400 MCI Bastau Business grant: a business plan for the committee defence
A non-repayable grant to start a business: 400 MCI, which is ₸1,730,000 in 2026. It goes to those who complete the training and defend a business plan before the employment centre’s committee. We prepare a document that passes the defence.
The first review of your project is free and without obligation. We reply in working hours and tell you where to apply and whether you are in time.
Apex Consulting is a consulting firm in Astana, working since 2017. We have prepared 2,137 business plans for 535 clients; our clients have raised $1.7 billion in financing. Payment: 70% after the brief is agreed, 30% after the committee approves the project. Revisions after expert comments are free for three months. We defend the project before the committee together with the client. From ₸350,000, from 3 working days.
Grant terms in 2026
The grant is issued under the Bastau Business project through employment centres, portal business.enbek.kz. The MCI for 2026 is ₸4,325, so 400 MCI equals ₸1,730,000. Applications are accepted in waves through the year: the first 2026 wave closed on 8 July with 3,764 grants issued; the plan for the year is about 9,000.
- Citizenship of Kazakhstan.
- Unemployed status registered at an employment centre, or a sole proprietor registered less than a year ago from the designated social categories.
- Free online training of 14 calendar days; the certificate is valid for 3 years.
- A business plan and its defence before the employment centre’s committee.
What the business plan must contain
The committee reads a document of 15–25 pages. The content requirements are specific:
- Financial forecast for 12–24 months: revenue, costs, profit by month.
- Grant budget confirmed by supplier quotes.
- Description of the product, customers and sales channels in your town.
- Jobs and social effect, one of the committee’s criteria.
- Spending that matches the programme’s purposes: equipment, raw materials, rent, not personal needs.
Other grants for startups
Zhas Project: small grants of up to ₸1 million for young people aged 18–34 in the NEET category for social initiatives; apply via zhasproject.kz, 20 regions, priority to rural youth and vulnerable groups.
Astana Hub Seed Money (Techpreneurs): up to ₸20 million for startups in the Astana Hub ecosystem at the MVP, PMF and scaling stages, intake in waves without a fixed window.
Tech Orda: an education grant of up to ₸500,000 for study at accredited IT schools for citizens aged 18–45; this is not a business grant.
Why defences fail
Employment centre committees see hundreds of plans per wave, and the rejections repeat: a budget without quotes, a sales forecast not tied to the local market, spending outside the grant’s purposes, no answer to what happens to the business once the grant is spent. We prepare the document so that each of these questions has a ready answer, and we rehearse the defence.
How we work
A free review: we check whether you fit the category and whether you are in time for the current wave. After the brief is agreed, 70% payment, we write the business plan to the programme’s requirements, collect quotes for the budget and prepare you for the committee’s questions. 30% is paid after the grant decision.
What you get
- Business plan of 15–25 pages to the Bastau Business requirements, in Word and PDF.
- Financial forecast for 12–24 months and a budget with supplier quotes.
- Presentation and preparation for the committee defence.
- Answers to comments and support until the decision.
From ₸350,000, from 3 working days. Payment: 70% after the brief is agreed, 30% after the committee approves the project. Revisions after expert comments are free for three months; we defend the project with you.
Questions and answers
- How much does a business plan for the grant cost?
- From ₸350,000, from 3 working days.
- How much is the 400 MCI grant in tenge?
- ₸1,730,000 in 2026: the MCI is ₸4,325.
- Who can get the Bastau Business grant?
- Citizens of Kazakhstan registered as unemployed at an employment centre, or sole proprietors registered less than a year ago from the social categories, who have completed the training and defended a business plan.
- Does the grant have to be repaid?
- No, it is non-repayable, but spending must match the budget and the programme’s purposes, and it is reported on.
- Can the grant be combined with Astana Hub?
- They are different programmes with different terms. If you have an IT product, see the Astana Hub page: tax benefits and its own Seed Money grant of up to ₸20 million.
Cases
Startup in Dubai
Private investor money for the launch. Plan, model and investor presentation. Amount: $290k
Geothermal resort
Investors and a bank for construction. Model that reflects the independent expert review. Amount: $3.5 mln
Engineering complex, UAVs
Participant status in a SEZ technopark. Feasibility study aligned with the technopark’s priorities
Sources
Programme terms change. Checked on 14 October 2026. Verify with the primary source before applying:
The first review of your project is free and without obligation. We reply in working hours and tell you where to apply and whether you are in time.