What does the Ministry of the Knowledge Economy do?

It steers national policy for startups, innovative projects and micro-enterprises: labelling through the startup.dz platform, financing through the Algerian Startup Fund (ASF), and support through incubators, technology parks and the Entrepreneurship Development Centres (CDE).

What is the startup.dz platform?

It is the national startup portal run by the ministry. You file your label applications there, follow the review of your file, and find the current support programmes and calls for applications.

Which labels does the ministry issue?

Four: the "startup" label, the "projet innovant" label, the "incubateur" label and the "scale-up" label, the last of these created by décret exécutif n° 25-311 of 1 December 2025. Each has its own criteria and its own term: four (4) years renewable once for the startup label (art. 14), two (2) years renewable twice for the projet innovant label (art. 19), five (5) years renewable for the incubateur label (art. 27), four (4) years renewable for the scale-up label (art. 31 bis 5).

What does the startup label actually give you?

Access to the dedicated tax and parafiscal exemptions, to ASF financing, to public calls for projects and to the ministry's support programmes. The detailed advantages are on /startup-label and /tax-incentives.

What is the Algerian Startup Fund (ASF)?

It is the public venture capital fund dedicated to labelled startups. It invests in equity and quasi-equity, alongside the ministry's partner incubators and accelerators.

Who can apply for a label?

Any project holder or company whose activity rests on an innovative model. The application is filed online on startup.dz and reviewed by the national labelling committee, which rules on innovation, growth potential and how the project is structured.

Who should you contact to prepare a labelling application?

The ministry and its incubator network, or a support firm. UpGrowth prepares the startup.dz file, structures the business model and gathers the documents the national committee expects.

Ministry of the Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-enterprises

UpGrowth is a private business support company, with no connection to the Ministry of the Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-enterprises. This guide is free. If you would rather delegate the procedure, we can handle it for you.

Official services of the Ministry of the Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-enterprises: startup.dz

Have UpGrowth handle it

Created to transform the Algerian economy by betting on innovation, technology and entrepreneurial youth, this ministry embodies the state's ambition to build a knowledge economy. It steers the policies for startup development, the digitalisation of the economy, support for innovative projects and backing for micro-enterprises. It also regulates the entrepreneurial ecosystem for sustainable and competitive growth.

Content verified on August 16, 2026Our methodology

ByÉquipe UpGrowth, Startup labelling and innovation-ecosystem specialists

Published on January 15, 2026Updated on August 16, 2026

Get my startup labelled, UpGrowth

Eligibility + startup.dz application + national committee stage

Get my startup labelled, UpGrowth

Core roles and missions

Designing the national strategy for developing the knowledge economy.
Promoting innovation through support mechanisms tailored to startups.
Managing the labelling of startups, innovative projects, incubators and scale-ups through the startup.dz platform.
Coordinating with the Algerian Startup Fund (ASF) to ease access to financing.
Delivering support programmes through the CDE and other partner structures.

The labels issued through startup.dz

The "startup" label: for registered companies whose model rests on innovation and growth potential.
The "projet innovant" label: for project holders upstream of registration.
The "incubateur" label: for support structures.
The "scale-up" label: created by décret exécutif n° 25-311 of 1 December 2025, it covers any company incorporated under Algerian law with an innovative business model that shows turnover growth at a rate of at least 20 % over the last three (3) years and allocates at least 3 % of its revenues or capital to research and development (art. 31 bis 2). The decree does not require holding another label first.
Applications are filed online on startup.dz and reviewed by the national labelling committee.
The ministry also oversees the technology parks (ANPT, Sidi Abdellah Cyberparc) and runs the Algeria Disrupt and A-Venture programmes.

Advantages for project holders

Tax and parafiscal exemptions.
Suitable financing through the ASF or public and private partners.
Easier access to public procurement and calls for projects.
Tailored support (legal, strategic, technical).

Official contact details

Address: 46, Boulevard Mohamed V, Alger-Centre, 16000, Algeria.
Email: contact@startup.dz
Official website: https://startup.dz

Free label eligibility review

4 years of exemption from IRG, IBS or IFU for a labelled startup, extendable by two years if the label is renewed. We build the file and gather the expected evidence before the committee stage.