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Public competition for co-financed grants for technological development for accelerated economic growth following a regular procedure

DATE

March 28, 2023

Categories

Based on Article 25 of the Law on Innovation Activity (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia” no. 79/13, 137/13, 41/14, 44/15, 6/16, 53/16, 190/16 and 64/ 18) and article 9 of the Regulation on the support instrument – Co-financed grants for technological development for accelerated economic growth no. 01-2410/5 dated 30.12.2020, the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development on 27.03.2023 announces a Public Competition for the submission of project proposals for funding under the Support Instrument Co-financed Grants for Technological Development for Accelerated Economic Growth.

The purpose of this Instrument is to provide financial support for technological development of enterprises and private health facilities (“PZU”) for accelerated economic growth, which meet the requirements of the Regulations for the Support Instrument – Co-financed grants for technological development for accelerated economic growth.

The purpose of the support is for enterprises to create conditions for overcoming the consequences of the economic crisis, to achieve accelerated growth, to increase competitiveness in international markets and resistance to pandemic and climate crises, through the introduction of new, innovative, advanced, “green” and digital technologies for their transformation.

The support is intended for enterprises and PZU (private healthcare facilities) that have a clearly identified need for new technologies that will have a significant and measurable positive impact in one or more of the following aspects of their operations: increased productivity and efficiency, cost reduction and use of resources, reducing the negative impact on the environment, better quality and new features of the products and services they offer on the market, to develop new sales channels, entry, expansion into new markets or to build a more stable and sustainable network of suppliers.

Through this Instrument, the Fund provides financial support:

up to 70% (seventy percent) of the total budget of the project, but not more than 2,500,000.00 (two million five hundred thousand) denars for enterprises and PHI whose average number of employees is up to 10 (ten) employees and whose annual income in the last two years is less than 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) euros.

up to 70% (seventy percent) of the total budget of the project, but not more than 5,000,000.00 (five million) denars, for enterprises and PZU whose average number of employees is from 10 to 50 employees and whose annual income in the last for two years is greater than 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) euros and less than 2,000,000.00 (two million) euros, financing up to 70% of the total project budget.

up to 60% (sixty percent) of the total budget of a project, but not more than 10,000,000.00 (ten million) denars for enterprises and PHI whose average number of employees is from 50 to 250 and whose annual income in the last two years is greater than 2,000,000.00 (two million) euros and less than 10,000,000.00 (ten million) euros, financing.

The amount of realized annual income and average number of employees is determined according to the financial reports for the last two years (2022 and 2021).

The maximum limits of realized income according to which the percentage and the maximum amount of co-financing are determined are expressed in euros and are calculated according to the average exchange rate of the NBRM for the euro on the day of the announcement of the public call.

The applicant provides its own co-financing of 30% (for micro and small enterprises) or 40% for medium-sized enterprises from the total budget of the project.

Funds received from the Fund on any other basis, as well as funds received on the basis of any other state aid, will not be considered eligible for co-financing by the applicant.

  1. To be a trading company established in accordance with the Law on Trading Companies and registered in the Central Registry of the Republic of North Macedonia or to be a private healthcare institution established in accordance with the Law on Institutions and the Law on Health Care registered in the Central Registry of the Republic of North Macedonia;
  2. That it is not connected (according to the Law on Commercial Companies) with another company and/or PZU whose annual revenues exceed 10,000,000 (ten million) euros and that the average number of employees does not exceed 250 in the previous two fiscal years, in accordance with Article 10 paragraph 1 point 5 of the Regulations and the provisions of the Public Competition, except in the case of connection with a higher education, that is, scientific research institution;
  3. No bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings have been initiated against him;
  4. To have settled overdue obligations based on public duties and contributions;
  5. Proceedings for forced execution of overdue monetary claims should not be initiated against him;
  6. Applicants with more than 3 (three) years of existence by the time of application must not have incurred a loss according to the financial statements for the last two calendar years.
  7. That there are no due and outstanding obligations with a delay of more than 90 days towards financial institutions as of the end of February 2020, i.e. before the beginning of the crisis caused by Covid-19, issued by the Macedonian Credit Bureau;
  8. To meet the requirements of the Law on Control of State Aid and not to receive state aid from two different sources for the same purpose/measure because such aid is not allowed.
  • Procurement and introduction of new, innovative, advanced, ‘green’ and digital technologies for the transformation of production and business processes;
  • Development and introduction of new more ecological processes and standards for production and work;
  • Procurement and introduction of new digital solutions (software, tools, licenses, etc.) and development of digital business models, which may include digitalization of sales and procurement channels;
  • Building the capacities of management and employees for the application of new technologies;
  • Improving the productivity and efficiency of production and/or business processes;
  • Reduction of costs of production and operational work;
  • Improving efficiency in the use of resources;
  • Activities to reduce the negative impact on the environment;
    Significantly improving the quality and adding new or significantly improved features of products and services as a result of changes in supply and demand related to the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis (including standardization and certification);
  • Developing new sales channels and activities to enter or expand into new markets – building a more stable and sustainable network of suppliers.

The list of activities is not limiting.

  • Gross wages for the applicant’s employees who will be hired on the project. The amounts of gross salaries of the employees engaged in the project should correspond to the established practices of the beneficiary before the start of the project, reduced by the amount of potential state subsidy received on the basis of salary;
  • Costs for technical support (expertise), costs for contractual services for research, development, digitization (eg testing, laboratory services, etc.);
    Costs for the purchase and rental of equipment, software, information technology tools and raw materials and consumables, directly related to the realization of the project;
  • Costs related to the implementation of the Applicant’s technological development plan;
  • Other operating costs directly related to the implementation of the project, except those that are not eligible for financing through this Instrument.

Only costs incurred during the project in accordance with the approved project budget and realized by the end of the project are eligible for funding.

When allocating the budget by quarters, the applicant should take into account the evenness in the allocation of the budget, ie the amount for each separate quarter should not differ from the rest of the quarters by more than 30 (thirty) %.

  • Technological progress and degree of digitization;
  • Quality of the project;
  • Capacity of the project team;
  • Influence.

The criteria and sub-criteria for project evaluation are listed in the form – Evaluation Table.

The duration of the project can be up to 18 (eighteen) months.

For the financing of projects under this competition, a total budget of 5,060,000.00 (five million and sixty thousand) euros in Denar equivalent value has been provided for this Instrument.

All application forms can be downloaded by clicking on the “Download documentation” button.

To be duly filled in, signed and sealed:

  • Project application form;
  • Project budget form;
  • Statement of the Applicant on acceptance of the conditions of the Fund;
  • Notarized Statement of ownership – founding structure of the Applicant and
  • Brief biographies of the persons who make up the project team, engaged in the project (for a maximum of 5 (five) persons).

The project application, project budget and biographies should be completed in Macedonian and English and attached in PDF format to the application form by clicking on the “Apply” button.

The rest of the documentation should be submitted only in the Macedonian language.

The deadline for applying for the public call is May 5, 2023, until 2:00 p.m.

Only those project proposals submitted in the above manner and within the given deadline will be considered for financing.

For all additional information you can:

Information about these activities will be published in a timely manner on the website of the Fund as well as on social networks (Facebook and Instagram).

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