Mini development contracts: MIMIT supports investments in the automotive supply chain

The Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy has defined the intervention methods to support, through the instrument known as “Mini Development Contracts”, the investment programs of companies in the automotive supply chain. This is established by the decree of the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy of August 11, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 230 of October 3, 2026, with official reference 26A05194. The measure implements Article 2, paragraph 2, of the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of June 10, 2026.

The regulatory framework

The ministerial decree falls within the framework outlined by the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of June 10, 2026, communicated in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic of July 7, 2026, no. 155. That measure ordered the rescheduling of the resources of the fund referred to in Article 22 of the Decree-Law of March 1, 2022, no. 17, converted with amendments by Law of April 27, 2022, no. 34, for the years 2026 to 2030, together with the unused residual resources relating to the year 2025.

The new decree was registered with the Court of Auditors on September 17, 2026, Control Office for the acts of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry and Ministry of Tourism, under number 1171. Pursuant to Article 22, paragraph 3, of the Legislative Decree of November 27, 2025, no. 184, the full text has been available since September 28, 2026 on the Ministry’s institutional website, www.mimit.gov.it.

Intervention methods and next steps

The decree sets out the methods by which the State supports the investment programs of companies in the automotive supply chain, utilizing the Mini Development Contracts instrument. The target audience consists of companies and the supporting industries of the automotive sector across the entire national territory.

• Instrument: “Mini Development Contracts”.
• Purpose: support for investment programs of companies in the automotive supply chain.
• Regulatory basis: Article 2, paragraph 2, of the DPCM of June 10, 2026.
• Next step: a subsequent measure by the Director General for Business Incentives will establish the terms and methods for submitting applications for aid.

As of the date of publication in the Gazette, therefore, the opening dates of the application window are not yet known: the window for applications will depend on the implementing measure of the Director General.

The precedent of the temporary closure

The new structure follows a transition phase already underway in recent months. By decree of the Director General for Business Incentives of August 5, 2026, the temporary closure of the application window for aid requests at the desk dedicated to development and reconversion programs for the automotive supply chain—governed by the directorial decrees of October 10, 2022, and November 14, 2022, published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic no. 250 of October 25, 2022, and no. 274 of November 23, 2022—was ordered starting from 12:00 PM on August 6, 2026. The closure was motivated specifically by the adoption of the DPCM of June 10, 2026, which identifies new criteria for supporting the green transition, research, and investments in the automotive sector supply chain.

Innovation Agreements

On the same page of the Gazette, a second related intervention appears, with official reference 26A05195: the Innovation Agreements for the automotive supply chain. By decree of the Director General for Business Incentives of September 17, 2026, the terms and procedures for submitting applications for industrial research and experimental development projects of significant technological impact were defined, pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 4, of the DPCM of June 10, 2026. In this case, applications may be submitted starting from 10:00 AM on November 25, 2026.

Therefore, a double window of access to incentives opens for companies in the automotive supply chain and related industries: the Mini Development Contracts, with procedures already defined and deadlines yet to be set, and the Innovation Agreements, with an opening date already scheduled for November 25, 2026. Interested companies should monitor the website of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy for the implementing measure that will open the Mini Development Contracts desk.

Official source: Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 230 of October 3, 2026 — “Support for investment programs of companies in the automotive supply chain through ‘Mini development contracts’”, reference 26A05194.