On September 4, 2025, the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT) established the “2025 Innovation Agreements”,  redefining the procedures for granting and disbursing subsidies, as provided for by the Ministerial Decree of December 31, 2021, in favour of important industrial research and experimental development initiatives carried out under agreements entered into by the Ministry with the proposing entities and with the regions, autonomous provinces and other public administrations that have signed specific framework agreements.

The total amount of funds allocated is €731 million.

Applications may be submitted from January 14, 2026 to February 18, 2026.

What the initiative funds:

Projects involving industrial research and experimental development activities aimed at creating new products, processes or services or significantly improving existing products, processes or services in the specific areas of intervention specified below, relating to the manufacturing sector and the digital and telecommunications sector.

Target audience for the initiative:

• Companies (SMEs and large enterprises) operating in the industrial and transport sectors, including craft and auxiliary businesses.
• Research organisations.
• Projects carried out in agreement with regions and autonomous provinces.

Please note that Article 2 of the DD stipulates that 'A proposer may submit only one application for funding as an individual proposer or as the lead partner in a joint project. Research organisations may participate in multiple joint projects through their own institutes, university departments or other organisational-functional units with managerial, organisational and financial autonomy, each of which may participate in only one project for each of the thematic areas indicated in Annex 2 and Annex 3 to the decree."

For further information: https://www.mimit.gov.it/it/incentivi/accordi-per-linnovazione-2025 (in Italian)