The Notice establishes criteria and methods for granting incentives to micro and small businesses for technological and industrial innovation activities, digitalisation and energy and environmental transition, as well as the development and qualification of skills in order to consolidate and strengthen the competitiveness of the economic system regional, developing production specializations.
The Notice supports investments by SMEs with the following purposes:
– face the new challenges imposed by innovation and the ecological and digital transition, through the re-engineering of production cycles and the launch/consolidation of circular economy processes;
– facilitate access to credit by smaller businesses;
– support the positioning of small businesses at national and international level;
– support the diffusion of innovation to increase the competitiveness of the regional production system;
– support and qualify regional employment including female employment.
Beneficiaries
Micro and small enterprises, including small enterprises that acquire the qualification of medium enterprise exclusively through shareholdings, as well as by freelancers, equated to small enterprises as carrying out economic activities.
Eligible interventions
The Integrated Relief Package, aimed at micro and small businesses, must consist of:
Productive Investments in terms of enabling technologies and innovation related to the issues of digitalisation and/or energy and/or eco-sustainability in line with the Smart Specialization Strategy which must be integrated with:
- technological, strategic, organizational and management innovation projects for companies; which can be integrated with:
- training projects for the qualification of skills aimed at digital transformation, sustainable industrial transition, ecological transition and green reconversion;
- investments in favor of environmental protection;
- acquisition of specialist consultancy, internationalization programs and participation in trade fairs.
Eligible expenses
The Integrated Relief Packages for micro and small businesses must concern investment programs with a total amount of eligible expenses and costs between 30 thousand euros and 5 million euros. Productive investment programs must include eligible expenses not exceeding 80% of the integrated project. Investments for process and organizational innovation cannot exceed 1 million euros. Investments for innovation in favor of SMEs cannot exceed 1 million euros. Investments for training cannot exceed 500 thousand euros. Investments for environmental protection cannot exceed 3 million euros. Expenses for consultancy services, including internationalisation, cannot exceed 500 thousand euros and expenses for participation in fairs cannot exceed 500 thousand euros.
Facilitation
For Productive Investments the aid intensity does not exceed:
- for micro and small businesses 55%, as follows:
– 35% direct subsidy in the form of a non-repayable contribution to which a further benefit may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted;
- for small businesses, which acquire the qualification of medium enterprise exclusively through shareholdings, 45%, as follows:
– 25% direct grant in the form of a non-repayable contribution to which a further benefit may be added up to a maximum limit of 20%
broken down as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
In the context of Productive Investments, the concession percentages may be increased up to 5% based on the rewards. These benefits cannot exceed the limits established by the Aid Charter - State Aid. For aid for process and organizational innovation, the aid intensity does not exceed 50% of the eligible costs, as follows:
– 30% direct grant in the form of a non-repayable contribution; to which a further discount may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
For Innovation Aid for SMEs, the aid intensity does not exceed 50% of the eligible costs, as follows:
– 30% direct grant in the form of a non-repayable contribution; to which a further discount may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
For training interventions, the intensity of help does not exceed:
- for micro and small businesses it does not exceed 70%, as follows:
– 50% direct grant in the form of a non-repayable contribution; to which a further discount may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted;
- for small businesses, which acquire the qualification of medium business exclusively through shareholdings, 60%, as follows:
– 40% direct subsidy in the form of a non-repayable contribution to which a further benefit may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
For investments in favor of environmental protection, which allow companies to obtain:
to. greater energy efficiency, the aid intensity does not exceed 65% as follows:
✓ 45% direct subsidy in the form of a non-repayable contribution to which a further benefit may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
b. the promotion of energy from renewable sources, renewable hydrogen and high-efficiency cogeneration, the aid intensity does not exceed 65% as follows:
✓ 45% direct subsidy in the form of a non-repayable contribution to which a further benefit may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
With regard to internationalization programs and the acquisition of specialist consultancy, the aid intensity does not exceed 50% of the eligible costs, as follows:
✓ 30% direct grant in the form of a non-repayable contribution; to which a further discount may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
Regarding participation in fairs, the aid intensity does not exceed 50% of the eligible costs, as follows:
✓ 30% direct grant in the form of a non-repayable contribution; to which a further discount may be added up to a maximum limit of 20% divided as follows:
– 10% contribution to the plant account determined on the interest amount of a loan granted by a Financing Party;
– 10% ESL on guarantee, counter-guarantee, co-guarantee and reinsurance operations, on the bank loan granted.
Presentation
Waiting for the publication of the implementing decree. Publication expected in the second half of 2023.
Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash
