What DOST Grants-in-Aid and PCIEERD/PCAARRD funds support — research, startups and innovation — and why they fund work, not the purchase of finished AI tools.

dgm is an independent osFoundry implementation partner — not affiliated with osFoundry’s developer (the company OS LLC), and it has not yet completed any client integrations.

DOST grants fund research, startups and innovation — work, not the purchase of off-the-shelf AI.

What the scheme actually gives

  • DOST Grants-in-Aid (GIA) is the principal R&D grant mechanism; a total of ₱8.8 billion was allocated to the DOST R&D support fund.
  • DOST-PCIEERD runs semiannual grants to help startups overcome R&D roadblocks and strengthen IP; DOST-PCAARRD runs a 2026 Startup Grant Fund for the agriculture/aquatic/natural-resources sector.
  • International R&D collaboration (for example an AEI–DOST-PCIEERD Spain–Philippines call) funds joint research in areas including digital technologies.

Does it fund buying AI software?

DOST funding turns on doing research, building a technology or running a startup; grants flow to that work, not to a business buying a finished AI product. A platform such as osFoundry lowers the cost structurally through usage-based pricing and the BYOK principle — which helps more than waiting for support that does not cover software.

Important note

This article is general information and is not legal, tax or grant advice. Tax incentives, grants, rules and rates change, and only the relevant authorities (among them the National Privacy Commission, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, PEZA, the Board of Investments, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the SEC) decide eligibility and awards. dgm is not a registered business enterprise, accredited incentive provider or intermediary. Always confirm the current terms with the official source or a qualified tax or legal adviser.

How dgm helps

dgm is an independent implementation partner that helps businesses in the Philippines adopt osFoundry — from identifying the first practical use case, through building it, to connecting AI to the systems you already use. dgm works independently of osFoundry’s developer (the company OS LLC) and has not yet completed any client integrations; everything above is therefore a description of the service offered, not a delivered result. If you would like to look at a sensible first step, dgm is happy to think it through with you. Arrange a no-obligation conversation with dgm.