Italian and EU funding for companies investing in Italy
I help you choose the right public funding scheme for your innovation project, prepare the application and technical report, deliver the project within the rules and report on it without surprises. I work with foreign companies opening or expanding a site in Southern Italy, with international groups that have an Italian subsidiary and with Italian SMEs. I always start from the project: if it does not make sense without a grant, I advise against chasing one.
Ing. Vito Domenico Amodio
Engineer and Innovation Manager, I work with you directly
- UNI 11814 Innovation Manager · Apave no. 38-M
- Licensed engineer, Lecce no. 4603
- Listed by MISE as innovation manager in 2019
- Working with SMEs since 2014
I have supported Italian companies with regional schemes of the Apulia Region such as Mini PIA and Trasformazioni, with measures managed by Invitalia (the Italian national agency for inward investment and enterprise development) and with the Doppia Transizione (“twin transition”) vouchers of the Italian Chambers of Commerce. I also know the public bodies’ side: in 2018 and 2019 I worked as Innovation Manager for the Chamber of Commerce of Brindisi, on Industry 4.0 training. If a project needs a web or software development supplier, I tell you in advance whether it is Moviweb S.r.l., where I am CIO: the choice of supplier stays with you.
No one can guarantee approval: the decision rests with the funding body.
When you need it
Foreign companies investing in Southern Italy
That are opening or expanding a site and want to understand which Italian and EU-funded incentives may apply.
International groups with an Italian subsidiary
Planning digital, innovation or Industry 4.0 investments.
Italian micro and small businesses
That want to digitalise and have no time to read calls running to a hundred pages.
SMEs with a defined project
(ERP, e-commerce, automation, AI, cybersecurity) looking for the most suitable measure.
Companies that have already been awarded funding
And need help with delivery and reporting.
New companies and innovative start-ups
Comparing the instruments available for their launch.
Accountants and advisers
Who need a technical partner for the innovation side of their clients’ projects.
What I do
Eligibility check
Company size, activity codes (ATECO), location, social security compliance, de minimis aid already received.
Choice of instrument
Regional call, national measure (MIMIT or Invitalia), Chamber of Commerce voucher, tax incentive such as the 2026 super-depreciation. I compare aid intensity, timing and constraints.
Project design
Objectives, activities, schedule, cost plan, indicators.
Technical report and application
Texts, annexes, supplier quotes consistent with eligible costs, upload to the official platforms.
Innovation consultancy services
Required by some schemes, delivered as a UNI 11814 certified innovation manager, and sworn technical appraisals for the 2026 super-depreciation as a licensed engineer.
Management of the funded project
Changes, extensions, progress reports, relations with the funding body.
Final reporting
Expense file, checks on invoices and payments, final report.
Below are the measures I work on most for digital, innovation and Industry 4.0 projects, under their official Italian names. The status on each card comes from the scheme pages I maintain on innovationmanager.puglia.it (in Italian), with the date of the last check against the official source. If the funding body’s website says otherwise, the official website prevails.
Apulia Region and Puglia Sviluppo
Regional schemes for companies with a site in Apulia. Since 3 March 2026 Mini PIA and PIA do not accept new applications (Regional Government Resolution no. 176/2026); Tecnonidi and STEP remain open.
Open checked
Tecnonidi (also JTF Taranto)
Innovative small companies in Apulia up to five years old: investment and start-up costs.
Official sourceOpen checked
STEP Puglia
Programmes from €1 million to develop or manufacture critical digital, deep tech, clean tech or biotech.
Official sourceSuspended checked
Mini PIA
Micro and small businesses in Apulia combining Industry 4.0 investment with an innovation project, from €30,000.
Official sourceSuspended checked
PIA Piccole e Medie imprese
Programmes from €1 million including R&D, for established small and medium-sized companies.
Official source
Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT)
National measures that also apply to Italian branches and subsidiaries of foreign groups, subject to each scheme’s rules.
Open checked
Iperammortamento 2026 (Transizione 5.0)
Italian companies and Italian permanent establishments of foreign companies buying new Industry 4.0 assets by 30/09/2028: tax super-depreciation.
Official sourceOpen checked
Nuova Sabatini
SMEs financing new machinery, hardware and software through a bank loan or leasing.
Official sourceComing soon checked
Voucher Cloud e Cybersecurity
SMEs and self-employed adopting cloud and cybersecurity services: 50% up to €20,000.
Official source
Invitalia
The national agency for inward investment and enterprise development manages schemes for innovative start-ups and large investment programmes, open to foreign companies that set up in Italy.
Open checked
Smart&Start Italia
Innovative start-ups, also Startup Visa founders and foreign companies opening a site in Italy: plans from €100,000 to €1.5 million.
Official sourceOpen checked
Contratto di sviluppo
Large industrial, tourism or environmental programmes, usually from €20 million, for Italian and foreign companies.
Official source
How I work
Listening
In an introductory call, in English or Italian, you tell me about the project and the company.
Diagnosis
Using the company’s registry extract, financial statements and the record of aid received, I check requirements and the de minimis headroom available.
Plan and resources
I present the compatible schemes with pros, cons and timing, and you decide. We then write the project, collect supplier quotes, and prepare and submit the application.
Delivery and results
I support you during implementation with a calendar of deadlines and an expense file kept up to date. At closure we prepare the final documentation and follow the review until the funds are paid.
These are the four steps of the method I follow in every project.
What you get
Eligibility sheet
with the requirements checked and the points to watch.
Comparison of the schemes
compatible with your project.
Project and technical report
ready to submit.
Schedule
with all the deadlines of the scheme.
Tailored reporting checklist
and project file.
Final report
and documents for the payment request.
Next steps
Some companies I have supported describe their experience in the case studies, for example Agrimaggiore with a Doppia Transizione voucher and CAPP Group with the Trasformazioni call. Individual client experiences: the outcome depends on each project and on the grant requirements. If you need a view of your priorities before anything else, start from the digital assessment and roadmap.
Shall we talk for half an hour?
Tell me where you are so I understand what you need. If I can help, I send you a written quote.
How it went for a client
Thanks to the technical advice of Ing. Amodio we went through the digitalisation of our business successfully, obtaining the planned funding within the set time. (translated from Italian)
Frequently asked questions
Can't find your question? Write to me and I will answer.
Can a foreign-owned company access Italian public funding?
Often yes, once it has a registered company or local unit in Italy that meets the requirements of the specific scheme. Eligibility depends on company size, sector, location, the type of expenditure and the aid already received by the company and any linked companies. I check these points with your documents before recommending any scheme.
Can you guarantee that an application will be approved?
No. No one can guarantee approval: the decision rests with the funding body and depends on requirements, scores and available resources. What I take care of is a project consistent with the scheme, a complete application and orderly reporting. Those are the things that reduce the risk of exclusion or revocation.
What is de minimis, and why does it matter?
De minimis is the EU framework for small amounts of State aid, set by Regulation (EU) 2023/2831: a single undertaking may receive up to EUR 300,000 over any rolling three-year period. Many Italian schemes use it, so before any application I check the aid your company, and any linked company in Italy, has already received in the National State Aid Register.
Can my consultancy fees be covered by the grant?
In many Italian digitalisation schemes, innovation consultancy services are eligible costs, sometimes only when delivered by a qualified or certified innovation manager. Each call has its own rules and limits: I check them before sending you a quote, so you know from the start which part of my work the scheme may cover.
Can several incentives be combined on the same project?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the cumulation rules of each call, on the aid regime used, such as de minimis or the EU General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), and on the ceilings. Before submitting an application I check the aid you have already received.
Book an introductory call
Do you have a project and want to know whether a suitable scheme exists? Let’s talk. The call helps me understand your request and prepare a written quote. If you prefer an automatic preliminary check for Apulian schemes, use the eligibility check on the grants site (in Italian).
Tell me about your company and what you want to achieve. The call is for me to understand your request: if I can help, I prepare a written quote. or fill in the formBook a 30-minute introductory call
Related services
- Technical appraisals for Italian hyper-depreciationSworn appraisal of Industry 4.0 assets and their interconnection, for sites in Italy.
- ICT acceptance testing and technical advisoryAcceptance testing of software, networks and platforms, expert reports and party-appointed expert work.
- Public sector and PNRR projectsICT management, contract execution and governance of public digital projects.