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Innovative startups

Smart&Start Italia

Invitalia incentive supporting the creation and growth of technology-intensive innovative startups throughout Italy.

StatusActiveUpdated: September 2026
Who it is forSmall innovative startups incorporated for no more than 60 months, teams planning to create one, and foreign companies opening an Italian establishment.
SupportInterest-free financing covering 80% of eligible costs, rising to 90% in specific cases; qualifying startups in the Centre-South may also receive a non-repayable contribution equal to 30% of the financing.
GeographyAll Italy
Project sizeBusiness plans from €100,000 to €1,500,000
TimingRolling application, no ranking list; Invitalia states assessment within 60 days.
At a glance

Key points

  • Standard coverage up to 80% of eligible expenditure
  • Up to 90% for qualifying female/young teams or specific research profiles
  • 30% non-repayable component for qualifying startups in specified Centre-South regions
  • No real collateral required for the subsidised loan
Eligible scope

What may qualify

  • Investment assets and services
  • Personnel
  • Operating costs
  • Technology, digital, AI, blockchain, IoT and research-commercialisation projects
Checks

What we verify first

  • The company must meet the legal innovative-startup requirements
  • Business-plan quality and economic/technical consistency are central to assessment
  • Eligibility is tested at the application date
Aurea Impresa pre-analysis

Before building the application, we verify whether the measure actually fits.

We check the business, ownership, location, investment, expenditure timing and available evidence. The goal is to determine early whether the application is worth pursuing.

1. EligibilityPreliminary check of applicant, project and territory.
2. CostsClassification of expenditure and applicable limits.
3. DocumentsPersonalised checklist for the application file.
4. ProcessApplication, integrations, decision and reporting.

Want to check Smart&Start Italia for your business?

Start the public pre-analysis with the essential project information. You will get an immediate first result before creating a full case.

Start pre-analysisOfficial source