Label file, filing only
Our fee excl. VAT, from
150 000 DZD excl. VAT
What is included
- Your label file built from your forecast or business plan
- Filing on startup.dz
How to Obtain the Algeria Startup Label in 2026
UpGrowth is a private, independent consulting firm, not attached to any institution. We prepare and follow your file; the decision rests with 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
To get the startup label, you create an account on startup.dz and file the application with its...
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Label file with market study and business plan: from 400,000 DZD excl. VAT, 50 % at the startThe file starts after the company is incorporated.Payment in cash by appointment or by transfer to the company's AGB account
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To get the startup label, you create an account on startup.dz and file the application with its documents; the national committee then answers within a maximum of thirty (30) days of filing (art. 13 of executive decree no. 20-254), and the decision is its own. UpGrowth prepares and files the label file: from 150 000 DZD excl. VAT for filing only, from 400 000 DZD excl. VAT with market study and business plan (19 % VAT added), paid 50 % when the file starts after the company is incorporated and 50 % at filing on startup.dz.
Content verified on November 3, 2026Our methodology
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UpGrowth prepares and files your label file
We build your Startup label file and file it on startup.dz.
- Label file, filing only: from 150 000 DZD excl. VAT
- With market study and business plan: from 400 000 DZD excl. VAT
- 19 % VAT added.
Payment: 50 % when the file starts (after the company is incorporated), 50 % at filing on startup.dz.
Your price right away
Choose your situation to see the price. The complete offer, with prices and schedule, comes at once when we hold all your answers.
Payment in two steps: one share when the file starts, the balance at filing on startup.dz. The file starts and is paid once the company exists.
What decides the quote:
- Is the company already registered (RC)?
- Does a business plan already exist?
- Which label: start-up or innovative project?
Instant quote as soon as we have all your information.
Payment by transfer to our AGB account, or in cash by appointment, at your premises; from abroad by Wise, counted as cash.
Get my offerThe tax the label would save you
Your activity
Enter your expected annual profit and your activity to see the figure.
An estimate on a constant profit over the 4 years. The label is decided by the committee and is never promised. Valid for a company subject to IBS.
Exemption: article 69 of the 2020 Finance Act, as worded by article 100 of the 2026 Finance Act. Rates: article 150-1 of the CIDTA.
UpGrowth prepares your label file. Check your eligibility in a few questions: the answer is immediate.
Check my eligibility- Incubation: 60,000 DZD excl. VAT a month, 6 months minimum (360,000 DZD excl. VAT)
- Acceleration programme, 3-month cohort, for existing startups: 600,000 DZD excl. VAT per startup
- Foreign startup: incubation USD 1,000 a month (6 months minimum), acceleration USD 9,300 per startup, no VAT
- 19 % VAT added on the dinar prices
- Payment by bank transfer to our AGB account, or in cash by appointment, at your premises. Each month of incubation is billed when it starts.
What the label brings you
- An exemption from IRG, IBS or IFU as the case may be, for four (4) years from the date the label is obtained, extended by two (2) years on renewal (article 69 of the 2020 Finance Act, as worded by article 100 of the 2026 Finance Act).
- The SPAS and the SPASU (loi 22-09) are reserved to labelled start-ups, with no minimum capital. UpGrowth can domicile them.
- The agency replies within thirty (30) days of filing, a period that is suspended while the file is incomplete (décret exécutif n° 20-254, article 13).
- The label lasts four (4) years, renewable once (article 14).
Why get the Startup Label in 2026?
The Algeria Startup Label, created by executive decree 20-254, is the most powerful tax and strategic tool available to young innovative Algerian companies. Article 69 of the 2020 Finance Act, as worded by article 100 of the 2026 Finance Act, exempts its holders from the IRG, the IBS or the IFU as the case may be, for four (4) years from the date the label is obtained, extended by two (2) further years where the label is renewed. Equipment entering directly into the project is exempt from VAT and subject to 5 % customs duty. The label also opens priority access to the Algeria Startup Fund (ASF).
Getting the label is not automatic: the national labelling commission reviews every application on the merits and gives reasons for its refusals. The recurring grounds are known: innovation poorly demonstrated, a model that does not scale, a team described too briefly, no traction. This guide details the procedure step by step and the criteria that separate a selected application from a refused one.
Who can apply for the Startup Label?
- A company incorporated under Algerian law (SARL, EURL, SPA, SAS), not individuals and not auto-entrepreneurs.
- Age: less than 8 years since CNRC registration.
- Size: annual turnover not exceeding the amount set by the national labelling committee. The decree puts no figure on that cap and neither do we.
- Headcount: no more than 250 employees (décret exécutif n° 20-254, art. 11).
- Capital: at least 50 % held by natural persons (founders, business angels), approved investment funds or other labelled companies. A company whose capital is majority-held by unlabelled companies does not meet this criterion.
- Model: innovative on at least one dimension (product, service, technology, process, business model).
- Scalability: forecast growth faster than linear, provable through metrics.
- Intellectual property: a patent, an INAPI-registered trademark, or distinctive know-how.
The 7 concrete benefits of the Startup Label
How much you save depends entirely on your taxable profit and your regime. We publish no typical percentage: there is no source for such a figure.
| Benefit | Duration | Estimated saving |
|---|---|---|
| Exemption from IRG, IBS or IFU as the case may be | 4 years, extended by 2 years where the label is renewed | art. 69 LF 2020, as worded by art. 100 LF 2026 |
| VAT exemption on equipment acquired for the project | Duration not stated in the text (LFC 2020, art. 33) | 19 % of the value |
| Customs duty reduced to 5 % on that equipment | While labelled | A reduced rate, not an exemption |
| Priority access to the ASF | While labelled | Eligibility for the fund, no amount guaranteed |
| Public incubation programmes | Ongoing | Support plus networks |
The labelling procedure, 9 steps
- 1. Create an account on the official platform: https://startup.dz
- 2. Complete the company profile: name, trade register, NIF, articles of association.
- 3. Describe the innovation: customer problem, solution, differentiation, evidence.
- 4. Demonstrate scalability: business model, 3 to 5 year projections, unit economics.
- 5. Present the team: founder CVs, complementary skills, commitment.
- 6. Evidence the intellectual property: INAPI filings, patents, protected know-how.
- 7. Provide the supporting documents: articles of association, trade register, financial statements if any, CVs, business plan.
- 8. Submit the application. The national committee meets at least twice a month (décret exécutif n° 20-254, art. 6).
- 9. Notification: article 13 of décret exécutif n° 20-254 provides that a reply is given within a maximum of thirty (30) days from the filing date. Any delay in supplying part of the required documents suspends that period, and you then have fifteen (15) days to send them in or the application is rejected. The period and the decision belong to the national committee.
The criteria the national committee assesses
Décret exécutif n° 20-254 sets the Start-up label criteria in article 11 and the list of supporting documents in article 12. It establishes no weighting between those criteria: no scoring grid appears in the text, so we publish none.
| Criterion (décret 20-254, art. 11) | What the text requires | Supporting document (art. 12) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | The company must not have existed for more than eight (8) years | Trade register extract |
| Innovative character | The business model must be built on innovative products, services, a business model or any other innovative concept | Detailed business plan, intellectual property titles where applicable |
| Turnover | Must not exceed the amount set by the national committee, an amount the decree puts no figure on | Financial statements for the current year |
| Capital ownership | At least 50 % held by natural persons, approved investment funds or other companies holding the Start-up label | Copy of the company's articles of association |
| Growth potential | Must be sufficiently large | Detailed business plan |
| Headcount | No more than 250 employees | CNAS membership certificate and list of employees |
Which legal form for a start-up: the SPAS / SPASU
- Reserved for start-ups: it is instituted exclusively by companies certified as start-ups, meaning holders of the label (code de commerce, art. 715 bis 133, para. 4).
- No minimum number of partners and no minimum capital (art. 715 bis 134). The capital is fixed in the articles of association (art. 715 bis 138).
- Management: a président, or the manager the articles name as general manager or deputy general manager (art. 715 bis 136). In a SPASU the sole shareholder is the président.
- No public offering and no stock exchange listing (art. 715 bis 139).
- Contributions in industry are allowed, outside the capital, in return for non-transferable shares (art. 715 bis 140).
- A statutory auditor (commissaire aux comptes) is mandatory: article 715 bis 135 applies the SPA rules to the SPAS, and article 715 bis 137 lists the appointment of statutory auditors among the shareholders' collective decisions. The auditor's fees come on top of your costs.
- The label's capital rule still applies once the capital opens to investors: at least 50 % must remain held by natural persons, approved investment funds or other labelled companies (décret exécutif n° 20-254, art. 11, see the criteria above).
- A SPAS can be domiciled. The SPA rule (seven shareholders minimum) does not apply to it.
- UpGrowth Connect sets up the SPAS or SPASU and can domicile it. The label itself remains a decision of the national committee: we do not promise it.
The simplified joint-stock company (société par actions simplifiée, SPAS) exists in Algerian law. It was instituted by loi n° 22-09 of 5 May 2022 (JO n° 32 of 14 May 2022, p. 11), which inserts articles 715 bis 133 and following into the code de commerce. With a single shareholder, it is called a SPASU.
Anatomy of a winning application
- A precise, documented customer problem (market figures, field surveys, testimonials).
- A solution framed as 'before and after' with a measurable demonstration.
- Scalability justified by the cost structure (fixed versus variable) and the incremental margin.
- A team with obvious complementarity (tech plus business plus sector expertise).
- At least one IP right filed with INAPI (trademark, patent or design) before submission.
- First paying customers or meaningful LOIs and MOUs (proof of demand).
- A coherent forecast with traceable assumptions (not 'we are targeting 50 % market share').
- Appendices: visual deck, demo video, recommendation letters from incubators.
Across the accepted applications we have analysed, a recurring pattern emerges. Here is what sets a selected application apart.
The 8 frequent grounds for rejection
- Innovation poorly demonstrated (the solution already exists on the Algerian market).
- Scalability not justified (margins and cost structure left undetailed).
- An incomplete team, or founders not committed full time.
- No intellectual property (nothing filed with INAPI).
- An unrealistic forecast (growth above 500 % a year with no justification).
- A business plan copy-pasted from a generic template (the panels spot it).
- Ignoring the competition ('there is no competitor' is a red flag).
- An incomplete file or outdated documents (articles not up to date, missing financial statements).
What happens once the label is granted?
- Official notification by e-mail plus registered letter.
- Entry in the national register of labelled startups (public, consultable on startup.dz).
- Exemption from IRG, IBS or IFU as the case may be for four (4) years from the date the label is obtained (art. 69 of the 2020 finance act, as drafted by article 100 of the 2026 finance act). For VAT on equipment, décret exécutif n° 21-170 makes the exemption conditional on producing the label decision and the validated equipment list, the tax services then issuing an exemption certificate.
- Eligibility for the Algeria Startup Fund: a funding application can be filed the very next day.
- Access to public incubation and acceleration programmes.
- Duration: the Start-up label is granted to the company for four (4) years, renewable once (décret exécutif n° 20-254, art. 14, as worded by décret exécutif n° 25-311 of 1 December 2025).
Renewal and loss of the label
- Renewal criteria (art. 14 bis, added by décret exécutif n° 25-311): a business model built on innovative products, services or a business model; at least 50 % of the capital held by natural persons, approved investment funds or other companies holding the Start-up or Incubator label; a sufficiently large growth potential.
- Renewal file (art. 14 bis 1): an application through the national start-up portal, together with the main achievements and performance indicators, the revenue of the last three years, the change in the number of customers or users, a review of funds raised, the number of registered patents or software, and a three minute video presentation of the company's growth.
- The decree sets no filing deadline for the renewal file ahead of the label's expiry.
- Where an application is refused, article 14 provides that the national committee gives reasons and notifies its decision electronically, and that the decision may be re-examined on a reasoned request from the applicant, a final reply being notified within a period not exceeding thirty (30) days from the date of that request. Those thirty days are the committee's reply window, not a deadline imposed on you to lodge an appeal.
The label is not granted for life: it runs for four (4) years and its renewal is conditional. Décret exécutif n° 20-254 lays down no withdrawal procedure for the Start-up label; the suspension and withdrawal organised by its article 30 concern the Incubator label.
How much does support with the start-up label cost?
Applying for the label on startup.dz is the founder's right: nothing obliges you to use a firm. Our fee is for preparing the file and following it, not for access to the platform or for the national committee's decision. The Start-up or Innovative project label file costs 150,000 DZD excl. VAT (178,500 DZD incl. VAT); with a market study and business plan, from 400,000 DZD excl. VAT. The offer comes at once when your answers are in. Amounts are in Algerian dinars excluding VAT, with 19 % VAT on top.
Payment: 50 % when the application starts (for the Startup label, once the company is incorporated) and 50 % at filing on the official platform https://www.startup.dz
What the label changes on tax: a company or person holding the start-up label is exempt, as the case may be, from IRG, IBS or IFU for 4 years from the label, extended by 2 more years when the label is renewed (art. 69 of the 2020 Finance Act, as worded by article 100 of the 2026 Finance Act). The Incubator label gives an IRG or IBS exemption for 2 years, renewable (art. 87 of the 2021 Finance Act, as worded by article 101 of the 2026 Finance Act).
| UpGrowth service | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Label application, filing only | 150 000 DZD excl. VAT | Preparation of the file and filing on startup.dz, with no study added by us |
| Label application with market study and business plan | from 400 000 DZD excl. VAT | The filing file, the market study and the business plan |
| Business plan alone | from 150 000 DZD excl. VAT | Built only on the founder's own information. Each added study (market, techno-economic, financial projections) raises the price |
A question before the application starts?
The SPAS exists in Algeria
The simplified joint-stock company (SPAS, société par actions simplifiée) exists, and so does the SPASU when it has a single shareholder. Both were created by loi n° 22-09 of 5 May 2022 (JO n° 32 of 8 May 2022, p. 11), Commercial Code, art. 715 bis 133 to 715 bis 143.
- It is reserved to companies certified as a "start-up" (the label).
- To get the label, at least 50 % of the capital must be held by natural persons, approved investment funds or other companies holding the "Start-up" label (executive decree n° 20-254, art. 11, JO n° 55 of 2020). At renewal, companies holding the "Incubator" label count too (art. 14 bis, added by executive decree n° 25-311, JO n° 81 of 2025). A company 100 % owned by a foreign company therefore cannot get the label: its advantages go through an investment declaration to the AAPI.
- No minimum number of partners and no minimum capital (art. 715 bis 134). The capital is set in the articles of association (art. 715 bis 138).
- It is run by a président. In a SPASU, the sole shareholder is the président (art. 715 bis 136).
- No public offering and no stock exchange listing (art. 715 bis 139).
- Contributions in industry are allowed (art. 715 bis 140).
- A statutory auditor (commissaire aux comptes) is mandatory (art. 715 bis 135 and 137). The auditor's fees are yours.
- A SPAS can be domiciled at UpGrowth Connect. UpGrowth itself is a SPASU.
Create your SPAS or SPASU with UpGrowth
- From 72,000 DZD excl. VAT with UpGrowth domiciliation, for one shareholder.
- From 108,000 DZD excl. VAT without our domiciliation, for one shareholder.
- Basis: the SARL creation fee, plus 20 % for articles of association written from scratch. 19 % VAT on our fees.
- Official fees are paid at cost, in your name, on official receipts, outside our invoice.
- A statutory auditor (commissaire aux comptes) is mandatory in a SPAS or a SPASU (art. 715 bis 135 and 137). The auditor's fees are yours, on top.
- Domiciliation at UpGrowth Connect: 150,000 DZD excl. VAT for 12 months, renewed every year. Startups are the easiest to domicile.
- The quote is instant once we hold all your answers.
Should your startup be a SPAS, a SPASU or a SARL? Ask us before you choose.
Ask my question about the SPASOur two offers for your label file
Label file with market study and business plan
Our fee excl. VAT, from
400 000 DZD excl. VAT
What is included
- Market study
- Business plan
- File built and filed on startup.dz
19 % VAT added. Floor prices: the instant quote follows as soon as we hold all your answers.
FAQ · How to Obtain the Algeria Startup Label in 2026
Related articles and procedures
- Algeria Scale-up LabelThe fourth label, created by décret 25-311: criteria, documents, duration.
- Algeria Startup Label, overviewThe benefits of the label and access to the ASF fund.
- Algerian startup ecosystemComplete overview of the ecosystem.
- INAPI, trademark and patent filingThe IP criterion of the Startup Label.
- Startup funding in AlgeriaASF, business angels, VCs after the label.
- Creating a SARL in AlgeriaThe legal structure required before the label.
- Tax incentivesThe IRG, IBS and IFU exemptions in detail and how they stack.
UpGrowth prepares your label file. Check your eligibility in a few questions: the answer is immediate.
- Label file, filing only: 150,000 DZD excl. VAT
- With market study and business plan: from 400,000 DZD excl. VAT
- 19 % VAT added
Get my Algeria Startup Label
Check, drafting, filing and follow-up until notification. Paid 50 % when the file starts (after the company is registered) and 50 % at filing on startup.dz.
- ✓ Label file: 150,000 DZD excl. VAT (178,500 DZD incl. VAT)
- ✓ With market study and business plan: from 400,000 DZD excl. VAT
- ✓ Instant offer as soon as we have all your answers
