90 million euros for business plans with simpler rules and greater incentives
The Ministry of Economic Development has defined the new criteria and methods for incentives Smart&Start Italia, the program that facilitates the birth and development of innovative startups, throughout the national territory.
Smart&Start Italia has approximately 90 million euros of resources to finance business plans, of inclusive amount Between 100 thousand euros and 1,5 million euros, aimed at the production of goods and the provision of services with high technological and innovative content. These business plans can also be implemented in collaboration with research organisations, business incubators and accelerators, Digital Innovation Hub.
The measure is reserved for “startup innovative” consisting of no more than 60 months from the date of submission of the application, classifiable as small-sized businesses. Natural persons who undertake to establish an innovative startup by 30 days from the notification of admission to the benefits.
The program can finance the following categories of expenditure:
- tangible fixed assets (installations, machinery, ecc.)
- intangible assets (patents, trademarks and licenses, certifications, ecc.)
- services functional to the implementation of the business plan (design, development, customization and testing, including business incubator and accelerator services and collaborations with research organisations);
- qualified employees and collaborators (doctoral students and postdocs, master's graduates as per art. 25, comma 2, letter h), number 2), Dlgs n. 179/2012).
The business plans must be started after the submission of the application and must be concluded within 24 months from the date of signature of the financing contract.
Le main news introduced, on the basis of the ministerial decree of 30 August 2019, concern the simplification of evaluation and reporting criteria, the introduction of new rewards, the increase in the subsidized loan up to 90%, a non-repayable fund until 30% for companies in the South and a payback period of up to 10 years.
Starting from the 20 January 2020 applications with the new criteria for requesting the benefit can be sent to Invitalia, entity managing the measure.
For more information, to consult: www.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/incentivi/impresa/smart-start
