VOUCHER FOR INNOVATION CONSULTING

The Voucher measure for consulting in innovation is the intervention that, in coherence with the national plan “Enterprise 4.0”, supports the technological and digital transformation processes of Smes and enterprise networks throughout the national territory through the introduction in the company of managerial figures able to implement the enabling technologies provided by the National Plan. The financial envelope allocated for the implementation of the assistance shall be EUR 75 million allocated for each of the 2019, 2020, and 2021 years.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

By Executive Decree of 25 September 2019, the deadlines and procedures for the submission by Smes and networks of applications for facilitation that must be submitted exclusively through the appropriate IT procedure, by accessing the section “Reception Requests” and clicking on “Voucher Innovation Manager” after entering the National Service Card (CNS).

The procedure for the submission of applications for facilitation is divided into the following phases:

  • Preliminary verification of compliance with the requirements for access to the IT procedure, from 10.00 am on 31 October 2019
  • Completion of the request for access to the facilities, from 10.00 am on 7 November 2019 and until 17.00 pm on 26 November 2019
  • Request for access to the facilities, from 10.00 am on 3 December 2019.

Who are you talking to?

The facilities provided by the Innovation Advice Voucher are available to companies operating throughout the national territory that are found to have, at the date of submission of the application and at the time of granting the grant, the following requirements shall be met:

  1. Qualify as a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise within the meaning of current legislation;
  2. Not included among the companies active in the sectors excluded by Article 1 of the EU Regulation n. 1407/2013 of the Commission, of 18 December 2013 “De Minimis”;
  3. Have registered office and/or local unit active in the national territory and be registered in the Register of companies of the Chamber of Commerce territorially competent;
  4. Do not be the subject of interdictive sanctions pursuant to article 9, paragraph 2, of Legislative Decree 8 June 2001, n. 231 and be in compliance with the payment of social security contributions;
  5. Not to be subject to collective proceedings and not to be in a state of bankruptcy, even voluntary liquidation, receivership, arrangement with creditors or in any other equivalent situation under the law in force;
  6. Not having received and subsequently not repaid or deposited in a blocked account aid on which hangs a recovery order, following a previous decision of the European Commission declaring the aid illegal and incompatible with the common market.

In addition, the Voucher may also be granted to business networks consisting of not less than three Smes meeting the requirements described, provided that the network contract constitutes an effective and stable collaboration and is characterised by the elements referred to in Article 2, paragraph 2 of the decree of 7 May 2019.

Eligible expenditure

Expenditure incurred in connection with the provision of specialist advice by a qualified, independent and temporarily included innovation manager with a consultancy contract of at least nine months’ duration shall be considered eligible for the contribution, the organisational structure of the undertaking or network.

Qualified and independent innovation manager means a manager on the list established by the Ministry of Economic Development or indicated, for the same personal and professional requirements, by a company on the same list and which is independent of the undertaking or network receiving specialist advice.

Counselling should be aimed at guiding and supporting innovation processes, technological and digital transformation of enterprises and networks through the application of one or more of the enabling technologies provided for in the National Business Plan 4.0 identified among the following:

  1. Big data and data analysis;
  2. Cloud, fog and quantum computing;
  3. Cyber security;
  4. Integration of the technologies of the Next Production Revolution (NPR) in the business processes, also and with particular regard to traditional productions;
  5. Simulation and cyber-physical systems;
  6. Rapid prototyping; and
  7. Visualization systems, virtual reality (RV) and augmented reality (RA);
  8. Advanced and collaborative robotics;
  9. Man-machine interface;
  10. Additive manufacturing and three-dimensional printing;
  11. Internet of things and machines;
  12. Integration and digital development of business processes;
  13. Digital marketing programs, such as transformative and enabling processes for the innovation of all processes of valorization of brands and distinctive signs (so-called “branding”) and commercial development towards markets;
  14. Open innovation programmes.

Managerial assignments may also address and support the processes of modernisation of management and organisational arrangements, including access to financial and capital markets, through:

  • The application of new organisational methods in business practices, business management strategies, workplace organisation, provided that they involve a significant process of organisational innovation of the enterprise;
  • The launch of routes aimed at listing on regulated or unregulated markets, participation in the Elite Programme, the opening of venture capital to independent investors specializing in private equity or venture capital, the use of new alternative and digital finance instruments such as equity crowdfunding, invoice financing and the issuance of minibonds.

The specifications concerning the content and purpose of the consultancy services, as well as their duration and compensation, must be the result of a consultancy contract signed by the parties after the date of submission of the application for admission to the contribution. 

Facilities

The facility consists of a contribution in the form of vouchers payable under the “de minimis” scheme pursuant to Regulation (EU) No. 1407/2013. The maximum contribution payable shall be differentiated according to the type of beneficiary:

  • Micro and small: contribution of 50% of costs incurred up to a maximum of 40 thousand euro
  • Medium-sized enterprises: contribution of 30% of costs incurred up to a maximum of 25 thousand euro
  • Business networks: contribution of 50% of costs incurred up to a maximum of 80 thousand euro

With a subsequent decision of the Directorate-General for Business Incentives to be adopted within 30 days from the publication of the decree 7 May 2019 will be defined the terms and conditions for the presentation, by Smes and business networks, of applications for contribution.

Accreditation procedure for Smes administered by legal entities and for business networks without legal subjectivity. 

Proposing Smes administered by one or more legal persons or entities other than natural persons and business networks without legal subjectivity for the purpose of accreditation to the IT procedure (http://facilitydgiai.invitalia.it) for the submission of the application for access to the facility, must send from 10.00 am on 31 October 2019 a PEC to the address managerinnovazione@pec.mise.gov.it. enclosing a suitable completed and digitally signed form:

  • For Smes administered by one or more legal persons or bodies other than natural persons;
  • For business networks not having legal subjectivity.

In the forwarding of the form, we invite you to enter as the subject of the PEC the following text: “VIM – Application for accreditation to the IT procedure” followed by the tax code of the applicant and its name. It should be noted that the technical requirements related to the accreditation phase of the IT procedure are carried out within 5 working days from the receipt of the request.

Normative

  • Executive Decree of 6 November 2019: the list of qualified managers and consultancy firms has been published.
  • Executive Decree of 25 September 2019: The deadlines and procedures for the submission by Smes and networks of applications for facilitation as well as the corresponding requests for disbursement have been established.
  • Decree of 29 July 2019: the procedures and deadlines for the submission of applications for inclusion in the list have been defined.
  • Ministerial Decree of 7 May 2019: implementing provisions of the intervention aimed at facilitating the acquisition of management consulting aimed at supporting the technological and digital transformation processes of Smes and business networks.

Engineer Fabio Manenti (as per Executive Decree of 6 November 2019) has obtained accreditation from the MISE as QUALIFIED INNOVATION MANAGER and is therefore appointed by the Ministry of Economic Development for the delivery and use of the fund VOUCHER MANAGER, see link: https://www.demixgroup.com/it/mise/.

Demix International Consulting will also be able to support you when you request and obtain the voucher, and, thanks to the collaboration and accreditations obtained with the CCIAA of Milan, Monza Brianza and Lodi, Unioncamere Lombardia, Region of Lombardy, Finlombarda, the National Agency for Microcredit, etc. , We can offer you many other services to further support your company and the development of your projects.