In March this year, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development as an intermediary institution announced a competition for project funding under the action 2.3: Innovative business services, sub-measures 2.3.1 Innovative IOB services for SMEs. This competition is aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Projects implemented outside the Mazowieckie Voivodeship may receive support. The pool of funds for the competition is 70,000,000 PLN.
This action aims to select projects for co-financing which will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Smart Development Operational Programme and the sub-measure objectives set out in the Specific Description of the Priority Axis of the Smart Development Operational Programme, 2014-2020. Grants may be awarded to projects for the purchase of the following types of pro-innovation services provided by the Ministry of Enterprise and Technology:
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innovation advisory services within the meaning of Article 2(94) EC Regulation No Regulation (EU) 651/2014 providing advice, assistance and training on the transfer of knowledge, acquisition and protection of intangible assets and their use, use of standards and regulations in which they are embedded,
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innovation advisory services in question Under point 1 and innovation support services within the meaning of Article 2(95) EC Regulation No Regulation (EU) 651/2014 means the provision of office space, data banks, library resources, market research, laboratories, marking, testing and quality certification to develop more efficient products, processes and services.
However, it should be kept in mind that the actions fall into the areas of National Smart Specialization. In addition, funding As part of the project the costs of implementing investment related to the implementation of technological innovation may be affected.
The application for project funding shall be submitted electronically through the Inference Generator provided on the PARP website within: 10 April 2018 to 25 October 2018 It must be borne in mind that on the last day of the call, the Inference Generator will be available by hour. 16:00:00.
The competition is divided into rounds. In accordance with the following timetable, applications may be submitted:
- Round I – from 10 April 2018 to 31 May 2018;
- Round II – 1 June 2018 to 31 July 2018;
- Round III – from 1 August 2018 to 30 September 2018;
Round IV – from 1 October 2018 to 25 October 2018 (on the last day of recruitment by hour 16:00:00).
The minimum eligible costs of the project shall be 50,000 PLN. The maximum eligible costs of pro-innovation services shall be 500,000 PLN, and the maximum eligible investment costs – 1,000,000 PLN.
The maximum aid intensity for pro-innovation services is:
- - 70% eligible costs for entrepreneurs for which the total amount of aid for pro-innovation services does not exceed 200,000 EUR during any three-year period;
- - 50% eligible costs for other operators.
Detailed information on the costs to be financed can be found in the Rules of Procedure, in particular Under section 5.
The period of implementation of the project, from the date of its commencement as specified in the grant agreement, may not exceed 36 months. In addition, a pro-innovation service may be provided by no more than 3 IOB (accredited by Ministry of Enterprise and Technology business environment institutions). All details can be found on the PARP website.