The Sicily Region has approved the legal bases for six strategic actions of the PR FESR 2021-2027, opening new perspectives for the growth and transformation of companies. Below, a detailed guide on all measures, beneficiaries, eligible expenses, help intensity and evaluation criteria. The call to action is available for each action to download the official legal base.
BANDI PR FESR Sicily 2021-2027: all measures approved in June 2025
1.1.1 - Collaborative research and technology transfer
Objective:
to encourage industrial research and experimental development projects in collaboration between companies (SMEs, Mid Caps, large companies in partnership with SMEs), organisms and research infrastructures.
Equipment: over 151 million euros.
Beneficiaries:
- Large companies (in effective collaboration with SMEs)
- PMI and MID CAP
- Research bodies and infrastructures
Eligible expenses:
- Staff (researchers, technicians, auxiliaries)
- Instrumentation, equipment, properties and land (amortization for the duration of the project)
- Contractual research, patents, consultancy, dissemination results
- Materials, supplies, additional general expenses (up to 20% of direct costs)
Investment thresholds: from 1 to 5 million euros per project
Intensity help:
- 50% for industrial research, 25% for experimental development
- 100% for non -cheap organisms/infrastructures
Evaluation criteria:
- Technical quality and innovation
- Composition of the partnership
- Economic sustainability
- Impact on circular economy and product/process innovation
Procedure: ranking evaluation, capital contribution
Download the official legal base for collaborative research and technology transfer.
1.1.2 - Companies innovation
Objective:
increase the level of innovation of micro, small and medium -sized Sicilian enterprises, also through aggregations.
Equipment: over 19 million euros.
Beneficiaries:
- Mpmi and their operational aggregations for at least a year in Sicily
Eligible expenses:
- Obtaining, validation and defense of patents and intangible assets
- Insertion of highly qualified personnel
- Innovation consultancy and support services (up to 20% of the budget)
Investment thresholds:
- Minimum 40,000 euros
- Maximum: 60,000 (micro), 100,000 (small), 150,000 (medium)
Intensity help:
- Up to 50% for patents and staff
- Up to 80% for consultancy services
Evaluation criteria:
- Level of innovation
- Impact on processes/products
- Technical quality and economic-financial sustainability
Procedure: ranking evaluation, capital contribution
Download the official legal base for business innovation.
1.2.2 - Digitization of companies
Objective:
accelerate the digital transition of Sicilian Mpmi and strengthen the digital innovation hub and intermediaries ecosystem of innovation.
Equipment: over 16 million euros.
Beneficiaries:
- Mpmi and their operational aggregations for at least one year
- Innovation intermediaries (poles, research infrastructures, digital innovation hub)
Eligible expenses:
- Specialist consultancy for digital diagnosis and technological innovation
- Acquisition/development/implementation of basic and advanced digital technologies (Blockchain, Ai, IoT, Cybersecurity, Cloud, etc.)
- Purchase of equipment and software
- For intermediaries: seminars, workshops, digital assessments, digital transition advice
Investment thresholds:
- Minimum 20,000 euros
- Maximum: 60,000 (micro), 100,000 (small), 150,000 (medium), 220,000 for intermediaries
Intensity Help: up to 80% of the eligible costs
Evaluation criteria:
- Quality of the proposal
- Innovation
- Impact on youth/women's occupation
- Technologies share s3
Procedure: Evaluation at the counter (MPMI) or ranking (intermediaries), capital contribution
Download the official legal base for the digitization of companies.
1.1.3 - spaces for innovation
Objective:
to encourage the creation and enhancement of innovation poles, acceleration and incubation programs for start-ups and innovative SMEs.
Equipment: over 9.5 million euros.
Beneficiaries:
- Innovation poles (consortia, business networks, consortium companies/cooperatives)
- Innovative mpmi consisting of no more than 60 months
Eligible expenses:
- Poli enhancement, acceleration (min. 6 mpmi), incubation (min. 3 aspiring entrepreneurs)
- Consultancy, Training, Networking, Marketing, Infrastructure Management Services
Investment thresholds: from 300,000 to 1,000,000 euros
Intensity help:
- Up to 50% for modernization and pole operation
- Up to 220,000 euros for consultancy services for innovation for a member company
- Up to 50,000 euros for accelerated start-ups, 30,000 euros for incubated companies
Evaluation criteria:
- Impact on the ecosystem
- Networking and open innovation skills
- Economic sustainability
- Social innovation
Procedure: ranking evaluation, capital contribution
Download the official legal base for spaces for innovation.
1.4.1 - Human capital qualification
Objective:
to develop entrepreneurial and technological skills in the aggregations of SMEs, with a focus on Upskilling, Restkilling and double transition (green and digital).
Equipment: over 25 million euros.
Beneficiaries:
- Mpmi aggregations with legal personality
Eligible expenses:
- Consultancy and support services for innovation to strengthen strategic, technological and managerial skills
- Preliminary studies on the needs of skills
Investment thresholds: from 220,000 to 1,000,000 euros
Intensity Help: up to 80% of the eligible costs
Evaluation criteria:
- Number of employees involved
- Quality of the proposal
- Contribution to local skills
- Synergy with other interventions
Procedure: ranking evaluation, capital contribution
Download the official legal base for the qualification of human capital.
2.1.2 - Energy redevelopment in companies
Objective:
to promote energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in the production cycles and company properties of MPAMI.
Equipment: over 40 million euros.
Beneficiaries:
- Mpmi with operational headquarters in Sicily for at least one year
Eligible expenses:
- Energy redevelopment Properties and production plants
- Replacing systems/machinery with more efficient solutions
- Purchase equipment, systems, energy management software
- Technical expenses for energy diagnosis (compulsory), design, testing, construction sites
Investment thresholds: from 50,000 to 500,000 euros
Intensity help:
- Up to 60% for micro and small businesses, 50% for medium -sized enterprises (in exemption); maximum 60% in de-minimis
Evaluation criteria:
- Technical adequacy
- Energy saving, emissions reduction
- Monitoring systems, impact on renewable self -consumption
Procedure: Conscious Evaluation, Capital Contribution
Download the official legal base for energy redevelopment in companies.
