Things
The new desk for submitting applications under the Development Contracts facilitation tool is dedicated to the development of the national semiconductor supply chain. The resources of the Fund established by article 23, paragraph 1 of the legislative decree of 1 March 2022, n. are allocated to the measure. 17, which has a budget of 3.292 billion euros. The Fund is aimed at promoting research and development of microprocessor technology and investment in new industrial applications of innovative technologies, also through the reconversion of existing industrial sites and the establishment of new factories in the national territory. With the Prime Ministerial Decree of 27 October 2023, the areas of application and intervention, the criteria and methods for allocating the Fund's resources were defined. The Prime Ministerial Decree itself identifies Development Contracts as a facilitative tool to be used to pursue the objectives of the Fund and to which, consequently, to assign the available resources (equal to a total of €3,292,000,000.00). The Development Contracts must have as their object the creation, on the initiative of one or more companies, of an industrial development or environmental protection program for the implementation of which one or more investment projects and, possibly, research projects are necessary, development and innovation. These programs must be aimed, also through the attraction of new investments, including foreign ones: a) at strengthening and developing the capacity and the national semiconductor production industry, through the implementation of investments concerning the individual phases that make up the production process or multiple process phases in an integrated manner, and/or or) to the growth and technological development of companies belonging to the semiconductor supply chain. The development programs must comply with the provisions of the ministerial decree of 9 December 2014 and subsequent amendments. and the related benefits can be requested with the application of the aid regimes provided for by the same decree, including, if the conditions are met, the regime referred to in Title III of the ministerial decree of 14 September 2023 concerning the application to the facilitation instrument of Development contracts of section 2.8 of the “Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for State aid measures to support the economy following Russia's aggression against Ukraine” relating to aid to accelerate investment in sectors strategic for the transition towards a net zero emissions economy. The benefits may be recognized, upon individual notification of the development program to the European Commission, on the basis of articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, also within the framework of the "Chips Act".
Who is it aimed at?
Companies of any size that intend to implement industrial development or environmental protection programs whose implementation requires one or more investment projects and, possibly, research, development and innovation projects can benefit from the concessions. The programs can also be implemented jointly through the use of the network contract instrument. Requests for access to resources can be submitted starting from 12.00 on 30 April 2024.
What does it predict
Financial benefits can be granted in the following forms, even in combination with each other: - subsidized financing; - interest contribution; - plant contribution; - direct contribution to expenditure.
