Grants will support investments in implementation of new solutions – innovative products / services of SMEs in S3 areas through investment in process innovation
This Call encourages SMEs to commercialize product/service innovation solely in line with the identified priority thematic areas and cross-cutting themes of the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3). The award of grants will support innovative SMEs, which in their business activities are focused on the production and marketing of innovative products / services on the market, which will contribute to the increase of exports and thus the competitiveness of the Croatian economy in global market. The Call is implemented as an open procedure in the modality of a temporary Call for Proposals under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020, Priority 3 "Business Competitiveness"; Investment Priority 3d "Support to capacity building of SMEs for inclusion in the growth process in regional, national and international markets and innovation processes"; Specific objective 3d2 "Improved innovation of small and medium enterprises".
Main stakeholders and beneficiaries are SMEs that are focused in their business activities production and commercialization of innovative products / services that are new to the market (and which can be applied and classified into one or more S3 thematic priority areas).
The call was open from 15.7.2019. to 15.11.2019.
Resources needed
The minimum amount of funding is 100.000,00 € and maximum of non-refundable funding is 2.666.666,70 € per SME.
Evidence of success
A prerequisite for starting the commercialization process on this call was the existence of a completed product prototype tested in a real environment. Eligible project activities had to be new to the market through process innovation and business organization. Products had to be tangible and intangible, new to the market in one of the S3 areas. 81 contract were signed total value of 35.367.042 €.
Potential for learning or transfer
This call was chosen because is in line with 4 strategies: entrepreneurship development strategy, strategy for stimulating innovation, industrial strategy of Croatia and smart specialisation strategy. We do believe that activities from this call (such as business organisation innovation, process innovations…) are in spirit of the RegionArts project because they encourage collaboration and search for innovation. There is room for cooperation between the ICT and art sector. What is important is that this call is focused on commercialization so as precondition for beginning is existence of a completed prototype of product or service tested in real environment.
Tags: Competitiveness, Cooperation, Innovation
