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

Not published

Zero-interest, unsecured loan covering 80% of eligible expenses, rising to 90% for all-female founding teams, founders under 36, or teams including a PhD holder who has worked in research abroad for at least three years. In the Mezzogiorno regions (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia) and the central Italy earthquake area an additional 30% is a non-repayable grant, so only 70% of the loan is repaid. Repaid over 10 years starting 12 months after final disbursement.

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

Funder

Invitalia S.p.A.

public · national

Deadline: Open all year

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

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

Reserved for companies registered as 'startup innovative' in the special section of the business register (or that commit to registering).

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/agevolazioni

"un finanziamento a tasso zero, senza bisogno di alcuna garanzia, che copre l'80% delle spese ammissibili"

Verified on 14 August 2026

Source: www.invitalia.it

Similar programmes

Resto al Sud

Status not published

Invitalia S.p.A.

ON – Beyond New zero-interest enterprises

Open continuously

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