Resto al Sud 2.0 in 2026: eligibility, costs and applications

Status, regions and eligible applicants

Checked on 5 October 2026: Invitalia lists the scheme as active, opened on 15 October 2025. It supports new initiatives in Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily. Applicants must be at least 18 and under 35 and fall within the eligible inactive, non-employed, unemployed, GOL-unemployed or working-poor categories. Age alone is insufficient: check the relevant personal status and business sector. Agriculture, fishing and aquaculture are excluded.

Check the formal start date

The operational FAQ specifies that an initiative must have been started in the application month or the immediately preceding month and remain inactive when applying. For self-employed professionals, the start is the VAT registration date; for businesses, registration in the Business Register. Inactivity has a specific definition and limited exceptions for certain expenses; it does not simply mean having received no customer payments. Companies must check control and management by eligible persons. Also verify any participation in the preceding six months in an activity with an ATECO code matching through the third digit.

Vouchers and investment programmes

The non-repayable voucher is up to EUR 40,000. It may reach EUR 50,000 only if the increase is expressly requested and its conditions are met: at least 20% of eligible costs relate to digital or technological innovation, sustainability or energy savings; or qualifying specialist technical advice from RUNTS-registered third-sector entities accounts for at least 50% of the increase. For investment programmes, Invitalia lists a 75% grant up to EUR 120,000 and 70% for the EUR 120,000–200,000 band. Do not add these percentages to the voucher as one combined benefit. Amounts, eligibility and approval depend on assessment.

Eligible costs and exclusions

Eligible categories include new machinery, plant, equipment and furniture; software and ICT services; certain intangible assets and qualifying technical advice. Refurbishment and extraordinary maintenance are eligible only for investment programmes, capped at 50% of eligible expenditure. The official list excludes land and property purchases, application preparation advice, legal and tax advice, raw materials, staff, utilities, rent and leasing. A necessary business cost is not automatically eligible for support.

Deadlines, submission and limits

No final closing date is shown on the official scheme page checked today. Applications are assessed chronologically, within available resources: an active scheme does not guarantee funding. Invitalia states assessment within 90 days of submission, without rankings; this is not a promise of payment within 90 days. Apply online using SPID, CIE or CNS, with digital signature and certified email. Delegates may prepare the application, but the owner or legal representative must submit it. Keep the filing receipt and use current official forms.

Practical action: prepare two budgets

Create a checklist covering region, age, personal status, formal start date, sector and ownership. Then separate eligible investment expenditure from costs funded with your own resources. Initial rent, for example, may be necessary but excluded from support. Add a payment timetable and conservative cash collection forecast: a requested grant is not cash already available. Before committing expenditure, verify eligibility dates, documentation and financial sustainability with qualified professionals. This guide supports preparation and does not replace official rules or assessment.

Explore our business services, Autoimpiego Centro-Nord or contact us for an initial eligibility assessment.

Official sources

General information. Each case requires a specific assessment.