Subject:
Investment Incentives and General Supports for the Food Sector
Reading Time:
10 Min
Date:
Dec 8, 2025
What is the Food Sector?
The consumption of food, which is a basic need, has increased significantly along with the global population. In recent years, we can say that the food sector has made rapid progress in innovation and change due to technological developments. The food sector, which houses numerous competitors and companies, has become an everlasting sector throughout human history, even though it has undergone various changes.
What Are the General Supports for the Food Sector?
There are various supports provided by KOSGEB, TÜBİTAK, and the Ministry of Trade for the food sector. The supports provided for the food sector are divided into two categories: project-based supports and general supports. The details of the supports provided for the food sector are outlined below.
A) TÜBİTAK 1501 - Industry R&D Projects Support Program
Within the framework of the 1501-Industrial R&D Support Program, projects qualified as R&D are supported in areas such as the production of a new product, development, and improvement of an existing product, increasing product quality or standards, or developing new techniques and new production technologies that are cost-reducing. The support rate of the program is applied at 75%.
Supported Expenses | Support Duration |
Personnel Expenses | 75% |
Travel (Transportation Only) Expenses | |
Equipment, Tools, Software, and Publication Acquisition Expenses | |
R&D Service Expenses | |
Domestic and International Consulting Expenses | |
Materials and Consumables Expenses |
*There is no budget limit.
*Feasibility is required for investments over 5 million.
B) TÜBİTAK - 1507 - SME R&D Startup Support Program Call
The supports provided under the 1501 Industrial R&D Support Program aim to support project-based research activities - technology development efforts and innovation activities of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Supported Expenses | Support Duration |
Personnel Expenses | 75% |
Travel (Transportation Only) Expenses | |
Equipment, Tools, Software, and Publication Acquisition Expenses | |
R&D Service Expenses | |
Domestic and International Consulting Expenses | |
Materials and Consumables Expenses |
*Applicable for projects up to 1,200,000 TL.
KOSGEB Project-Based Supports
A) KOSGEB Technological Investment Program
https://odsdanismanlik.com/tr/kosgeb-kobi-teknoyatirim-destek-programi/
B) KOSGEB International Market Program
https://odsdanismanlik.com/tr/kosgeb-yurt-disi-pazar-destek-programi/
C) KOSGEB R&D Product Development Program
https://odsdanismanlik.com/tr/kosgeb-arge-urge-ve-inovasyon-destek-programi/
KOSGEB General Supports
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PROGRAM SUPPORTS | SUPPORT UPPER LIMIT (TL) | SUPPORT RATE |
1- Domestic Fair Support | 100,000 | 60% |
2- International Business Trip Support* | 90,000 | |
3- Qualified Personnel Employment Support** | 50,000 | |
75,000 | ||
4- Design Support | 75,000 | |
5- Industrial Property Rights Support*** | 100,000 | |
6- Certification Support**** | 300,000 | |
7- Testing and Analysis Support***** | 300,000 | |
8- Energy Efficiency Electric Motors Replacement Support****** | 80,000 | |
9- Independent Evaluation Support | 20,000 | |
10- Model Factory Support | 100,000 | |
11- Technical Consultancy Support******* | 40,000 | |
50,000 |
For detailed information; https://odsdanismanlik.com/tr/hibe-ve-destek-yonetimi-danismanligi/
What Sectors Does KOSGEB Support for the Food Sector?
NACE REV 2 CODE | SECTOR NAME | NACE TYPE |
10 | Manufacture of food products | C |
10.52.02 | Manufacture of other edible frozen foods | C |
10.8 | Manufacture of other food products | C |
10.84.05 | Manufacture of food products | C |
10.86 | Manufacture of homogenized food preparations and dietetic foods | C |
10.86.02 | Manufacture of homogenized food preparations (gluten-free food items, sodium-free salts, etc. food for patients or for diet purposes) | C |
10.89 | Manufacture of other food products not classified elsewhere | C |
10.89.06 | Manufacture of various food items not classified elsewhere (including perishable ready-to-eat foods, cheese fondues, sugar syrups, etc.) | C |
10.92 | Manufacture of prepared food for pets | C |
10.92.01 | Manufacture of prepared pet food (cat and dog foods, bird and fish feeds, etc.) | C |
20.59.11 | Manufacture of gelatin and gelatin derivatives (excluding gelatins and milk albumin used in the food industry) | C |
20.59.16 | Manufacture of gelatin and milk albumin (only those used in the food industry) | C |
28.93 | Manufacture of food, beverage, and tobacco processing machines | C |
28.93.01 | Manufacture of industrial machines for preparing or producing food and beverages (industrial machines for preparing or manufacturing bread, biscuits, pasta, confectionary, chocolate, sugar, meat, fruit, vegetables, liquid and solid oils, etc.) | C |
33.12.15 | Maintenance and repair of food, beverage, and tobacco processing machines | C |
33.20.39 | Installation services for industrial machines and equipment for food, beverage, and tobacco processing | C |
46.17 | Brokers related to the sale of food, beverages, and tobacco | G |
46.17.01 | Brokers who sell food items wholesale for a fee or on a contractual basis (including intermediary producer associations, excluding fresh vegetables and fruits) | G |
46.3 | Wholesale trade of food, beverages, and tobacco | G |
46.38 | Wholesale trade of other food items including fish, shellfish, and mollusks | G |
46.38.03 | Wholesale trade of food salt (table salt) | G |
46.38.04 | Wholesale trade of flour, starch, pasta, vermicelli, and ready meals (meat/vegetable broths, ready-made soups, etc.) (including bread yeast, dry yeast, etc.) | G |
46.38.05 | Wholesale trade of ready homogenized food and dietetic food products (baby food, diet foods, sports foods, etc.) | G |
46.38.06 | Wholesale trade of other food products not classified elsewhere (natural honey, malt, ready meals, vinegar, etc.) | G |
46.39 | Wholesale trade of food, beverages, and tobacco in stores not allocated for a specific commodity | G |
46.39.01 | Wholesale trade of frozen food in stores not allocated for a specific commodity | G |
46.39.02 | Wholesale trade of food (unfrozen), beverages, and tobacco in stores not allocated for a specific commodity | G |
46.69.08 | Wholesale trade of machines and parts used in the food, beverage, and tobacco industry (bottle cleaning and filling machines, dairy product machines, food, beverage, and tobacco processing machines, agricultural product dryers, etc.) | G |
46.76.90 | Wholesale trade of other unexplained intermediate products (excluding agriculture) (corundum, tire cord fabric, industrial textile products for technical use (hoses, conveyor belts, filter cloth), plastic or rubber sheets and pipes, industrial diamonds, non-food ice, etc.) | G |
47.11 | Retail trade of food, beverages, or tobacco in stores not allocated for a specific commodity | G |
47.11.01 | Retail trade in grocery and supermarkets (retail trade of food, beverages, or tobacco in stores not allocated for a specific commodity) | G |
47.11.02 | Retail trade in supermarkets and hypermarkets (retail trade of food, beverages, or tobacco in stores not allocated for a specific commodity) | G |
47.11.05 | Retail trade of food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, or tobacco in unallocated shops | G |
47.11.99 | Retail trade of food, beverages, or tobacco in unallocated shops (including arranged sales and food consumer cooperatives) | G |
47.19.01 | Other retail trade in unallocated shops (shops with sections for clothing, furniture, computers, hardware, cosmetics, jewelry, toys, etc. (those not primarily dealing in food, beverages, and tobacco)) | G |
47.2 | Retail trade of food, beverages, and tobacco in allocated shops | G |
47.29 | Other food products in retail trade in allocated shops | G |
47.29.12 | Retail trade of homogenized food preparations and dietary products in allocated shops (including gluten-free food products, sodium-free salts, etc. enriched with nutrients, sports foods, etc.) | G |
47.29.90 | Retail trade of other unclassified food products in allocated shops (ready meals, food salt, sauces, yeast, soups, molasses, jams, peanut butter, pasta, honey, pet foods, etc.) | G |
47.76.01 | Retail trade of pet animals and their foods in allocated shops (including ornamental fish, dogs, birds, hamsters, turtles, etc., aquariums and cages, and collars for cats and dogs) | G |
47.81 | Retail trade of food, beverages, and tobacco products through stalls and markets | G |
47.81.12 | Retail trade of food products and beverages (excluding alcoholic beverages) through stalls and motor vehicles | G |
47.81.90 | Retail trade of other food products (including honey, flour, grain, rice, pulses, etc.) through stalls and markets (excluding mobile vendors) | G |
49.41.01 | Urban freight transportation by road (food, liquid, dry cargo, etc.) (excluding gas and petroleum products) | H |
49.41.02 | Intercity freight transportation by road (food, liquid, dry cargo, etc.) (excluding gas and petroleum products) | H |
49.41.03 | International road freight transportation (food, liquid, dry cargo, etc.) (excluding gas and petroleum products) | H |
52.10.02 | Refrigerated storage and warehousing operations (storage for frozen or cooled goods including perishable food products) | H |
53.20.08 | Distribution activities related to food, furniture, etc. that are purchased (excluding urban cargo transportation and home-to-home transportation, etc.) | H |
71.20.11 | Technical testing and analysis activities related to food (including technical testing activities in the field of food hygiene, including veterinary control) | M |
Ministry of Trade Project-Based Supports
A) Global Supply Chain (GSC) Project
Support Amount: 15,000,000 TL
Support Rate: 50%
Support Duration: 2 Years
What Sectors Can the Global Supply Chain (GSC) Support Be Applied To?
• Mining and Metal
• Chemical Products
• Automotive
• Machinery
• Space / Aviation
• Electricity / Electronics
Other sectors may also be evaluated if they meet the conditions.
What Items Will Be Supported Under the Global Supply Chain (GSC)?
• Machine, equipment hardware
• Software acquisition
• Training, consultancy
• Certification, test analysis, and product validation expenses
For detailed information; https://odsdanismanlik.com/tr/ticaret-bakanligi-kuresel-tedarik-zinciri-programi/
B) Design Product Development Project
Support Amount: 5,000,000 TL
Support Rate: 50%
Support Duration: 3 Years
What Sectors Can the Design Product Development Support Project Be Applied To?
• Design firms
• Design offices
• Collaboration organizations
• Firms engaged in commercial and industrial activities
What Items Will Be Supported Under the Design Product Development Support?
• Equipment, tools, materials, and software
• Website membership
• Personnel recruitment (designer, modelist, engineer)
For detailed information; https://odsdanismanlik.com/tr/tc-ticaret-bakanligi-tasarim-ve-urun-gelistirme-programi/
Ministry of Trade General Supports
• Support for Market Entry Documents -4,000,000 TL (50%)
• Overseas Market Research Support-100,000 TL per trip
• Support for Domestic and International Fair Participation (within the upper limit)
• Overseas Promotion Support 4,000,000 TL 50%
• Overseas Trademark Registration Support 750,000 TL (50%)
• Overseas Unit Support 2,000,000 TL (50%)
• Market entry project preparation Support 200,000 TL (50%)
• Overseas Company and Branding Support for a Brand Owned by a Foreign Company 3,000,000 TL 50%
For detailed information; https://odsdanismanlik.com/tr/hibe-ve-destek-yonetimi-danismanligi/
Investment Incentives for the Food Sector
Investments in the food sector are aimed at reducing the disparity in development between provinces and increasing the production and export potential of provinces; therefore, they benefit from regional incentives within the scope of the investment subject mentioned below.
What Are the Minimum Investment Amounts or Capacities for the Food Sector?
Sector Code | US-97 Code | Sectors Benefiting from Regional Incentives | 1st Region | 2nd Region | 3rd Region | 4th Region | 5th Region | 6th Region |
3 | 15 | Food and Beverage Manufacturing (excluding the investment subjects mentioned in footnote 1) | 4 Million TL | 3 Million TL | 2 Million TL | 1 Million 500 Thousand TL | 1 Million 500 Thousand TL | 1 Million 500 Thousand TL |
* Except for the 6th region, investments in the manufacture of food and beverages from "vermicelli, couscous, dough, kadayıf, bread (excluding frozen bread and dough), rice, raki, beer, linters, tea, nut cracking/roasting, ready-made soups, and broth products, and classification and packaging of grains and legumes" cannot benefit from regional supports. Additionally, complete new investments in feed production to be conducted in organized industrial zones in the 4th, 5th, and 6th region provinces can benefit from regional supports.
What Are the Regional Incentives for the Food Sector?
INVESTMENT REGIONS | 1st Region | 2nd Region | 3rd Region | 4th Region | 5th Region | 6th Region |
VAT Exemption | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Customs Exemption | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Tax Exemption (%) (2) | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
SGK Employer Premium Exemption | 2 Years | 3 Years | 5 Years | 6 Years | 7 Years | 10 Years |
Investment Site Allocation | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Interest or Profit Share Support (TL/Foreign Currency) | NO | NO | 3 Points | 4 Points | 5 Points | 7 Points |
NO | NO | 1 Point | 1 Point | 2 Points | 2 Points | |
Construction Permit Exemption | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Property Tax Exemption | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Stamp Tax Exemption | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
What Are the Minimum Investment Amounts for the Food Sector?
• 3 million TL in the 1st and 2nd regions,
• 1,500,000 TL in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th regions.
The regions;
1st Region | 2nd Region | 3rd Region | 4th Region | 5th Region | 6th Region |
Ankara | Aydın | Adana | Afyonkarahisar | Bayburt | Adıyaman |
Antalya | Balıkesir | Burdur | Aksaray | Çankırı | Ağrı |
Bursa | Bilecik | Düzce | Amasya | Erzurum | Ardahan |
Eskişehir | Bolu | Gaziantep | Artvin | Giresun | Batman |
İstanbul | Çanakkale | Karaman | Bartın | Gümüşhane | Bingöl |
İzmir | Denizli | Kırıkkale | Çorum | Kahramanmaraş | Bitlis |
Kocaeli | Edirne | Kütahya | Elâzığ | Kilis | Diyarbakır |
Muğla | Isparta | Mersin | Erzincan | Niğde | Hakkâri |
Tekirdağ | Karabük | Samsun | Hatay | Ordu | Iğdır |
| Kayseri | Trabzon | Kastamonu | Osmaniye | Kars |
| Kırklareli | Rize | Kırşehir | Sinop | Mardin |
| Konya | Uşak | Malatya | Tokat | Muş |
| Manisa | Zonguldak | Nevşehir | Tunceli | Siirt |
| Sakarya |
| Sivas | Yozgat | Şanlıurfa |
| Yalova |
|
|
| Şırnak |
|
|
|
|
| Van |
9 PROVINCES | 15 PROVINCES | 13 PROVINCES | 14 PROVINCES | 14 PROVINCES | 16 PROVINCES |
What Investment Topics Will Not Be Supported or Will Be Subject to Certain Conditions?
Agriculture and Agricultural Industry;
1- Flour, semolina (excluding integrated semolina investments with pasta manufacturing and corn semolina investments), animal feed (fish meal, fish oil, fish feed, feed production within integrated animal husbandry production, and complete new investment types in feed production to be carried out in organized industrial zones of the 4th, 5th, and 6th region provinces), corn starch and starch-based sugar (excluding investments directed exclusively to the production of crystalline fructose from starch milk), corn starch and starch-based sugar (excluding investments directed exclusively to the production of crystalline fructose from starch milk).
2- Businesses providing meal services to the outside (ready meals).
3- Cube sugar.
4- Greenhouse investments below 4-5 decares.
5- Plant production (excludes investments in greenhouse farming of 5 decares and above, cultural mushroom cultivation, cultivation of feed crops within integrated livestock investments, and plantation investments directed towards paper pulp production in accordance with the relevant legislation determined by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).
6- Investments in livestock outside of the integrated livestock investments to be incentivized under regional practices and conditionally supported livestock investments.
7- Milk processing investments with a production capacity of 5 tons/day and below.
8- Manufacture of tobacco products.
The Status of the Food Sector in Turkey and Worldwide
According to the 2022 preliminary data for the first five months announced for the food, agriculture, and beverage sector, exports amounted to 10.1 billion dollars, and imports stood at 8.6 billion dollars. An increase was observed in the food sector's export figures across Turkey in 2022 compared to the previous year when looking at data on a monthly basis. Globally, the food sector was significantly affected by the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. In this sense, there has been a considerable increase in food prices. The inflation increase occurring worldwide has largely impacted the food sector.
Leading Firms in the Food Sector
It is known that the food sector exists within an endless cycle both globally and nationally. Therefore, it can be said that there are countless firms across the country and globally. The size, duration of stay in the sector, and rate of capacity increase or decrease of these firms are affected and change very quickly.
