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

Loans

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.

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
Stage: pre-seed, seed and Series A
R&D activity required
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

Register as a startup innovativa in the Registro delle Imprese special section
Prepare the business plan on Invitalia's template
Submit the application online through Invitalia's portal (a sportello, first come first served)
Technical assessment and interview with Invitalia
Signature of the contract and disbursement against documented expenditure

What you will need

Piano d'impresa
Preventivi di spesa
Visura camerale
Documenti dei soci

Related reading: How grant deadlines actually work

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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ON – Beyond New zero-interest enterprises

Open continuously

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