Audit finds ministry failed to monitor startup support outcomes

The Supreme Audit Office examined the Ministry of Industry's financial support to CzechInvest for startup development between 2021 and 2025. While the ministry directed significant public and EU funds toward activities such as company formation, export expansion and technology trials, it largely measured success by the number of projects funded, not by tangible outcomes. In the case of a specific support scheme, impact monitoring relied on information from less than half of the recipients, producing skewed results.

The audit further found that CzechInvest did not consistently enforce mandatory data reporting, despite having sanction mechanisms, and that some startups failed to comply without repercussions. Additionally, the ministry approved incomplete summary reports and did not demand missing data. The only programme where benefits were tracked was a technology incubation project, which also faced criticism for costly reliance on agency-provided labour instead of regular staff.