&B licence, up to 100 seats
Free Pro-level W&B licence for academic research: unlimited tracked hours, 200 GB cloud storage, up to 25 GB a month of Weave ingestion and up to 100 seats. Needs an academic email.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for CoreWeave Forge (W&B) free academic licence
- Who qualifies
- Students, professors and postdoctoral researchers at academic institutions
- Research must not be tied to a for-profit entity
- An active email address at an academic institution is required
- How long
- No end date stated; described as free forever for academic research
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- No
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Yes. No country restriction is stated. Indian university students and researchers with an institutional email can apply.
- How to apply
- Apply through the academic application form at forge.coreweave.com/wandb/academic_application (wandb.ai/academic_application redirects there) using your academic email.
- Watch out for
- Extra cloud storage costs $0.03 per GB
- Research for or with a company does not qualify
- The general free tier is smaller: up to 5 seats, 5 GB a month of storage and 1 GB a month of Weave ingestion
- Status note
- Weights & Biases is now sold under the CoreWeave Forge brand. wandb.ai pricing redirects to coreweave.com/forge-pricing, and wandb.ai/academic_application redirects to forge.coreweave.com/wandb/academic_application. The academic terms are listed on the CoreWeave pricing page.
Official page for CoreWeave Forge (W&B) free academic licence (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
External Researcher Access Program
AnthropicActiveSelective: AI safety research only
Researchers
$1,000 in Claude API creditsBest case: More than $1,000 only in rare cases
$1,000 in Claude API credits (more in rare cases) for researchers working on AI safety and alignment topics.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for External Researcher Access Program
- Who qualifies
- AI safety and alignment research on topics Anthropic rates as high priority
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Not stated; Claude API supported countries
- India
- Yes. No country rule stated; India is a Claude API-supported country.
- How to apply
- Complete the application form linked from the help centre article.
- Watch out for
- API only; does not apply to claude.ai
- No reply if not approved
- No access to non-public models and no exemption from Anthropic’s Usage Policy
- Status note
- Help article dated 16 March 2026; reviews on the first Monday of each month.
Official page for External Researcher Access Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Gemini Academic Program (Gemini for Research)
GoogleActiveAcademic affiliation required
ResearchersStudents
Gemini API credits and higher rate limits
Gemini API credits and higher rate limits for academic researchers (faculty, staff, PhD students) in supported countries; amounts not published.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Gemini Academic Program (Gemini for Research)
- Who qualifies
- Individual affiliated with a valid academic institution or academic research organisation
- In a Gemini API supported country
- Priority areas: evaluations and benchmarks, scientific discovery, robotics and HCI, emergent capabilities, multimodal; other fields welcome
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Gemini API available regions
- India
- Yes. The program links to the Gemini API available-regions page, which lists India (page updated 28 April 2026).
- How to apply
- Submit the form linked from ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/gemini-for-research.
- Watch out for
- Google can grant or remove access and credits at its discretion
- Credit amounts and rate limits are not published
- Status note
- Page updated 23 September 2026; applications reviewed monthly.
Official page for Gemini Academic Program (Gemini for Research) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Google Cloud research credits
Google CloudActiveFaculty, postdocs or PhD students only
ResearchersStudentsEducators
Up to $1,000 a year for PhD studentsBest case: Up to $5,000 once for faculty and postdocs
Google Cloud credits for academic research: PhD students up to $1,000 a year; faculty and postdocs one award of up to $5,000. Credits expire 365 days after redemption.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Google Cloud research credits
- Who qualifies
- Faculty, postdocs or PhD students at accredited universities or eligible nonprofit research institutions
- Master’s students not eligible
- Research proposal (up to 250 words) and a pricing-calculator estimate
- Only in listed countries
- How long
- 365 days from redemption or until used
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Listed countries only; others can register interest
- India
- Yes. India is on the eligible country list.
- How to apply
- Create a Google Cloud billing account, then apply on edu.google.com/programs/credits/research with your proposal and cost estimate.
- Watch out for
- You need a Cloud Billing account ID before applying; check what payment details it asks for
- Activate within 60 days of the project start date you give
- Faculty and postdocs get one award only; PhD students can apply once a year
- Form asks how you will pay after credits expire
- Status note
- Help article on 12 October 2026 gives the amounts and a 6-8 week review. The program page shows no deadlines and offers ‘express interest’ for unlisted countries.
Official page for Google Cloud research credits (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Lambda Research Grant
LambdaActiveSelective research grant
Researchers
Up to $5,000 in Lambda GPU cloud credits
Up to $5,000 in Lambda cloud credits for qualifying researchers to develop and show their work on Lambda instances; selected research may be featured on Lambda’s website.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Lambda Research Grant
- Who qualifies
- Qualifying AI researcher (criteria not detailed on the page)
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- No country limit stated
- India
- Unclear. No country limit is stated; we did not confirm India sign-up on an official page.
- How to apply
- Apply through the Typeform linked from ‘Apply for a grant’ on lambda.ai/research.
- Watch out for
- Selection criteria and credit expiry are not published.
- Lambda may feature your research publicly.
- Status note
- Listed on lambda.ai/research on 12 October 2026; no startup credit program found (lambda.ai/startups returns 404).
Official page for Lambda Research Grant (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot
US National Science FoundationActiveUS-based researchers and educators only
ResearchersEducatorsFunded startups
12-month compute, model and platform allocation
12-month allocations of computing, model and platform resources for US-based researchers and educators, matched by monthly review; datasets and models also available.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot
- Who qualifies
- US-based researchers and educators at US institutions (universities, nonprofits, federal and state/local/tribal agencies, FFRDCs)
- Graduate students need a faculty advisor’s support letter
- Institutional email required
- Must share results and report at 1 and 6 months plus a final report
- How long
- 12 months per project
- Referral or funding needed
- Startups and small businesses need existing federal grants
- Card needed
- No
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- United States only
- India
- No. US institutions only.
- How to apply
- Submit the online form with a three-page PDF proposal on nairrpilot.org; requests in by the 15th are usually decided by the end of the next month.
- Watch out for
- Personal emails such as Gmail are not accepted
- Open until resources are committed or the pilot ends
- Unused allocations may be reduced
- Status note
- Accepting requests on 12 October 2026 with monthly review (call open since 6 May 2024). On 1 September 2026 NSF announced a NAIRR Operations Center led by SDSC (UC San Diego) with TACC; existing opportunities stay on nairrpilot.org.
Official page for National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
NSF ACCESS allocations (Explore, Discover, Accelerate, Maximize)
US National Science Foundation (ACCESS)ActiveUS-based researchers and educators only
ResearchersEducatorsStudents
Explore tier: up to 400,000 ACCESS creditsBest case: 3M credits (Accelerate), more via Maximize
Free ACCESS Credits you exchange for time on NSF-funded computing resources. Explore: up to 400,000 credits. Discover: 1.5M. Accelerate: 3M. Maximize: larger awards in resource units. Classroom use via Discover.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for NSF ACCESS allocations (Explore, Discover, Accelerate, Maximize)
- Who qualifies
- PI must be a US-based researcher or educator at graduate-student level or above
- Institutional email matching your affiliation. Gmail, Yahoo and similar are not allowed.
- Graduate students may lead Explore or Discover with an advisor letter; the advisor must be listed as co-PI (NSF GRFP fellows need no letter)
- US commercial PIs may be eligible but must publish openly. Proprietary work is not supported.
- How long
- Supporting grant length or 12 months, whichever is longer (Maximize: 12 months). Unfunded projects can be extended in 12-month steps up to 5 years. Classroom allocations match the course dates and are usually not extended.
- Referral or funding needed
- No. Funding is not required, but PIs without merit-reviewed funding may hold only one allocation. Explore needs an overview, Discover a 1-page proposal, Accelerate 3 pages with panel review.
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Yes
- Countries
- United States only for PIs. Non-US collaborators can be users if the PI gives justification and gets approval, and they are not on restricted federal lists.
- India
- No. An India-based researcher cannot request or lead a project. They can only be added as a user on a project led by a US-based PI, with approval.
- How to apply
- Register for an ACCESS ID with your institutional email, then submit a request at allocations.access-ci.org. Educators choose Discover for a class and write a one-page description of the course.
- Watch out for
- Credits are not compute time. You exchange them for an allocation on a specific resource provider’s system.
- Only up to half the tier’s credit limit is awarded at first; the rest needs a supplement request with a progress report.
- Unfunded PIs are limited to one allocation.
- Undergraduates and K-12 students cannot be PIs. A faculty member or teacher must lead.
- Allow at least a week after adding students for access to work on a classroom resource.
- Status note
- Credit limits, durations and eligibility re-confirmed on the ACCESS allocations site on 12 October 2026. Explore, Discover and Accelerate requests are accepted anytime. Maximize has review rounds every 6 months.
Researcher Access Program
OpenAIActiveSelective; reviewed every quarter
Researchers
Up to $1,000 in OpenAI API credits
Up to $1,000 in OpenAI API credits for research on responsible AI deployment, safety, societal and economic impact and related areas. Priority to early-stage and under-resourced researchers.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for Researcher Access Program
- Who qualifies
- Research project in OpenAI’s listed areas of interest
- Researcher in a country supported by the OpenAI API
- Bound by OpenAI Usage Policies and its sharing and publication policy
- How long
- 12 months from award; cannot be extended or renewed
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not applicable
- Countries
- Countries supported by the OpenAI API
- India
- Yes. India is an OpenAI API supported country, and OpenAI says it is especially interested in researchers with limited financial and institutional resources.
- How to apply
- Apply through the SurveyMonkey Apply form linked from the program page, describing your research question and planned API use.
- Watch out for
- Credits arrive 4 to 6 weeks after the decision.
- Credits expire after one year, so plan the research to finish within that time.
- You need a SurveyMonkey Apply account to apply.
- Status note
- Applications are reviewed every 3 months, in March, June, September and December. Credits apply to any publicly available model.
Official page for Researcher Access Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
TPU Research Cloud (TRC)
GoogleActiveSelective: must share research openly
Researchers
Free Cloud TPU access for accepted researchers
Free access to a cluster of 1,000+ Cloud TPU devices for accepted researchers who share their results openly.
Some details are uncertain or conflict between official pages. Check the official page before you apply.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for TPU Research Cloud (TRC)
- Who qualifies
- Researchers who agree to share work via papers, open-source code or blog posts and give Google feedback
- Research must follow Google’s AI principles; accept TRC terms and privacy policy
- How long
- Not stated
- Referral or funding needed
- No
- Card needed
- Not stated
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Not stated
- India
- Unclear. The page states no eligibility or country rules, and the TRC terms were not reviewed.
- How to apply
- Submit the express-interest form on sites.research.google/trc.
- Watch out for
- The page does not say whether VM, storage or networking costs are covered; budget for them
- Access length is not stated
- For quick tests, Google Colab offers free TPUs without applying
- Status note
- Express-interest form live on 12 October 2026; no changes noted.
Official page for TPU Research Cloud (TRC) (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Ended and paused programs (1)
NVIDIA Academic Grant Program
NVIDIAPausedPaused; no open call (12 October 2026)
ResearchersEducators
Up to 30,000 H100 GPU-hours or GPU hardware
Up to 30,000 H100 GPU-hours, or hardware such as up to eight RTX PRO 6000 GPUs or two DGX Sparks, for faculty research projects using NVIDIA models and software.
Eligibility, card, India and how to apply for NVIDIA Academic Grant Program
- Who qualifies
- Full-time faculty at an accredited institution that awards research degrees to PhD students
- Project must use NVIDIA pretrained models (ai.nvidia.com) or NVIDIA software
- Past winners must report results before reapplying
- How long
- Per call for proposals
- Referral or funding needed
- No; competitive
- Card needed
- Not applicable
- Work or school email
- Not stated
- Countries
- Worldwide
- India
- Yes. Submissions accepted worldwide when a call is open.
- How to apply
- Wait for the next call for proposals, follow the template exactly and submit through the program portal.
- Watch out for
- Proposals that deviate from the template are not reviewed
- No individual feedback on declined proposals
- Status note
- The program page said it was not accepting new applications on 12 October 2026; no windows listed.
Official page for NVIDIA Academic Grant Program (opens in a new tab)Checked 12 October 2026
Nonprofits, open source and research: FAQ
How much does Google Ad Grants give?
Up to $10,000 a month of in-kind Google Search ads for verified nonprofits, checked 13 October 2026. It is not cash, and unused budget does not roll over.
Is Microsoft 365 still free for nonprofits?
Partly. Up to 300 Microsoft 365 Business Basic seats are still free, but Microsoft ended the free Business Premium and Office 365 E1 grants from 1 July 2025. On 12 October 2026 Business Premium cost nonprofits $5.50 a user a month, billed annually, and the Azure grant was $2,000 a year.
Are ChatGPT and Claude free for nonprofits?
No, both are discounts. On 12 October 2026 Claude Team cost $8 a user a month for verified nonprofits ($3 in low- and middle-income countries, minimum 2 seats), and ChatGPT Business cost nonprofits $8 a user a month on annual billing or $10 monthly. Both check your status through Goodstack.
Who qualifies for Claude for Open Source?
Maintainers aged 18 or over who meet any one of six thresholds, such as 500+ dependent repos or 200,000+ monthly downloads, with a GitHub account at least 2 years old and public activity in the last 90 days. On 12 October 2026 it gave 6 months of Claude Max 20x and was capped at 10,000 recipients.
Is GitHub Copilot free for open-source maintainers?
Yes, if you maintain a popular open-source repository. Copilot Pro, normally $10 a month, is then free. GitHub checks eligibility automatically every month and does not publish the threshold, so there is no form to fill in, and once you accept the free plan you cannot cancel it (GitHub Docs, checked 12 October 2026).
Which open-source grants pay cash?
The GitHub Secure Open Source Fund ($10,000 per project plus $10,000 in Azure credits), NLnet (EUR 5,000 to 50,000 for a first grant; deadlines fall on the 3rd of every odd month, next 3 November 2026, 12:00 CET) and FLOSS/fund ($10,000 to $100,000 a year), as checked on 12 October 2026.
How can researchers get free cloud or AI API credits?
Apply to Google Cloud research credits (PhD students up to $1,000 a year), AWS Cloud Credit for Research (students up to $5,000), Anthropic AI for Science (up to $20,000 in Claude API credits for 6 months) or OpenAI Researcher Access (up to $1,000). AWS takes 90 to 120 days to review (checked 12 October 2026).
Can Indian NGOs get Google for Nonprofits?
Yes, if the organisation is a registered society, trust or Section 8 company that also holds valid FCRA registration, as Google’s help page stated on 12 October 2026. Ad Grants follows the same rule.
Related guides
- Free paid AI plans, and the offers that ended
- Free AI API tiers and credits
- Offers for students and teachers
- Free credits for startups and social enterprises
- Free cloud tiers for when research credits run out
- Every free credit program we track
Please note: we update this page from time to time, but programs, prices and eligibility rules change, and there can be a gap between a change and our update. Check each program’s official page before you apply or accept. Free seats, credits and in-kind ads are not cash, and tax treatment is your responsibility: ask your accountant. This page is not legal, tax or investment advice, and ReconScribe is not affiliated with any program listed.
Sources
- Google for Nonprofits Help: eligibility by country, including the FCRA rule for India (opens in a new tab)
- Google Workspace for Nonprofits: editions, prices and storage (opens in a new tab)
- Google Ad Grants FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Google Ad Grants Help: account management policy (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft: offers for nonprofits (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft for Nonprofits offer changes (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft for Nonprofits FAQ (Azure grant and credit card) (opens in a new tab)
- Goodstack nonprofit definitions by country (opens in a new tab)
- Atlassian: nonprofit discount eligibility and pricing (seats above 25, checked 15 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Nonprofits eligibility guidelines (opens in a new tab)
- Claude for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)
- OpenAI Help: OpenAI for Nonprofits (opens in a new tab)
- Salesforce Power of Us eligibility guidelines (2023, PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- TechSoup India (NASSCOM Foundation) eligibility (opens in a new tab)
- TechSoup: AWS credits for nonprofits, tiers and fees (opens in a new tab)
- World Bank country and lending groups (opens in a new tab)
- Anthropic: Claude for Open Source terms (billing pause and 30-day notice, checked 15 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- OpenAI: Codex for Open Source terms (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Docs: free access to Copilot Pro (opens in a new tab)
- GitLab Docs: community programs (50,000 compute minutes a month, checked 15 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Secure Open Source Fund (hours and payment schedule, checked 15 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- NLnet: submit a proposal (opens in a new tab)
- NLnet: first Open Internet Stack calls, 3 September 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- FLOSS/fund FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- FLOSS/fund blog (opens in a new tab)
- Google Cloud Higher Education Help: research credits (opens in a new tab)
- AWS Cloud Credit for Research (opens in a new tab)
- Anthropic AI for Science program (opens in a new tab)
- OpenAI Researcher Access Program (opens in a new tab)
- NSF ACCESS allocations policy (opens in a new tab)