The SIMEST grant for artificial intelligence. Who can apply, and who can build the system.
The SIMEST “AI Investment” grant funds SMEs that export at least 3% of their turnover and spend the whole loan on artificial intelligence. This page reads it line by line from the circular, and answers the question the guides skip: who can be the supplier.
Updated on 8 October 2026 against operating circular 4/394/2023, in its 15 September 2026 version. The artificial intelligence section came in with the 30 July 2026 update.
Open since 21 September 2026, first come first served: applications are assessed in order of arrival, while the 200 million euro reserve lasts. There's no closing date for the AI section.
Who can apply: a company based in Italy, with two closed financial years, at least 3% of turnover from exports, that commits to spending 100% on artificial intelligence. Farming, fishing and meat processing are excluded.
Who can be a supplier: no register and no required legal form, a self-employed professional included. Consulting and training need two years of activity in the field; for development and integration the text asks for no track record.
The grant is part of SIMEST’s subsidised loans for the digital or green transition, and most people who look it up only find the company side. The other measures open to exporters, chamber of commerce vouchers included, are in grants and funding for SMEs.
Is it open? Dates and the application window
Yes, since 9am on 21 September 2026, on the SIMEST portal. The circular says SIMEST starts its assessment in the chronological order in which applications arrive, within the funds available in Fondo 394/81. Earlier applications are assessed first, and the reserve holds 200 million euros.
| Point | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Opening | From 9am on 21 September 2026, on the portal, under the terms of the AI and Quantum Computing measure (programme page). |
| Procedure | First come, first served: assessment in chronological order, within the available funds (§4.1). |
| Budget | A 200 million euro reserve (programme page and the press release of 14 September 2026). |
| Closing | No date for the AI section. The 31 December 2026 deadlines in the circular apply to other measures. |
A page with no notice that funds have run out doesn’t prove they’re still there. Before preparing the application, check the programme page on the SIMEST website, which is where it would be announced.
Who can apply: the company requirements
You need an office in Italy, two full financial years, at least 3% of turnover from exports and a commitment to spend everything on artificial intelligence. The 3% threshold only applies on this route: the standard route of the same programme asks for 10%. That's why consultants' guides quote two different figures, and both are right.
| Requirement | Line in the circular |
|---|---|
| Registered and operating office in Italy, active entry in the companies register | §2.2 a), b), c) |
| Two filed financial statements for two full years, or two tax returns for companies that don't file accounts | §2.2 d): a company with fewer than two full years is out |
| Export turnover of at least 3% in the last year, or at least 10% to Italian customers who export at least 3% | §2.2 f) (iv), measured on lines VE30 and VE34 over VE50 of the VAT return |
| A commitment to put 100% of the loan into the Annex 2 cost headings | §2.2 f) (iv) |
| Clean social security certificate (DURC), no insolvency proceedings, not a company in difficulty | §2.2 g), k), l) |
| Catastrophe risk insurance in place | §2.2 o) |
Sector exclusions look at the main activity. The whole of section A of the ATECO classification is out, meaning farming, forestry and fishing, along with meat processing under 10.1, except meat products under 10.13. A winery, an olive mill, a dairy or a pasta maker can apply; a farm whose main activity is growing crops can't, even if it exports.
If the excluded sector is only a secondary activity, you can apply by declaring that the project doesn't involve it (§2.2 n). The main ATECO code can't be read reliably from the outside: your accountant can tell you whether you qualify, from the company register extract.
What it funds, and on what terms
A loan from 10,000 euros upwards, up to 10% non-repayable, over eight years with a two-year grace period and a 50% advance. The ceiling is the lower of 35% of average revenue over the last two financial statements and 500,000 euros for a micro business, 2.5 million for an SME. The best terms only apply with the 100% commitment to artificial intelligence.
| Condition | What the circular says |
|---|---|
| Amount | From 10,000 euros up to the lower of 35% of average revenue and 500,000 (micro), 2,500,000 (SMEs) or 5,000,000 (other companies), §3.1 |
| Non-repayable share | Up to 10%, capped at 100,000 euros, within the de minimis ceiling, §3.2 b) (xi). It's lost in proportion to any AI spending not made by the final report |
| Rate | Fixed, at 10%, 50% or 80% of the EU reference rate, chosen by the company, §3.3 |
| Shelf life | Eight years including two of grace, instead of six, for companies going 100% AI, §3.4 |
| Advance | 50% instead of 25%; the second instalment comes once the first report covers at least 75%, §4.6 |
| First report | Within 12 months of signing, or the whole loan is revoked, §4.6 |
| Guarantees | From 0% to 40% of the loan depending on the scoring class, §3.6 |
What the non-repayable share is worth on your project depends on the de minimis aid you've already used and on the spending SIMEST accepts at reporting. So you won't find a net cost for any project here: your accountant works it out on your own figures.
Who can be a supplier
Anyone who invoices the work, company or self-employed professional, with no registers or approved lists: the circular doesn't provide for any. Every supplier signs the supplier declaration on letterhead, with tax code or VAT number, a description of the supply, the invoice number and date, and the contract date (§5.3). The extra requirement kicks in for consulting and training.
The SIMEST form for consultants asks the company or VAT-registered professional to declare that they are «active in the consulting sector, as shown by the chamber of commerce extract or equivalent documentation, for at least 2 years» on the date of the company’s application, and that they have no links to the company. The form for training asks for the same two years in the training sector.
| Type of spending | What SIMEST asks of the supplier |
|---|---|
| Every supply | The supplier declaration, with invoice and contract. No track record, no required legal form (§5.3) |
| Development and implementation, data | Model development, integration with ERP and CRM, testing, prompt engineering, data cleaning and governance: the text asks for no track record (Annex 2, §3 and §4) |
| Consulting on artificial intelligence | External consultants, at market rates, not ongoing; two years in the field and independence (note 31 and form) |
| AI Act compliance | Professional and independence requirements (note 24) |
| Staff training | Third-party companies, bodies or certified professionals, with two years in the training sector (Annex 2, §5 and form) |
| Consulting to prepare the application | Up to 5%, capped at 100,000 euros; the consultant can't be linked to the company or to the suppliers of the funded goods (note 25) |
Spending only counts after approval. The delivery period starts when the CUP code arrives, and costs must be incurred, invoiced and paid within it, with the CUP on the invoice and payment from the dedicated account (§5.1 and §5.3). The contract with the supplier has to be signed before the invoice, and the circular doesn't ask for quotes to be attached to the application.
The point the text leaves open
A tailored system is often a mixed delivery: development and integration, for which the text asks for no track record, plus project work that SIMEST could read as consulting, which needs two years. SIMEST makes that call at reporting, when the money has already been spent, and the risk of an ineligible cost stays with the company.
Before signing a contract under the grant, the supplier should ask SIMEST in writing how it classifies the supply, and the invoice should name the Annex 2 heading it refers to. A written answer counts for more than any reading, this one included.
What you can spend it on: Annex 2
Software and licences, development and integration, data, staff and skills, certifications, security and compliance, governance and AI consulting. These are the Annex 2 headings, and under software they name the programming interfaces of models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. The right-hand column shows where the supplier needs a track record.
| Annex 2 heading | What it covers | Supplier track record |
|---|---|---|
| §2 Software and licences | Model APIs, automation software | No |
| §3 Development and implementation | Custom models, integration with ERP, CRM, MES, testing and validation, prompt engineering | No |
| §4 Data | Data cleaning, labelling, preparation, governance and quality | No |
| §5 Staff and skills | Interim manager, staff training | Training: two years |
| §7 Security and compliance | Privacy, AI Act compliance, algorithm audits | Consulting: two years |
| §8 Governance | Internal policies on the use of artificial intelligence | Consulting: two years |
| §10 Consulting | Designing and implementing the solutions | Two years |
Two exclusions hit exporters close to home. Costs tied to sales activity and to building a distribution network are out (§5.2), and finding new customers abroad sits very close to that line. Ongoing or periodic consulting is out too: a system’s monthly fee risks being read that way, so under the grant it’s the build that gets funded.
The AI Act and Law 132/2025: the declaration
The company declares that it uses artificial intelligence in line with the AI Act and Law 132/2025, when it applies and at the final report, and keeps it that way for the whole term. The circular adds the ban on systems prohibited by Article 5, the obligations for high-risk systems and the Article 50 transparency obligations (§4.2).
| Point | Line in the circular |
|---|---|
| Compliance with the AI Act and Law 132/2025, kept up for the whole term | §4.2 n. 6 |
| No system prohibited by Article 5 | §4.2 no. 7; full revocation if breached, §6.2 p) |
| High-risk systems: provider or deployer obligations, human oversight, impact assessment | §4.2 n. 8 |
| Systems that talk to people or generate content: Article 50 transparency | §4.2 n. 9 |
| Share not spent on artificial intelligence | Proportional revocation, §6.2 o) |
A system that replies to customers or drafts emails falls under Article 50, which applies from 2 August 2026: the person on the other end has to know they’re dealing with a system, as the page on AI Act deadlines explains. That transparency is best built into the system you receive, because the company declares it to SIMEST twice.
Ten questions before you see your accountant
The circular’s ten conditions, one per line, with what a no means. The tool only works on this page: your answers never leave the browser and aren’t saved. At the end you can print them, with the line of the circular next to each, to take to your accountant.
The result appears here once you’ve answered all ten.
With at least one no, the application can’t go in today. The reason is below, with the line of the circular to show your accountant.
No noes, but a few points to check. Take the questions marked below to your accountant: they’re the ones that decide.
On paper, you qualify. Your accountant confirms it against the company’s documents, and the SIMEST portal may ask for more than the circular.
- Question 1, no. Without an office in Italy and an active registration, the application can’t go in. Circular: §2.2 a), b), c).
- Question 1, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §2.2 a), b), c).
- Question 2, no. A company with fewer than two full closed financial years is out today. Circular: §2.2 d).
- Question 2, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §2.2 d).
- Question 3, no. Below 3% the artificial intelligence route is closed; the standard route asks for 10%. Circular: §2.2 f) (iv).
- Question 3, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §2.2 f) (iv).
- Question 4, no. With the main activity in an excluded sector the application can’t go in; if the excluded sector is only secondary, you can apply with a declaration. Circular: Exclusions, §2.2 n).
- Question 4, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: Exclusions, §2.2 n).
- Question 5, no. Without a clean DURC, or with proceedings under way, the application can’t go in. Circular: §2.2 g), k), l).
- Question 5, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §2.2 g), k), l).
- Question 6, no. The insurance is an entry requirement: it has to be in place first. Circular: §2.2 o).
- Question 6, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §2.2 o).
- Question 7, no. Without the 100% commitment there’s no non-repayable share, no eight years and no 50% advance, and you need 10% exports. Circular: §2.2 f) (iv), §3.2.
- Question 7, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §2.2 f) (iv), §3.2.
- Question 8, no. Sales costs and ongoing consulting are excluded: that part has to come out of the project. Circular: §5.2.
- Question 8, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §5.2.
- Question 9, no. Consulting or training from someone without the two years is an ineligible cost, and it comes out at reporting. Circular: SIMEST form of July 2026; note 24.
- Question 9, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: SIMEST form of July 2026; note 24.
- Question 10, no. The declaration is made twice and has to hold for the whole term; use for prohibited systems leads to full revocation. Circular: §4.2 no. 6-9, §6.2 p).
- Question 10, to check. Settle this one with your accountant before you apply. Circular: §4.2 no. 6-9, §6.2 p).
Where Itria fits in this grant
Itria develops and integrates tailored artificial intelligence systems for SMEs that export: the Development and implementation heading of Annex 2. That means export enquiries and documents prepared from the data the company already has, connected to the business software and the CRM, with a person approving them before they go out and Article 50 transparency already built in.
The method starts from how much time and money the manual work costs today, before any talk of a system. If you’re weighing up the grant and want to see which part of the work would make sense to hand to a system, start here, with fifteen minutes.
Who can be a supplier under the SIMEST artificial intelligence grant?
Any company or self-employed professional with a VAT number who invoices the work: the circular has no register or approved list, and every supplier signs the supplier declaration with invoice and contract.
For consulting and training the SIMEST form asks you to have been active in the field for at least two years on the application date, with no links to the company. For development, integration and data the text asks for no track record.
What are the requirements of the SIMEST AI Investment grant?
An office in Italy, active registration, two financial statements for two full years, export turnover of at least 3% in the last year, a commitment to spend 100% on artificial intelligence, a clean DURC, no insolvency proceedings and catastrophe insurance.
Companies whose main activity is farming, forestry, fishing or meat processing are excluded, except meat products (ATECO 10.13). Your accountant confirms whether you qualify, from the company register extract.
How much does the SIMEST AI grant fund, and how much is non-repayable?
From 10,000 euros up to the lower of 35% of average revenue and 500,000 euros for a micro business or 2.5 million for an SME. Up to 10% non-repayable, capped at 100,000 euros, under de minimis.
Eight years including a two-year grace period, a 50% advance and a fixed subsidised rate. The non-repayable share is lost in proportion if the artificial intelligence spending isn’t made by the final report.
Do you need an AI Act declaration for the SIMEST grant?
Yes. The company declares, when it applies and at the final report, that its use of artificial intelligence complies with the AI Act and Law 132/2025, and keeps it that way for the whole term.
A system prohibited by Article 5 leads to full revocation. Systems that talk to people or generate content carry the Article 50 transparency obligations, in force since 2 August 2026.
Until when can you apply for the SIMEST AI grant?
Since 21 September 2026 on the SIMEST portal, first come, first served: applications are assessed in chronological order, while the 200 million euro reserve lasts.
For the AI section the circular sets no closing date. If the funds run out, it would be announced on the programme page.
Notes on sources
- SIMEST, operating circular 4/394/2023, update of 15 September 2026 (36 pages, in Italian): requirements in §2.2, terms in §§3.1-3.6, application window in §4.1, declarations in §4.2, advance in §4.6, eligible and excluded costs in §§5.1-5.3, revocations in §6.2, cost headings in Annex 2, notes 24, 25 and 31. Read on 8 October 2026.
- SIMEST, programme page for the digital or green transition (in Italian): opening at 9am on 21 September 2026 and the 200 million reserve.
- SIMEST, attachments for subsidised loans (in Italian): the professional and independence declaration for consultants and the one for training providers (July 2026), of which the passage on the two years is a faithful paraphrase, and the supplier declaration.
- SIMEST, press release of 14 September 2026 (in Italian) on the 200 million budget for artificial intelligence in SMEs.
- This page doesn’t publish the net cost of any project. The non-repayable share depends on the de minimis aid already used and on the spending SIMEST accepts at reporting: your accountant works it out. The circular changes without notice (thirteen updates since June 2024): the date at the top says when it was read.
The grant pays for the build. Which work it takes off your hands is still yours to choose.
Before the portal, it’s worth knowing which part of your everyday work would make sense to hand to a system. At Itria we build tailored artificial intelligence systems for SMEs that export, with a person approving before anything goes out. Drop us a line about what’s slowing you down: in fifteen minutes we’ll look together at which part of the work a system would take off your desk.