It was published in the Official Gazette no. 1.060 of November 11, 2020, Order no. 4.003/2020 of the Minister of Public Works, Development and Administration, de minimis aid scheme for SME support in order to carry out processes for the development of innovative conceptual models in the fields of smart specialization, within the Regional Operational Program 2014-2020, through the priority axis 1 “Promoting technology transfer”, investment priority 1.1 “Promoting investment in IC, developing links and synergies between enterprises, research and development centers and higher education, in particular promoting investment in product and service development, technology transfer, social innovation, eco-innovation and public service applications, stimulating demand, networking and open innovation through smart specialization, as well as supporting technological and applied research activities, pilot lines, early product validation actions, production capacities advanced and d it is the first production, especially in the field of essential generic technologies and the diffusion of general use technologies ”- specific objective 1.2 – Increasing innovation in companies by supporting multisectoral approaches resulting from the implementation of the“ Less Developed Regions Initiative ”in Romania.
The main objective is to support small and medium-sized enterprises carrying out specific activities of an innovative nature, with the main purpose of demonstrating the functionality and verification of a specific product, service or process concept, in the areas of smart specialization mentioned in the annex to the order. and placed on the market, demonstrating the steps of technological maturity from level 3 to level 4 or 5 and concluding partnerships in order to continue the research carried out by the funded project to develop the conceptual model or reuse the hypotheses considered in the project to develop a new conceptual model innovative.
List of areas of smart specialization:
1. Bioeconomy
- Agri-food (plant genetics, technical plant culture, circular agriculture, advanced agri-food processing technologies, smart farms, safe food, nutritionally optimized agri-food products)
- Forestry and wood engineering (bioenergy, new products, processes and technologies, innovative business models for traditional products)
- Biotechnologies (pharmaceutical biotechnologies, biofuels and biocatalysts for industrial use, bioactive substances, bioreactives, biomass processing)
2. Information and communication technologies, space and security
- Information society (e-education, gamification, big data analysis with application in medicine, e-inclusion and real-time monitoring of social systems)
- Cyber security
- Industriy 4.0 (monitoring of the food products along the value chain, nanoelectronics and optoelectronics, industrial software, artificial intelligence, creative industries)
3. Energy, environment and climate change
- Environment and climate change (biodiversity, responsible exploitation and sustainable management of green heritage, new plant genotypes with increased resistance to climate change, precision agriculture, enzyme systems for pollution monitoring, water treatment technologies, waste recycling, motorization industrial waters)
- Energy (energy management, ZEB, smart factoring, energy efficiency and security, smart city, smart grids for smart consumers)
4. Eco-nanotechnologies and advanced materials
- Textiles (innovative product design – nano bio, textiles with built-in sensors – functional textiles with applicability in medicine, smart textiles, synergistic clothing, up-cycling textile waste and slow fashion, digital fashion, intelligent manufacturing – sensors, tracking software , industrial robots)
- New materials (exploitation of natural yarns, advanced biomaterials, technical textiles, knitted structures with thermal properties, knits for mechanical protection, composite textile structures, new construction materials, ecological materials)
5. Health
- Health and tourism for a healthy lifestyle (medical recovery, balneo-physiokinetotherapy, nutrition and dietetics, rehabilitation bioengineering, slow food and healthy eating, TIC solutions for tourism, marketing and creative promotion)
The scheme applies to investments made in both urban and rural areas, in all development regions of Romania, respectively: Bucharest-Ilfov, North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, West, North- West and Center.
The applicant must have the financial capacity to ensure: own contribution to the eligible value of the project, minimum 10%, financing of ineligible expenses related to the project (if applicable), as well as financial resources necessary for optimal implementation of the project, subject to subsequent reimbursement of eligible costs. , in accordance with the applicable legal provisions. The own financial contribution consists either of own resources or of attracted resources, in a form that is not the subject of any other public aid.
The maximum non-reimbursable financing granted for an investment project under this scheme may not exceed 90% of the eligible value of the investment, subject to the de minimis ceiling for the type of investment financed, respectively the RON equivalent of 200,000 euros or 100,000 euros, as appropriate.
The measure applies from the date of publication in the Official Gazette of Romania, respectively 11 November 2020, until 31 December 2021, within the allocated budget, in the sense of granting aid by concluding financing contracts.
Payments will be made by December 31, 2024, within the allocated budget.
The total estimated value of the de minimis aid that will be granted under this scheme, over its entire application period, is 10.69 million euros, approximately 51.67 million lei, of which 9.09 million euros, approximately 43 92 million lei, European financing through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDR), respectively 1.60 million euros, approximately 7.75 million lei, the national contribution through the state budget.