Brazil-Italy-Europe Observatory  ·  🇧🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇺

Opportunities Map Brazil-Italy-Europe
A fortnightly benchmark of tenders and funding in Italy for Brazilian start-ups and SMEs

Period: 16/07 to 13/08 2026 Published: 16 July 2026 Previous edition: 1 July 2026

🔄 What has changed since the edition of 01/07/2026

This edition updates the picture set out on 1 July. The EIC Accelerator cut-off of 08/07 and the Eureka Network bilateral window have closed as expected; the next EIC Accelerator cut-off is 2 September 2026. In this round the survey went deeper into the institutional channel Invest in Italy / ZES Unica (MIMIT), previously mentioned only in passing and now given an entry of its own, with particular attention to the tax credit of up to 70% in southern Italy (a budget of €2.3 billion for 2026) and to the role of the Sportello Unico Nazionale as a free institutional entry point for foreign investors. It is confirmed that the most direct pillars for Brazilian SMEs and start-ups remain Smart&Start Italia (soft landing with an Italian base, no deadline) and the Contratto di Sviluppo (structured investment, also with no fixed deadline), while traditional public tenders (TED/ExTender) remain effectively closed to Brazilian suppliers with no legal presence in the EU.

❌ Closed since 01/07

EIC Accelerator, cut-off 08/07/2026 · Eureka Network Projects, bilateral window 08/07/2026

✅ Still open

Smart&Start Italia (rolling) · Contratto di Sviluppo (rolling) · SIMEST Fondo 394 (rolling until 31/12) · Invest in Italy / ZES Unica (rolling) · Eurostars Call 11 (open since 09/07, deadline 10/09)

🆕 New in this edition

Invest in Italy / ZES Unica (MIMIT) set out in an entry of its own · Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027 (sectoral calls being published) · Next EIC Accelerator cut-off confirmed for 02/09/2026

📊 Opportunities at a glance

✅ Direct Brazilian access ⚠️ Through an EU corporate structure 🔗 Through an EU partner in the consortium 🏢 Through an Italian subsidiary 🤝 Self-funded (associated partner) 🆕 New in this edition
Programme Description Category Type of support Deadline Amount Organisation Info Access for Brazilian companies
📋 National and regional instruments
Smart&Start Italia
 Zero-interest finance for technology business plans from start-ups, open to foreign companies that establish a base in Italy 📋 GeneralTech product, service or platform Repayable loan
(zero interest) plus a partial grant		 Rolling
(sportello open)		 €100k to €1.5m Invitalia / MIMIT ↗ link ✅ Yes, with an Italian base
Contratto di Sviluppo
 Finance for large productive investment programmes (industry, agri-industry, tourism, environment) 📋 GeneralProductive investment Repayable loan
plus a partial grant		 Rolling Large-scale
investment		 Invitalia / MIMIT ↗ link 🏢 Through a permanent Italian entity
Invest in Italy / ZES Unica 🆕 NEW
 A MIMIT one-stop shop for foreign investors plus a tax credit for productive investment in southern Italy 📋 GeneralInvestment attraction / tax credit Institutional support
plus a tax credit of up to 70%		 Rolling
(ZES in force until 2028)		 €2.3bn
budgeted for 2026		 MIMIT / Invitalia / ICE ↗ link ✅ Yes, any country of origin
SIMEST, Fondo 394
 Subsidised finance for Italian SMEs (or subsidiaries) for internationalisation and the digital and green transitions 📋 GeneralService or product Repayable loan
(rate of about 0.319%) plus a partial grant		 Rolling
(until 31/12/2026)		 €500k to €2m SIMEST / CDP Group ↗ link 🏢 Through an Italian subsidiary
📋 European calls
Horizon Europe WP 2026-2027
 Sectoral calls on research, innovation and international cooperation published over the second half of 2026 📋 GeneralR&D / innovation Grant
(eligibility varies by topic)		 Variable
by topic		 Varies by topic European Commission ↗ link 🔗 Through an EU consortium
EIC Accelerator
 Blended finance (grant plus equity) for deep-tech start-ups with radical innovations 📋 GeneralDeep-tech product or technology Blended finance
(grant plus equity)		 02/09/2026next cut-off Grant up to €2.5m
plus equity €0.5m to €15m		 EIC / European Commission ↗ link ⚠️ Through an EU structure

📂 Open opportunities in detail

1. Smart&Start Italia, Invitalia

Rolling (sportello open)
Repayable loan (zero interest) plus a partial grant
Invitalia / MIMIT
€100,000 to €1,500,000 (up to €3m for companies aged 3 to 5 years)
Sportello open, closes when funds run out
Eligible sectors
Start-ups with high technology content: ICT, life sciences, Industry 4.0, energy and others
Eligibility requirements
Innovative start-ups incorporated less than 60 months ago; foreign companies are eligible provided they open an operating base in Italy, evidenced by the first disbursement. The grant element can reach 80-90% if the team is mostly young (under 35) and/or female, or includes a PhD holder returning from abroad.
How to join
The business plan is submitted through Invitalia's digital platform. Applications are assessed in the order received. → invitalia.it/smartstart
No changes since 01/07: it remains the most structured way into the soft landing of a Brazilian start-up in Italy. It is worth planning well ahead for the opening of an Italian legal and operating base, a practical precondition for disbursement.

2. Contratto di Sviluppo, Invitalia / MIMIT

Window open (no closing date announced)
Repayable loan plus a grant
Invitalia, on behalf of MIMIT
Industry, agri-industry, tourism, environmental protection
Large-scale investment programmes (typically from a few million euros upwards)
Eligibility requirements
Open to Italian and foreign companies of any size, provided they set up a production site on Italian territory before the benefits are released
How to join
→ invitalia.it/development-contract. A complex process, where specialist advice is recommended.
For Brazilian companies: suited to SMEs with a solid investment plan (setting up a factory or distribution centre in Italy, for example), not to small tickets.

3. Invest in Italy / ZES Unica, MIMIT 🆕 NEW IN THIS EDITION

Rolling (ZES in force until 2028)
A one-stop shop for foreign investors plus a tax credit
MIMIT, working with Invitalia and ICE Agenzia
€2.3 billion budgeted for 2026 (ZES Unica)
A tax credit of up to 70% on new capital goods and intangible assets
Eligible sectors
Broad: industry, technology, energy, logistics, tourism
Eligibility requirements
Foreign investors of any origin looking to set up in Italy, with a focus on cutting through red tape via the Sportello Unico Nazionale
How to join
Direct contact with "Invest in Italy". → ice.it/invest-italy
For Brazilian companies: by March 2026 the "Invest in Italy" portfolio already held 64 projects under institutional guidance, worth €71 billion, 60% of them concentrated in the Mezzogiorno. It is the recommended channel for a first institutional contact by any Brazilian SME considering a physical presence in Italy.

4. SIMEST, Fondo 394 (for Italian subsidiaries of Brazilian groups)

Rolling until 31/12/2026
Subsidised loan (rate of about 0.319% in January 2026) plus a partial grant
SIMEST S.p.A. (CDP Group)
Around €8.5bn planned for the three-year period (Fondo 394)
€500.000 - €2.000.000
Eligible sectors
Internationalisation, digital transition, green transition, international trade fairs, e-commerce
Eligibility requirements
Italian SMEs and mid-caps, or Italian subsidiaries of foreign groups; at least two sets of accounts filed
How to join
→ simest.it
For Brazilian companies: directly applicable to Italian subsidiaries of Brazilian groups that are already incorporated. Relevant where the entry strategy involves a local partner or subsidiary.

🔭 Expected opportunities (opening soon)

1. Horizon Europe, Work Programme 2026-2027 (sectoral calls)

Staggered publication, second half of 2026
Call for research, innovation and international cooperation projects
European Commission (EISMEA, HaDEA and other agencies)
Digital, health, energy, industry, climate and others
Eligibility requirements
Entities from non-associated third countries (Brazil among them) can join consortia but as a rule do not receive automatic EU funding, unless the call text says otherwise. Eligibility has to be checked topic by topic.
How to join
→ EU Funding & Tenders Portal, looking for a European consortium partner
For Brazilian companies: the best route for companies with a strong R&D component and a willingness to work in consortium, not for drawing a subsidy directly.

2. EIC Accelerator, next cut-off

02/09/2026
Blended finance (grant plus equity)
EIC / European Commission
Grant up to €2.5m plus equity of €0.5m to €15m
Eligibility requirements
Start-ups, SMEs and small mid-caps must be based in the EU or in a country associated with Horizon Europe at the time the full proposal is submitted (Step 2). Brazilian companies can relocate before that milestone; the short proposal (Step 1) can be submitted at any time, still as a Brazilian company.
How to join
→ eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-accelerator
For Brazilian companies: viable only for start-ups that are planning (or have already carried out) the incorporation of a legal entity in the EU, ideally combined with prior use of Smart&Start to set up in Italy. Next cut-offs after 02/09: 04/11/2026.