Most manufacturers in Türkiye have heard of KOSGEB’s interest-subsidised digital transformation loan. Fewer know the Ministry of Industry and Technology runs a second, separate route: a programme that ties digital investment directly to the investment incentive system. It targets larger projects, asks for more paperwork and, in the end, gives the company the status of a “digital transformation centre”. Whether it fits you depends on how the mechanism works.
What the programme is and what it rests on
The programme is based on an implementing communiqué published in the Official Gazette on 26 July 2024 (issue 32613). Its stated aim is to integrate technological products and solutions into business processes so that costs fall and efficiency, quality, and employee and customer satisfaction improve. The General Directorate of National Technology (MTGM) runs applications, reviews, monitoring and completion.
An amending communiqué in the Official Gazette of 12 July 2025 (issue 32954) changed an important point: the communiqué was renamed “Digital Transformation Programme” (the word “support” was dropped), and the legal basis moved to Presidential Decision No. 9903 of 29 May 2025. The biggest practical change concerns the money threshold. The fixed minimum of 30 million lira in the original text was removed and replaced by references to the amounts in the Decision, for priority investments and for the strategic move programme.
So the widely repeated “minimum 30 million lira” is outdated. Confirm the current threshold in the Decision and on the Ministry’s portal before you plan anything.
Which investments are in, which are out
According to the communiqué, the programme supports digital transformation investments within the company’s existing activities that aim at lower costs, higher productivity and quality. Eligible expenditure comes from a product list set by the Ministry, which can be revised as the economy and technology change.
Excluded:
- Complete line modernisation aimed directly at increasing capacity
- New investments and capacity expansions
- Subjects on the list of investments that are not incentivised
A new production line is not what this programme is for. It targets items that digitise an existing process: ERP, production monitoring, data collection, planning and automation. Use the Ministry’s current list as the final word.
The application flow, step by step
Per the 2024 text (read it as a checklist, since the 2025 amendment updated some conditions):
- A capital company resident in Türkiye applies through the Ministry’s portal.
- The application includes an investment plan and a roadmap, prepared within the last 6 months, that contains a digital maturity assessment.
- MTGM reviews it within 30 working days. If something is missing, the company is notified and the application is rejected if the gap is not closed within 3 months.
- An approved plan sends the expenditure list to the General Directorate of Incentive Implementation and Foreign Capital.
- From the date the incentive certificate is issued, the company holds digital transformation centre status, and MTGM issues the corresponding document.
The same text also listed conditions such as at least 5 years of operation and working in a main activity area announced by the Ministry. Check how these stand after 2025.
Obligations after the certificate
Getting the certificate is not the end. The communiqué spells out the monitoring duties:
- An annual progress report is due through the portal by the end of January of the following year. A company without a current report cannot have revision requests assessed.
- For the completion visa, a digital maturity assessment made within the last 3 months must be uploaded.
- Staff who will work on the investment must attend the training and consultancy programmes MTGM organises. Without completing them, no completion visa is issued.
- If the investment is not completed, the company loses both priority investment status and digital transformation centre status.
Note the pattern: maturity is measured twice, at the start and at the end. You have to show on paper that the investment actually moved the needle.
How it differs from the KOSGEB loan
| Feature | KOSGEB digital transformation loan | Digital Transformation Programme |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | KOSGEB | Ministry of Industry and Technology, MTGM |
| Mechanism | Interest support on a bank loan | Incentive certificate (investment incentive system) |
| Target | Small and medium manufacturers | Capital company; threshold tied to the Decision |
| When to apply | Open continuously | Via the portal, as the Ministry announces |
| Extra obligations | Loan repayment | Annual report, training programme, completion visa |
In short, for a small or medium manufacturer the first stop is often KOSGEB; when project size and corporate structure allow it, the Ministry’s programme is the second door. Whether both can be used for the same investment depends on the legislation and your certificate, so get that answer in writing from the authorities first.
What a manufacturer should prepare
The costliest and most overlooked part is not the paperwork but the data. A maturity assessment measures how digital your processes are; if the data flow from order to shipment is broken, both the score and the investment plan come out weak. In practice this order works:
- Map where ERP and production data actually sit, and who holds them.
- Tie each process to a cost in numbers: scrap, stoppage, hours of manual entry.
- Compare planned items with the Ministry’s product list; do not write items into the plan that are not on it.
- Take a baseline measurement now, knowing that two measurements will be made between application and completion.
At İkiz Eksen we run this chain as measurement, software and compliance in a single project. With the experience of Qera (550+ customers, 100+ ERP projects), we build the data foundation and deliver turnkey solutions on Microsoft Azure across Türkiye. You can see how the process is built on our methodology page and contact us for a route suited to your company.
Do not forget the green side either: collecting energy and carbon data from the same infrastructure is the basis of the twin transition approach and eases readiness for obligations like CBAM. For the wider picture, see our digital transition page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Digital Transformation Programme the same as KOSGEB support?
No. The KOSGEB programme covers the interest cost of a bank investment loan. The Ministry’s programme links the investment to an incentive certificate and is run by MTGM. The counterpart, the channel and the obligations are different.
Is the minimum investment still 30 million lira?
The first communiqué text said so. The amendment of 12 July 2025 removed the fixed amount and tied thresholds to Decision No. 9903. Confirm the current figure in the Decision and on the Ministry’s portal.
Who prepares the digital maturity assessment?
The communiqué defines the person or institution doing this as the “evaluator”; they prepare the investment plan together with the investor and advise throughout the investment. Check the portal for which institutions can act as evaluators.
How long does an application take?
Under the communiqué, MTGM reviews within 30 working days. If gaps are notified, there are 3 months to fix them. Total time depends on how complete your file is.
Can a company use the programme more than once?
Under the communiqué, investors whose completion visa has been done may apply again; the Ministry may set conditions such as showing progress in digital maturity on the earlier investment.
Note: This article is for general information; legislation can change. Rely on resmigazete.gov.tr and yatirimadestek.gov.tr for current text, and on the competent authority or your adviser for exact conditions.