The Veneto Region grants financial support for the purchase of innovation services by SMEs
The Veneto Region has published a call for support for the purchase of innovation services by SMEs. This intervention is aimed at supporting the innovation projects of micro, small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), which operate in Veneto, with a financial envelope of EUR 3.000.000.
The financial support is equal to 30 % or 50 % of the eligible project implementation costs, up to a maximum of EUR 20.000 for each applicant. The support is provided in the form of a capital grant.
The eligible beneficiaries are SMEs, as defined in Annex I of the EU Regulation No. 651/2014, that meet the requirements set out in Article 4 of the call for support, including but not limited to:
Having operating premises in Veneto in which to implement the project. If, at the time of the submission of the application, the company does not have operating premises within the Region, the opening of such premises shall occur, and be communicated to AVEPA (the Venetian Agency for payments in agriculture), within 45 days from the date of publication of the support’s approval in the Veneto Region Official Journal, under penalty of forfeiture of the
Carrying out an activity (within the operating premises) not covered in the ATECO 2007 classification codes, Sections A and B.
Making regular social security and welfare contributions and being in compliance with the legislation of State Aid.
Being able to exercise its rights fully and freely, not being in a voluntary winding up process and not being subject to a current insolvency procedure that started prior to the submission of the application (with the exception of an arrangement with creditors on a going concern basis).
The eligible projects (Article 5) involve the purchase of specialist services for technological innovation (A), strategic innovation (B) or organisational innovation (C). In particular, they include:
1 – innovation in the concept phase
2 – innovation in the design and test phases
3 – support in the management of intellectual property
1 – strategic innovation for a new product/service introduction
2 – business model innovation
1 – organisational upgrades
2 – increased operating efficiency
3 – corporate process innovation
4 -organisational innovation through temporary management (TM)
The projects in categories A and B shall have a cost between EUR 8.000 and EUR 40.000; projects in category C, a cost between € 8.000 and € 50.000.
In any case, the project shall not include the purchase of continuous or periodic specialised services for innovation or relate to usual operating costs connected to regular activities such as, for example, legal and tax consultancy services and advertising or to costs required to achieve standards imposed by law or by other equivalent measures (Article 5.5).
The project duration cannot exceed 12 months, calculated from the date of the publication of the decree that approves the financial measure in the Veneto Region Official Journal. Finally, the project is considered to be concluded (Article 5.8) when the activities have been effectively carried out, the costs have been incurred, the objectives have been achieved and the results based on which the support was granted have been reached.