IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION IN SMEs
CALL FOR PROJECTS: PR SV/IMM1/1/1.3-1.4/2023

Guide in public consultation – 20.03.2023

objection
Intensifying sustainable growth and increasing the competitiveness of SMEs and creating jobs within SMEs, including through productive investments (ERDF)
Developing skills for smart specialisation, industrial transition and entrepreneurship (ERDF)

The type of call
Competitive with deadline submission

The allocated budget
79,468,235 euros

Eligible beneficiaries
The applicant is a company or cooperative company that falls into the category of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), with registered office in the South-West Oltenia region in the urban/rural environment no later than January 1, 2022

Not eligible:
Micro-enterprises and large enterprises
Enterprises that do not have their headquarters in the Southwest Oltenia region or that implement the investment outside the Southwest Oltenia development region are not eligible

Non-refundable financial aid
The amount of non-refundable financing requested is of minimum 200,000 euros and a maximum of 1,500.00 euros, equivalent in lei at the Infoeuro exchange rate, valid on the date of launching the call for projects (publication of the specific guide)

The funding percentage
Depending on the category of the enterprise, the maximum contribution of the program to the eligible expenses financed by regional aid

• Medium enterprises – 70%
• Small Business – 75%

Within this call, certain expenses can be financed through de minimis aid in a maximum percentage of 90% of the eligible value of the expenses financed through de minimis aid in compliance with the de minimis ceiling, respectively the equivalent in lei of 200,000 euros. The eligible value related to the component financed by de minimis aid cannot exceed 20% of the total eligible value of the investment

Minimum eligibility requirements

• The applicant has carried out activity for a period corresponding to at least one full fiscal year prior to the submission of the funding request
• The applicant obtained operating profit in the fiscal year prior to the submission of the funding request
• The applicant is not a company in difficulty/bankruptcy
• The applicant has the financial capacity to ensure their own contribution to the eligible value of the project and the financing of the non-eligible expenses of the project 

Type of investment:

• Regional state aid is granted for an initial investment (creating a new unit or expanding the capacity of an existing unit, diversifying the production of a unit)
• Construction works, expansion, modernization of production/service premises
• Equipment with technological equipment, machinery, work installations, furniture, computer equipment, office equipment
• Activities specific to the internationalization process and access to international markets
• Implementation and certification activities of quality, environmental or health management systems, organizational management
• The purchase of specific installations/equipment in order to achieve an energy saving, as well as systems that use renewable (alternative) energy sources for the efficiency of the activities for which funding has been requested, within the maximum limit of 15% of the eligible value of the project
• Investments in intangible assets: patents, licenses, trademarks, computer programs, other rights and similar assets, within the limit of 10% of the eligible value of the project and within the limit of 20% of the value of tangible assets 

Other relevant information

The registered office will be maintained for the duration of the investment, i.e. 3 years from the final payment under the financing contract.

Projects that:

• presents as high a ratio as possible between the turnover recorded at the end of the year preceding the submission of the funding application and the amount of non-reimbursable financial assistance requested
• propose actions related to business modeling as well as knowledge of the markets of third countries and adaptation of products/services for certain markets
• provide for professional skills development actions regarding the adoption of advanced technologies in the areas of smart regional specialization, industrial transition and entrepreneurship, which are related to the investment component.

The purchase of specific installations/equipment is mandatory, in order to obtain an energy saving of at least 5% of the eligible value of the project. Projects that only include investments in this category are not eligible.

When submitting the project, the applicant will present proof of financial capacity (bank account statement, proof of a credit line/contract issued by the bank/banking financial institution).