Overall Description

Digital Transformation is an Italian incentive promoted by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and managed by Invitalia. It supports the technological and digital transformation of companies’ production processes, particularly through process innovation and organisational innovation projects.

The measure supports the application of advanced technologies associated with Enterprise 4.0 (Impresa 4.0) as well as digital technological solutions for supply chains.

Funding Amount

• Eligible projects must have total expenditure of between €50,000 and €500,000.
• Financial support can cover a maximum nominal amount of 50% of eligible costs and expenditure, consisting of:
  • 10% contribution – provided as a direct contribution towards expenditure for process/organisational innovation projects or as a capital contribution for investment projects;
  • 40% subsidised financing.
• The subsidised financing is interest-free and must be repaid through semi-annual instalments over a maximum period of seven years. The applicable aid is subject to the relevant limits under the GBER for process and organisational innovation projects and the de minimis regime for investment projects.
• The total funding available is €100 million, of which:
  • 25% is reserved for projects submitted by micro and small enterprises and for joint projects;
  • 5% is reserved for SMEs holding a legality rating (rating di legalità) at the time of application.

Submission Deadlines

• No fixed submissions deadline.
• The incentive is currently active, and applications may be submitted on a rolling basis until the available resources are exhausted.

Submission Conditions

Applications must be submitted electronically through the dedicated Invitalia online area. Applicants must have:

• A digital identity (SPID, CNS or CIE);
• A digital signature;
• A PEC (certified electronic mail) address;
• The required application and project documentation prepared using the official templates.

Each applicant may submit only one application, which must concern one of the following: a process innovation project, an organisational innovation project or an investment project.

Projects must start after submission of the application and normally be completed within 18 months from the date the aid is granted, with a possible justified extension of up to six months.

Eligible Types of Businesses

The incentive is specifically available to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the application date, applicants must:

• Be duly established, registered and active in the Companies Register;
• Operate primarily or predominantly in manufacturing, services directly supporting manufacturing companies, tourism or trade;
• Have generated at least €100,000 in revenue from sales and services in the financial year covered by their latest approved and filed financial statements;
• Have at least two approved and filed financial statements;
• Not be subject to insolvency proceedings or be in bankruptcy, liquidation or equivalent circumstances.

Large enterprises, universities and research institutes are not listed as direct eligible beneficiaries under this measure.

Eligible Countries

• Italy – all regions.
• Projects must be implemented at a production unit of the applicant located within Italian territory. The measure therefore operates nationwide rather than being restricted to particular Italian regions.

Type of Project Supported

• Both individual and collaborative projects are supported.
• An SME may submit a project individually. Alternatively, companies may jointly submit a project involving no more than 10 enterprises, using:
  • A business network contract (contratto di rete);
  • A consortium;
  • A partnership;
  • Other contractual forms establishing an effective, stable and coherent collaboration in relation to the project's objectives.
• For a joint project, the lead/promoting organisation must be a Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) or Digital Ecosystem for Innovation (EDI) under the Enterprise 4.0 Plan. The lead entity acts as the representative of the participating organisations in dealings with MIMIT.