Public call for Smart Start
In accordance with the provisions of the Law on Innovation Activities (“Official Gazette of RS”, no. 129/2021) and the provisions of the Law on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for 2026 (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 128/05), and the Program for the Allocation and Use of Funds for Subsidies to Public Non-Financial Enterprises and Organizations for 2026, which forms an integral part of the Conclusion of the Government of the Republic of Serbia 05 No. 401-14967/2025 dated January 12, 2026.
Innovation Fund
publishes
Public Call for the Smart Start Program
The Innovation Fund invites promising teams with innovative business ideas to apply for the sixth cycle of the Smart Start Program.
The Program is intended for teams seeking to transform their business ideas into viable innovative solutions. Through financial and mentoring support, teams are enabled to develop a first prototype or minimum viable product (MVP), validate the proposed solution, and assess its market potential.
The Program primarily focuses on the development and market validation of innovative products, services, and technologies, while research activities may form an integral part of solution development but should not constitute the primary objective of the project.
Financial and Mentoring Support
The Innovation Fund provides financing of up to RSD 5,400,000 per project, covering up to 90% of the total project budget, while the Applicant is required to provide at least 10% co-financing from private sources, in cash.
In addition to financial support, an additional RSD 600,000 for mentoring support is provided for each approved project.
Projects under the Smart Start Program may last for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 9 months.
Who Can Apply?
Teams consisting of 2 to 5 members are eligible to apply, provided that:
- at least 51% of the team members are residents of the Republic of Serbia;
- at least 51% of the team members do not hold ownership interests in other companies registered in the Republic of Serbia.
Obligations Following Approval for Financing
Teams approved for financing will be required, prior to signing the Financing Agreement, to establish a limited liability company (d.o.o.) in the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the conditions defined in the Program Manual.
At least 51% of the proposed team members must become co-founders of the newly established company and must jointly hold 100% ownership of the company. The founders must be residents of the Republic of Serbia, must not hold ownership interests in other companies, and none of them may act as a legal representative of another company.
Examples of the required founder structure:
- Team of 2 members → both members must be co-founders
- Team of 3 members → at least 2 members must be co-founders
- Team of 4–5 members → at least 3 members must be co-founders
The legal representative of the newly established company must be one of its founders.
A team member may participate in only one application and may not simultaneously be engaged in another active project financed under any of the Innovation Fund’s programs.
What Does the Program Support?
The Innovation Fund supports projects from all scientific and technological fields and industrial sectors, with a particular focus on the priority domains of Serbia’s Smart Specialization Strategy:
- Food for the Future;
- Information and Communication Technologies, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence, in accordance with the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2025-2030);
- Future Machines and Manufacturing Systems;
- Creative Industries.
At least 50% of the available funds will be allocated to projects from the above priority domains, provided that a sufficient number of high-quality applications are received.
How to Apply?
Applications must be submitted exclusively electronically through the Innovation Fund’s portal and must be prepared in English due to the international evaluation process.
The application consists of:
- Applicant Statement, signed by all team members;
- Application Form, containing a description of the proposed solution and its field of application, information about the team, a simplified project budget, and a video presentation of up to 3 minutes in English, presenting the proposed solution and the team members.
The prescribed application documents must be submitted in their original format downloaded from the Innovation Fund’s website.
Incomplete or late applications, as well as applications that do not comply with the prescribed requirements, will not be considered.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are evaluated based on the following three key criteria:
- Utility and Competitive Advantage of the Innovative Solution
- Market Potential
- Team Competence
Only applications that meet all criteria will be considered.
Additional Information
The “de minimis” state aid rules apply to the funds that the Grant Beneficiary receives from the Fund through this Program in accordance with the Fund’s Rulebook on the Rules for Awarding State Aid.
All details on the application process can be found in the Program Manual available on the Fund’s website, in the Documentation section.
Application Deadline: November 16, 2026, at 12:00 (noon)
Portal registration Deadline: November 13, 2026
Contact: smartstart@inovacionifond.rs
Please use this link to apply.