A LabTIE International programme · Closes 31 December 2026
$1,000 lab equipment grant for seed, bead & powder dispensers
A $1,000 USD award toward seed, bead and powder dispensing equipment, for seed testing labs, plant breeding programs and academic research groups. Applications are judged on the research and on how badly the equipment is needed.
The programme is run and funded by LabTIE International B.V., which manufactures the dispensers. The award comes off your LabTIE quote and is not paid out in cash. Full terms and the application form are on the LabTIE site.
$1,000
Award value (USD)
10
Awards available
31 Dec 2026
Applications close
About the grant
Funding for the equipment nobody funds
Seed testing and germination labs run on precision and throughput, but dispensing hardware competes for capital against everything else in the lab and rarely wins. It decides how consistent everything downstream turns out, and it is usually the purchase that gets pushed to next year.
The LabTIE Lab Equipment Grant is meant to help with exactly that. Each award is worth $1,000 USD toward a seed, bead or powder dispenser. It is open to seed testing and germination labs, plant breeding and genotyping programs, academic research groups, core facilities and start ups.
Who runs it, and how the award reaches you
Worth being clear about this up front, because it affects how you budget for it. The programme is run and funded by LabTIE International B.V. in Doorn, the Netherlands. LabTIE manufactures the seed, bead and powder dispensers, and this site is published by LabTIE as a guide to seed dispensing for germination and seed DNA prep.
The $1,000 comes off LabTIE’s final quote for your equipment. It is not paid to your institution in cash, it cannot be turned into cash, and it only applies to a dispenser purchase. Shipping, VAT, import duties and any optional installation or training remain payable by you.
There is no fee to apply, and applying does not commit you to buying anything. The full programme page, terms and application form live on labtie.com.
How we choose
Selection criteria
There are 10 awards in this round, so applications compete. LabTIE weighs two things, equally.
The research. What the work is, what it is aiming at, where dispensing fits into it, and what the dispenser would let you do that you cannot do now.
The need. How tight the budget is, what the dispenser would replace or make possible, and whether $1,000 actually changes whether the purchase happens.
Preference goes to labs where $1,000 is a real share of the cost, and to early career researchers and groups that have only just been set up. If the project description is left blank or kept vague, there is nothing to assess, so it does not go forward.
How to apply
Three steps to apply
Applications are handled by LabTIE International B.V. There is no fee to apply.
01
Send your application
Fill in the grant application form on labtie.com. It asks about your lab, the dispenser you need, your project and your budget. Around ten minutes.
02
LabTIE reviews it
Applications are reviewed once a month against the two criteria above. Every applicant gets a decision within 10 working days of the review, whichever way it goes.
If something is unclear they will come back to you before the review rather than turn it down.
03
If awarded, your quote follows
Successful applicants get a LabTIE quote with the $1,000 already taken off. There is still no obligation to go ahead.
Eligibility
Who can apply
- Academic and university research groups in seed science and molecular biology
- Seed testing and germination labs moving to accurate, high throughput dispensing
- Plant breeding and genotyping programs adding bead dispensers for DNA extraction
- Core facilities and start ups needing powder or bead dispensing on a limited budget
- One award per lab or research group, per equipment order
- You need to be able to name the institution the equipment will be used at
Terms
- The programme is run and funded by LabTIE International B.V., Van der Leelaan 15, 3941 RN Doorn, the Netherlands, which manufactures the dispensers.
- One award per lab or research group, per equipment order. There are 10 awards in this round. Applications close 31 December 2026.
- The award is applied as a $1,000 USD credit against LabTIE’s final quote for dispensing equipment. It cannot be turned into cash, passed to anyone else, or used for anything other than dispensing equipment.
- The award covers $1,000 of the dispenser price. Shipping, VAT, import duties and any optional installation or training remain payable by the recipient.
- Recipients agree that LabTIE may name the lab and institution when describing the programme. Quotes and project detail will not be published without asking first.
- LabTIE may ask recipients for a short case study or application note within twelve months. This is a request, not a condition of the award.
- Applying carries no obligation to buy, and there is no fee. Applications without a project description, budget and intended use cannot be assessed.
- Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to apply in the next round. More than one application may be submitted if each covers a genuinely different need.
The authoritative version of these terms is published on labtie.com. Where this page and the LabTIE page differ, the LabTIE page applies.
Questions
Common questions
Is this a grant or a discount?
Both, and we would rather say so than have you work it out later. It is competitive, with published criteria, a deadline and a real review. But LabTIE manufactures the dispensers, and the award reaches you as money off your LabTIE quote rather than as cash to your institution. If your finance office needs a category for it, call it a manufacturer funded equipment credit.
Who pays for this?
LabTIE International B.V. in Doorn, the Netherlands. They manufacture the seed, bead and powder dispensers, they fund the programme directly, and they publish this site. There is no third party sponsor.
What does the grant not cover?
Shipping, VAT, import duties, and installation or training if you want it. The $1,000 comes off the dispenser price itself. Worth checking duties if you are outside the EU, since they can be significant.
Do I have to buy anything to apply?
No. No fee, no obligation. If you are awarded the credit and then decide not to go ahead, that is fine.
Can I use it alongside other funding?
Yes, and most people do. It is meant to close a gap in a budget you already have.
What happens to the project details I send?
LabTIE uses them to assess your application. They do not go anywhere else.
Work out what you need
Before you apply
The application asks which dispenser you need. If you are not sure yet, these pages help you pin it down.
- Top 4 seed dispensers compared, ranked on seed range, speed and container fit
- Seed dispensing guides and documentation, including how to pick a mesh plate for your seed size
- Seed grinding in deep-well plates, if your workflow runs on to DNA extraction
- Request a quote if you would rather price the equipment first
Apply for the LabTIE Lab Equipment Grant
Applications close 31 December 2026. 10 awards. No fee, no obligation. The form is on labtie.com.
Seed Dispensers 