Argentina Agencia I+D+i 2026 AIC and Startup Call (Closed)

This opportunity is closed. The 2026 project-submission stage for the Agencia I+D+i’s Apoyo a la Investigación Científica (AIC) call and the three Startup 2025 technology-startup lines concluded on May 22, 2026. The agency’s notice says that admissibility review begins after the submission stage. It does not announce a new application window or a replacement cutoff. Do not treat this page as an invitation to submit now.

The file retains its FONARSEC-oriented identifier because that is how many applicants still search for Argentine technology-transfer funding. The current official opportunity, however, is an Agencia I+D+i package of AIC and Startup instruments rather than an open FONARSEC call. The public-calls index remains the right place to check for future notices, updated bases, circulars, or a new TAD link.

Opportunity Snapshot

What closed in the 2026 cycle

The agency grouped four related instruments under its public calls: AIC and Startup 2025 TRL 3-4, TRL 5-6, and TRL 7-9. Its closing notice names all four and says that the presentation-of-projects stage has finished. That distinction matters. A project can still be moving through administrative admissibility or evaluation after submissions end, but a new applicant cannot use that post-submission process to file an additional project.

The public-calls index also lists a separate Economía del Conocimiento con aplicación de IA instrument. That line is not a new deadline for AIC or Startup, and it should not be presented as a reopening of this opportunity. It has its own eligibility rules, application route, bases, and supporting documents. Applicants interested in the AI consortium line should inspect its separate official page instead of assuming that a notice for one instrument applies to the others.

No new AIC or Startup cutoff is confirmed here. The official index lists the instruments and links their materials, but it does not provide a future date for another submission stage. Until the agency publishes a new notice, circular, or updated call page, the safe status is closed cycle, no confirmed reopening.

AIC: research institution and private-sector connection

AIC is intended for basic research oriented toward stronger value chains and technological capacity connected to productive development. Its official description says that it supports joint work among scientists, technologists, research groups, or research centres and the private sector. The eligible institutional applicants are public or private non-profit research institutions, including universities, research centres, foundations, and similar entities.

The maximum AIC support is the equivalent in pesos of USD 200,000 per project. It is non-reimbursable support and can cover up to 80% of the total project cost. The applicant must provide the remaining 20% counterpart. The amount is therefore a ceiling, not an automatic award, and the project budget must show how the counterpart will be supplied.

An AIC proposal needs a real connection to use or adoption outside the research group. The private-sector relationship should be described in operational terms: what problem the company or productive partner needs solved, what it will contribute, how results will be tested or adopted, and what happens after the funded work ends. A generic letter of interest is weaker than a defined work relationship backed by the required supporting documents.

Startup 2025: choose the readiness line carefully

The Startup 2025 pages divide the closed call by technology readiness level. All three lines are for technology-based startups with capacity to scale, strong innovative content, and potential impact on value chains. The official eligibility description limits the startup’s existence to no more than seven years since its creation in Argentina. A startup should confirm its incorporation history and Argentine status against the applicable bases before relying on that summary.

TRL 3-4 supports proof of concept and laboratory validation. The maximum is the equivalent in pesos of USD 150,000 in non-reimbursable support. The agency can provide up to 80% of the project cost, so the beneficiary supplies a 20% counterpart. The expected result is a small-scale prototype that can lead to technology protectable through intellectual property.

TRL 5-6 supports a more advanced prototype validated at pilot scale and the formation of collaboration agreements. The maximum is the equivalent in pesos of USD 250,000 in reimbursable support, covering up to 80% of total cost. The beneficiary provides 20%. The official terms state a 120% recovery, repayment over ten years in stages, and a three-year grace period. This is public financing with a repayment obligation, not a conventional grant.

TRL 7-9 is for products validated in a real operating environment, with a business strategy aimed at commercialization and scale and agreements for transfer. The maximum is the equivalent in pesos of USD 500,000 in reimbursable support. The agency covers up to 70% and the company provides a 30% counterpart. The same 120% recovery, ten-year staged repayment, and three-year grace period apply. The higher ceiling does not remove the need to show readiness, a credible route to market, and the required company contribution.

The TRL choice affects more than the label. It changes the expected technical evidence, the financing type, the counterpart percentage, and the result reviewers will look for. A laboratory proof of concept should not be described as a product already validated in real conditions, while a mature product should explain why it needs a scale-up project rather than early research support.

Eligibility checklist

For AIC, begin with the institution. Confirm that the applicant is a public or private non-profit research institution of the type named by the agency, has the authority to administer a project, and can document its relationship with the private-sector participant. For Startup, confirm that the applicant is a technology-based Argentine startup within the stated age limit and that its technical maturity fits exactly one of the three TRL lines.

Every applicant must complete the Registro de Potenciales Beneficiarios before submitting a project. The registry is a participation prerequisite, not the project application itself. Registration identifies the person, institution, or company and does not by itself create a proposal or guarantee access to funding.

Budget eligibility also needs attention. AIC and Startup TRL 3-4 and TRL 5-6 use an 80/20 funding structure. Startup TRL 7-9 uses 70/30. Calculate the total project cost from the requested support and the counterpart together, then make sure the counterpart is documented and available for the full project period. Do not call the reimbursable Startup lines grants in an internal approval memo or applicant-facing budget.

Application steps for a future reopening

There is no current submission to start. The following is the correct sequence to prepare if the agency publishes a new AIC or Startup stage:

1. Check the official public-calls index and open the specific AIC or Startup page. Use the latest bases, annexes, FAQs, circulars, and TAD link for that line. Do not rely on an old copy of a deadline or a third-party listing.

2. Complete the Registro de Potenciales Beneficiarios. The agency requires this before the project is submitted. Allow time to enter institutional or company information and contact details, and keep the registration information consistent with the legal applicant.

3. Select the correct instrument. Research institutions should review AIC. Technology startups should place the project in TRL 3-4, 5-6, or 7-9 based on the evidence requested in the applicable bases. Decide early because the award ceiling, repayment terms, and counterpart change by line.

4. Download and read the bases and annexes. The AIC bases require a structured scientific proposal, including a proposal of no more than fourteen pages, a Spanish justification, methodology, novelty and differentiation, applied research and development activities, quantified expected benefits, and a continuity strategy addressing commercial or regulatory barriers. Startup applicants should use the corresponding line’s templates and explain the readiness evidence, technical work, expected result, budget, counterpart, and scaling or collaboration plan required by that line.

5. Assemble legal and commitment documents. The responsible institution or startup must be able to prove its legal identity, authority to submit, and capacity to administer funds. AIC projects must document the participating research institution and private-sector relationship. Startup projects must provide the company information and representative approvals requested by the bases. Use the agency’s annex templates for declarations and commitment letters rather than substituting an informal note.

6. Submit through TAD when, and only when, the relevant call is open. The AIC route is named “Convocatoria Apoyo a la Investigación Científica.” The Startup route is “Convocatoria Proyectos Innovadores Start Up de Base Tecnológica.” Registration alone is not submission. For this cycle, the filing stage ended on May 22, 2026.

Required materials and practical preparation

The AIC materials make clear that reviewers need more than a research idea. The proposal should connect the scientific question to a productive need, identify the method and novelty, quantify benefits, explain the work plan, and address continuity after the funded activities. The private-sector partner’s role should be specific enough to show how validation, adoption, transfer, or scale could occur.

Prepare the institutional file alongside the technical proposal. That normally means the applicant’s constitutive documents, authority appointment, tax registration, financial information, and proof that the signatory can represent the institution. Gather the partner company’s corresponding legal and financial material, letter of interest, counterpart commitment, and any agreement or support document required by the AIC bases. The exact file formats and certification rules belong to the official bases and annexes for the line.

For Startup, prepare evidence that matches the chosen TRL rather than using one generic deck for all three tiers. Include the current state of the technology, test results or validation evidence, the proposed technical milestones, the expected prototype or product outcome, the route to collaboration or commercialization, and a budget that separates agency support from the company counterpart. For TRL 5-6 and 7-9, include an internal repayment review because the 120% recovery obligation changes the economics of the project.

Keep an internal deadline before any future agency cutoff. TAD submissions can fail for missing signatures, inconsistent legal names, incomplete registry information, or an attachment that does not match the required template. A private partner, university office, or company representative should review the final package before submission, especially where the project relies on shared assets, in-kind contributions, or intellectual-property arrangements.

What to monitor now

The only confirmed status for this page is that the 2026 AIC and Startup submission stage is closed and that no new deadline has been confirmed. Monitor the official public-calls URL for a notice that explicitly opens another stage or replaces the current materials. Check the individual AIC and Startup pages as well, because the agency may publish a new base, circular, or TAD route there before a summary appears elsewhere.

The public-calls index also links to previous calls. That archive is useful for comparing requirements and locating older documents, but an archived PDF is not evidence that a new submission window exists. Preserve the distinction between preparing from an old cycle and applying to a live cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I submit an AIC or Startup project now? No. The agency states that the project-submission stage concluded on May 22, 2026. No later cutoff is confirmed in the current public-calls index.

Is the opportunity still relevant if the call is closed? Yes, as a reference for the eligibility, financing structure, and documents used in the 2026 cycle. It is not a live funding window. Applicants should wait for an official reopening or new call before filing.

Which AIC amount should I budget around? AIC permits up to the equivalent in pesos of USD 200,000 and finances up to 80% of the project cost. The remaining 20% is the applicant’s counterpart, and the award is subject to the call’s review and terms.

Which Startup line is non-reimbursable? TRL 3-4 is non-reimbursable. TRL 5-6 and TRL 7-9 are reimbursable, with 120% recovery over ten years in stages after a three-year grace period.

Where is the official source? Use the Agencia I+D+i public-calls index: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/jefatura/innovacion-ciencia-y-tecnologia/agencia/convocatorias-publicas. It retains the AIC and Startup links for reference and is the place to look for future notices.