A method for direct metallization of a non-conductive substrate, comprising: contacting the substrate with an aqueous metal-containing activator formulation comprising a noble metal/metal-colloid, said noble metal/metal-colloid comprising a colloidal noble metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium and oxidizable ions of a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, tin, lead, cobalt, and germanium, thereby depositing colloidal noble metal on the substrate and activating the substrate for deposition of another metal; contacting the activated substrate with a conductor solution comprising an ion of said another metal that is reducible by a metal ion of the activator formulation, a complexing agent, at least one Group IA or Group II metal ion selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and beryllium, a counteranion selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, sulfate and combinations thereof, and a reducing agent other than formaldehyde, wherein the reducing agent comprises at least two reducing agents selected from the group consisting of hypophosphites aminoboranes, hydroxymethylsulfonates, hydroxyammonium sulfonates, bisulfites, thiosulfates and mixtures thereof, the ratio of the sum of the molar concentration(s) of said counteranion(s) to the sum the molar concentration(s) of all reducing agents for said reducible metal ion in said conductor solution at the time of initial contact with said activated substrate is between 0.70 and 50, and the ratio of the total concentration of reducible metal cations to nickel ions is at least 10; reducing said reducible metal ion by reaction with said oxidizable metal ion and by reaction with said reducing agent as catalyzed by said noble metal, thereby depositing said another metal on said substrate wherein the reducible metal ion is copper; and electrolessly and/or electrolytically plating said another metal onto the substrate, characterized in that the substrate is contacted with an conductor solution having a free alkalinity in the range of between 0.1 mol/L and 3 mol/L. contacting the substrate with an aqueous metal-containing activator formulation comprising a noble metal/metal-colloid, said noble metal/metal-colloid comprising a colloidal noble metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum and palladium and oxidizable ions of a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, tin, lead, cobalt, and germanium, thereby depositing colloidal noble metal on the substrate and activating the substrate for deposition of another metal; contacting the activated substrate with a conductor solution comprising an ion of said another metal that is reducible by a metal ion of the activator formulation, a complexing agent, at least one Group IA or Group II metal ion selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and beryllium, a counteranion selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, sulfate and combinations thereof, and a reducing agent other than formaldehyde, wherein the reducing agent comprises at least two reducing agents selected from the group consisting of hypophosphites aminoboranes, hydroxymethylsulfonates, hydroxyammonium sulfonates, bisulfites, thiosulfates and mixtures thereof, the ratio of the sum of the molar concentration(s) of said counteranion(s) to the sum the molar concentration(s) of all reducing agents for said reducible metal ion in said conductor solution at the time of initial contact with said activated substrate is between 0.70 and 50, and the ratio of the total concentration of reducible metal cations to nickel ions is at least 10; reducing said reducible metal ion by reaction with said oxidizable metal ion and by reaction with said reducing agent as catalyzed by said noble metal, thereby depositing said another metal on said substrate wherein the reducible metal ion is copper; and electrolessly and/or electrolytically plating said another metal onto the substrate, characterized in that the substrate is contacted with an conductor solution having a free alkalinity in the range of between 0.1 mol/L and 3 mol/L.