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

'Finanziamento a tasso zero dell'80% delle spese ammissibili', rising to 90% for startups made up entirely of women and/or people under 36 or including a researcher returning from abroad. Eligible project spend between EUR 100,000 and EUR 1.5 million. Startups based in southern Italy also receive an additional 30% non-repayable contribution.

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 — 'L'incentivo è a "sportello", non ci sono graduatorie né scadenze' — open-window, no rankings and no deadlines. Applications are assessed in order of receipt, normally within 60 days.

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

'Startup innovative di piccola dimensione, costituite da non più di 60 mesi, iscritte alla sezione speciale del Registro delle imprese'. Teams not yet incorporated may apply and incorporate afterwards under the programme rules (not verified here). De minimis status is not stated on the page, so it is not asserted.

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/cosa-facciamo/creiamo-nuove-aziende/smartstart-italia

"Finanziamento a tasso zero dell'80% delle spese ammissibili ... Startup innovative di piccola dimensione, costituite da non più di 60 mesi, iscritte alla sezione speciale del Registro delle imprese ... L'incentivo è a "sportello", non ci sono graduatorie né scadenze."

Verified on 14 August 2026

Source: www.invitalia.it

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

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