Smart&Start Italia – zero-interest loans for innovative startups
Smart&Start Italia
Open continuously
No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.
'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%.
Invitalia S.p.A. (Agenzia nazionale per l'attrazione degli investimenti), for the Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy
public · national
Deadline: rolling — '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.
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.
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, 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
Source. https://www.invitalia.it/cosa-facciamo/creiamo-nuove-aziende/smartstart-italia — checked 2026-08-14
"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."