Discover AIR in 90 seconds
About the instrument:Supporting the development of a Proof-Of-Concept for a Startup in very early stage.
AIR compensates for the lack of equity and the scarcity of business angels funds for the very early stage development of startups.
It is a grant of TND 30,000 awarded to projects with high innovation and scalability potential. It covers activities and expenditures related to the purchase of goods and services (excluding consultancy services), carried out in accordance with the agreed procedures, for one of the following activities:
• Proof-of-concept development, the first version of the technology solution
• Prototyping: to take a product from the laboratory to a product that can meet a market need
• Market Assessment: Understanding the potential market for a technical product from a research organization
Eligibility criteria
• The startup is an existing legal entity in accordance with Tunisian law
• The startup must not have any ongoing AIR support
• The age of the startup must be less than 1 year, at the time of application
•The startup must have an experienced team dedicated to this project
• The startup must be at the stage of development of the POC with technological and innovative character and have a strong growth potential
• The startup is participating in a POC development program led by an SSO (highly appreciated)
Scoring Grid
• Innovation and scalability potential of the proposed project (0-5)
• Market attractiveness of the startup (0-5)
• The market-fit potential of the proposed solution (0-5)
• Deliverability of the team (0-5)
• Feasibility of the PoC (0 -5)
• Alignment with the objective of this RIA support instrument (0-5)
• Bonus point: Startups founded by a woman (+1) or originating from and operating in a disadvantaged interior region (+1) will be encouraged
The elements required for your AIR applicationents nécessaires à votre candidature AIR
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• A company commercial registry extract, issued within the last 3 months.
• A 3-minute pitch video in French or English.
• A presentation of your startup: Pitch Deck.
• A 3-minute demo video of your solution/product in French or English (optional).
• An Excel document estimating the total budget/cost for the development of your PoC, and optionally the supporting documents.
A simple and fully online process
These steps ensure maximum transparency as well as an accurate and fair evaluation of all files received
Steps
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Call for Application
The opening of applications on the portal
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Round 1
Verification of eligibility criteria and completion by the program management team
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Round 2
Scoring of applications by the selection committee
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Round 3
Vote and deliberation following the pitch session by the selection committee
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Results
Communication of results
The announcement of the results is expected 3 months after the application
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New Disbursement Structure for Flywheel Instruments
1. First tranche (T1 – 67%): Initial disbursement
• Conditions: Released upon signature of the contract.
• Required documents:
o Contract signed between the beneficiary and Smart Capital.
o Detailed action plan (Annex II) outlining objectives, key milestones, and expected deliverables.
o Approved provisional budget.
2. Second tranche (T2 – 33%): Project closure
• Conditions: Released after validation of the final results.
• Required documents:
o Project completion request signed by the beneficiary.
o Final technical project report.
o Summary statement of paid expenses, certified by a statutory auditor or a chartered accountant.
o Updated certificates of tax and social security compliance.
o Supporting documents for expenses, grouped by action (invoices, proof of payment, etc.).
o Final update of the Financial and Technical Implementation Status (Annex II).
AIR Beneficiaries
| Name | Session | Sector | Description | Location | Creation Year | Founders | Website |
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AIR²
AIR² is a support between 150 000 and 200 000 TND for startups having raised seed funds and working for a scale up and a Series A fund raising.
