Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.

Loans

Smart&Start Italia – zero-interest loans for innovative startups

Smart&Start Italia

Status

Open continuously

No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.

Always open

Amount

€1,500,000

Zero-rate loan covering 80% of eligible expenses (90% for all-women and/or under-36 teams or with a PhD working abroad); projects EUR 100,000-1.5m; 30% non-repayable portion for start-ups in Central-South Italy.

You must co-fund 20%. Work out the cash you need

Funder

Invitalia S.p.A. (Agenzia nazionale per l'attrazione degli investimenti), for the Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy

public · national

Deadline: Open all year — Sportello scheme: no rankings or deadlines; applications reviewed within 60 days in order of arrival.

Your odds

Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort

major

Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.

You fund 20% yourself.

Who can apply

Under 5 years old
small enterprises
Sectors: deeptech, ai, health, climate, any
Stage: pre-seed, seed and Series A
Locally registered entity required

Small innovative start-ups registered in the Companies Register special section, incorporated up to 60 months; also teams, start-up Visa holders and foreign companies setting up an Italian office.

How to apply

Ensure the company is a small innovative startup registered in the special section of the Registro delle imprese and incorporated no more than 60 months ago. — link
Prepare the business plan and a project budget between EUR 100,000 and EUR 1.5 million.
Submit the application on the Invitalia online platform (sportello, no deadline). — link
Invitalia assesses in order of arrival, normally within 60 days; on approval the zero-interest loan is contracted and disbursed against expenditure.

What you will need

Piano d'impresa (business plan) with budget
Visura camerale showing registration in the special section for innovative startups
Identity and digital signature (SPID/CNS) of the legal representative

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://www.invitalia.it/incentivi-e-strumenti/smartstart-italia

"Finanziamento a tasso zero dell’80% delle spese ammissibili. La percentuale può salire al 90% se la startup è costituita interamente da donne e/o da giovani sotto i 36 anni"

Last checked against the official page on 5 October 2026

Source: www.invitalia.it

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Open continuously

Invitalia S.p.A., for the Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy