The operative truth
Terms
| Administering body | Invitalia |
|---|---|
| Instrument type | Combined Instruments |
| Tier | National Instruments |
| Ceiling | €50,000 per applicant, up to €200,000 for a partnership of four |
| Coverage | 50% non-repayable grant plus 50% subsidised loan |
| Cost of money | 0% to the borrower — interest paid by the state |
| Term | 8 years with 2 years of capital grace |
| Earliest reachable | Month 1 |
| Application to cash | 60–150 days |
Who qualifies
Residents of the eight southern regions plus the earthquake-affected central areas and the designated inner-area communes, aged eighteen to fifty-five. Residency must be established before or shortly after application.
What it funds
Equipment, works, professional services and working capital. Agriculture qualifies for a defined subset.
What disqualifies an applicant
What it stacks with
These instruments combine with this one. Grants generally cannot double-fund the same cost, but different components of the same project may each carry their own support, and tax credits stack more freely with grants than grants do with each other.
SME Guarantee Fund
Small and medium enterprises including sole traders and agricultural undertakings. New enterprises qualify; the guarantee exists precisely to…
National Microcredit
Enterprises under five years old, self-employed persons, and holders of a VAT number with fewer than five employees.…
Non-Agricultural Rural Business Start-Up
New non-agricultural micro-enterprises in designated rural areas — craft, service, tourism, retail and care businesses.
Single Special Economic Zone — Southern Italy
Enterprises making productive investments in Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicilia and Sardegna.
Ventures this funds
48 venture types in the atlas list this instrument in their capital stack.
Vermouth and Botanical Aperitivo
Aromatised fortified wine built from local wild and cultivated botanicals, a high-margin use for ordinary base wine.
8–14 months
Pastured Poultry and Egg Production
Free-range eggs and table birds sold direct, the fastest route from land access to weekly cash flow.
4–8 months
Saffron Cultivation
Corm-grown saffron harvested and dried by hand, the highest revenue per hectare available to a smallholding.
8–14 months
Speciality Mushroom Growing
Indoor cultivation of oyster, shiitake and lion's mane on agricultural residues, harvested year-round.
4–9 months
Lavender and Essential Oil Distillation
Lavender fields distilled on site into essential oil and hydrosol, doubling as a visitor attraction in flower.
14–26 months
Beekeeping and Honey Production
Managed hives producing monofloral honey, wax and propolis, with pollination services as a second income.
6–14 months
Preserves, Jams and Condiments
Small-batch preserving of fruit and vegetables into jams, mostarde and condiments, using second-grade produce.
4–9 months
Dried Fruit and Vegetable Processing
Solar and low-temperature drying of surplus produce into shelf-stable snack and ingredient lines.
5–11 months
Village Bakery with Wood Oven
Sourdough bakery serving a village and its surrounding hamlets, often the last food shop in the commune.
4–9 months
Fresh Pasta Workshop
Fresh and dried pasta made from identified regional grain, sold at retail, to restaurants and by post.
5–11 months
Regional Confectionery and Biscuits
Traditional dry pastries and biscuits with long shelf life, sold as gift and travel-retail lines.
4–9 months
Craft Brewery (Birrificio Agricolo)
Farmhouse brewery using own or local barley and hops, with a taproom attached.
8–15 months
Artisan Distillery — Gin and Grappa
Botanical gin and pomace grappa distilled from local material and sold into the premium spirits trade.
10–18 months
Non-Alcoholic Botanical Drinks
Shrubs, kombucha, botanical sodas and alcohol-free aperitivi made from local fruit and herbs.
5–11 months
Small-Scale Coastal Fishing with Direct Sale
Day-boat fishing selling landed catch direct to households and restaurants rather than through auction.
3–8 months
Pescaturismo and Ittiturismo
Licensed fishing vessels carrying paying guests, and fishermen's families serving the catch ashore.
4–9 months
Classic Agriturismo
Farm accommodation and table service legally tied to a working agricultural holding, the single most powerful income multiplier in Italian rural enterprise.
10–18 months
Agriturismo with Restaurant Only
Farm table service without accommodation, serving the holding's own produce to visiting diners.
6–12 months
Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast
Small-scale accommodation in the operator's own home, the lightest regulatory entry into rural hospitality.
3–8 months
Glamping and Eco-Lodges
Semi-permanent tented or modular lodges on agricultural land, delivering hotel rates at a fraction of hotel capital.
6–14 months
Village Osteria
A small restaurant serving a defined local menu to residents and visitors, often the village's only kitchen.
4–10 months
Farm-to-Table Restaurant
A destination restaurant sourcing almost entirely from named producers within a defined radius.
6–14 months
Mobile Catering and Street Food
A licensed vehicle or trailer trading at markets, festivals and events across a territory.
2–6 months
Cookery School and Culinary Workshops
Structured cookery instruction for visitors, from single sessions to multi-day residential courses.
3–8 months
Note on sources. This page is generated from the VentureItalica research registry. Figures and legal references reflect the corpus as verified at the last review and are indicative rather than advice. Instruments change; always confirm the current call text with the administering body before acting.
