We can strengthen the international competitiveness of your business, assisting with the expenses for advisory services on investing for sustainable growth in international markets.

What’s new: since 16 September 2025, special conditions to support the presence of Italian companies in India***.

All businesses, in particular Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

The loans will support investments to develop projects for:

• specialist advisory services and feasibility studies for the international expansion of businesses or for digital innovation and technological product innovation with a view to the international expansion of a business’s activities;
• obtaining product certification to protect intellectual property rights, and sustainability and technological innovation certification.

Furthermore, if you apply for financing focused on Africa by 31 December 2025, or focused on Central or South America by 31 December 2026, or in India, you can benefit from special conditions and new eligible expenses related to professional training for staff, both on site and in Italy, and any related expenses such as travel expenses, entry and stay in Italy for staff receiving training, as well as expenses for employment contracts for the training and integration of local staff, without prejudice to the requirements and constraints set out in the relevant Circular.

Duration of the financing: 4 years, of which a 2-year grace period.

Maximum amount that may be financed: the maximum amount of Subsidised Financing that a Business may apply for is equal to the lesser of:

• 20% of average revenues resulting from the last two Financial Statements (line item A1 of the income statement);
• €500,000;
• Minimum amount equal to €10,000

Maximum grant: up to 10% of the amount of the Subsidised Loan applied for, and in any case up to a maximum amount of €100,000, which is disbursed as an incentive to Applicants if they meet the requirements indicated in the reference documentation (Operating circular 7/394/2023) available at the bottom of the page.

Non-repayable co-financing of up to 10% is also extended to companies applying for financing for a project focused on Africa or Central or South America. This percentage can be increased to 20% – up to a maximum of €200,000 – in the case of Italian companies with at least one operational office in the regions of Southern Italy or Innovative Start-ups or Innovative SMEs***.

If the project is located in Africa* or Central or South America**, it is also possible to request exemption from providing guarantees.

View the Contract Proposal template >>. Note: the Contract Proposal will be sent by SIMEST only after approval by the Financial Support Committee; the contract must be signed for acceptance and sent to SIMEST exclusively from the Portal.

 * measure pursuant to Article 15 of Italian Decree Law 113/2024 and subject to its conversion into law
** measure pursuant to Article 1 of Law No. 207 of 30 December 2024
*** measure pursuant to Decree Law 95/2025 on the economy

• From 9 a.m. on 7 August 2025, it will be possible to access the Portal to complete and submit funding applications relating to the “Digital or Ecological Transition” instrument.
• From 6 p.m. on 6 August until 9 a.m. on 7 August, the Portal will be offline for updating in preparation for opening, and no operations will be possible.
• From 9 a.m. on 16 September 2025, it will be possible to access the Portal to complete and submit funding applications relating to (i) the new instrument “Strategic support for the Indian market”, (ii) the new dedicated conditions for ‘Competitiveness of Italian companies and supply chains in Central or South America’ and ‘Strengthening African markets’, (iii) the new dedicated conditions for strategic markets for ‘Market entry’, ‘Certifications and consulting’, ‘Trade fairs and events’, ‘E-commerce’, ‘Temporary managers’.
• From 6 p.m. on 15 September until 9 a.m. on 16 September, the Portal will be offline for updating in preparation for opening, and no operations will be possible.

Filling out the request

• For the purpose of filling out the application, it is necessary to (i) attach all the necessary Documentation as per the Circular, (ii) indicate the information of the legal representative, (iii) indicate the information of the beneficial owner of the requesting Enterprise, (iv) upload the contract for opening the dedicated current account, (v) Articles of Association of the enterprise. All documents must be digitally signed.
• In any case, the submission of the application does not imply the right to the deliberation/grant of the intervention, which remains subject to the completeness of the application, the existence of the access requirements, the successful completion of the SIMEST preliminary investigation and the actual availability of financial resources, as well as the positive deliberation by the Facilities Committee.