How do you obtain the Startup Label in Algeria?

Create an account on startup.dz, complete the application (innovation, scalability, team, IP, traction), submit the documents (articles of association, trade register, financial statements, CVs, business plan). Article 13 of décret exécutif n° 20-254 provides for a reply within a maximum of thirty (30) days from filing, a period suspended where the file is incomplete.

Which criteria does the commission assess?

Article 11 of décret exécutif n° 20-254 sets the criteria: a company incorporated under Algerian law less than eight (8) years old, an innovative business model, turnover not exceeding the amount set by the national committee, at least 50 % of the capital held by natural persons, approved investment funds or other labelled companies, sufficiently large growth potential, and no more than 250 employees. The decree establishes no weighting between those criteria and we publish none.

A company incorporated under Algerian law less than 8 years old, with no more than 250 employees, an innovative business model, sufficient growth potential, at least 50 % of the capital held by natural persons, approved investment funds or other labelled companies, and annual turnover not exceeding the amount set by the national committee, an amount the decree does not put a figure on (décret exécutif n° 20-254, art. 11). Individuals and auto-entrepreneurs are NOT eligible, a company must be created first.

How long does the answer take?

Article 13 of décret exécutif n° 20-254 sets a maximum of thirty (30) days from the filing date. Those are days, not working days. 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 commission's calendar is not ours to promise. What we do control is a file checked document by document before filing, and follow-up until the notification.

How does it differ from the 'Innovative Project', 'Incubator' and 'Scale-up' labels?

The framework has counted four labels since décret exécutif n° 25-311 of 1 December 2025. The 'Innovative Project' label is granted to pre-incorporation projects (no company yet) and runs for two (2) years renewable twice (art. 19). The 'Start-up' label covers a company incorporated under Algerian law less than eight (8) years old and runs for four (4) years renewable once (art. 14). The 'Incubator' label covers support structures, for five (5) years renewable (art. 27). The 'Scale-up' label 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; it runs for four (4) years, renewable (arts. 31 bis 2 and 31 bis 5). The decree makes the Start-up label neither a compulsory step towards the Scale-up label nor a prerequisite for it.

Can the label be withdrawn?

Décret exécutif n° 20-254 organises no withdrawal of the Start-up label: the suspension and withdrawal in its article 30 concern the Incubator label. What is written is that the Start-up label runs for four (4) years and that its renewal is subject to the criteria of article 14 bis.

Can you apply more than once?

Yes, with no limit. A rejection is not final: the national committee gives the reasons for its decision and notifies it electronically, and that decision may be re-examined on the applicant's reasoned request, a final answer being notified within no more than thirty (30) days from the date of that request (décret exécutif n° 20-254, art. 14). The decree imposes no waiting period before a new application. The national committee publishes no acceptance rate and no number of attempts, and we will put forward neither.

How to Obtain the Algeria Startup Label in 2026

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

The practical guide to obtaining the Algeria Startup Label in 2026: the procedure on startup.dz, the article 11 criteria of décret exécutif n° 20-254, the 9 steps, the anatomy of a winning application and the 8 frequent grounds for rejection. Four years of exemption from IRG, IBS or IFU are at stake.

Content verified on July 31, 2026Our methodology

ByÉquipe UpGrowth, Startup Label and innovation ecosystem experts

Published on April 24, 2026Updated on July 31, 2026

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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), which invests 10 to 100 million DZD per startup.

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 individuals (founders plus business angels), which excludes companies majority-owned by groups.
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
0 % VAT on the project equipment	While labelled	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	10-100 M DZD invested
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

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.

Free Startup Label eligibility audit

24 h to receive your firm quote, with a price locked by contract and no hidden fees. The commission's decision is not ours to promise. What we do control is a file checked document by document before filing.