Call for proposal to support with funds the micro SMEs in the Artistic Crafts sector that have suffered from the negative effects of the spread of Covid-19.
Rinascimento Firenze offers the opportunity to give life to projects for relaunching the craft sector, to be implemented over a maximum period of 18 months, generating both a direct and indirect social impact in the territory. The call for proposals is open to micro and small enterprises and economic activities developed in a "non-profit" legal form based in the Metropolitan City of Florence that have been damaged by Covid-19. The OMA - Associazione Osservatorio dei Mestieri d'Arte (Artistic Craft Professions Observatory Association), as the implementing body, is disbursing 1 million euro in non-repayable grants and Intesa Sanpaolo (bank) is making impact loans from 60 to 500 thousand euro available for each individual subject chosen, for a total of 5 million euro. The financial package consists of a grant and a long-term (10 years) impact loan. The financial package is also a guarantee of the entrepreneur's commitment and involvement in the project.
Main objectives:
-Relaunch of activities through corporate growth projects
-Support of new recruitments and stabilization of employees
-Increased production and purchase of new machinery
Resources needed
OMA has the backing of Fondazione CR Firenze and Banca Intesa San Paolo and the technical collaboration of Fondazione KON.
HUMAN RESOURCES INVOLVED: 1 (OMA)
OVERALL BUDGET:
4 Million Euro by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio Firenze
20 Million Euro by Intesa San Paolo Bank
Evidence of success
For the Artistic Handicrafts call 16 applications have been processed as eligible.
For the call for Tourism and its Cultural Sector 63 applications have been processed as eligible.
All 79 projects must be completed within 18 months of application approval.
Difficulties encountered
In some cases the co-financing by the entrepreneur is a problem.
Potential for learning or transfer
Unlike other calls for proposals issued during the period of the crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rinascimento Firenze’s call for proposals does not intend to indiscriminately grant a shower of contributions, but rather, to reward the planning capacity of entrepreneurs, identifying credible and feasible recovery and growth paths. In this sense, Rinascimento Firenze intends to accompany the upturn of the individual company for recovering the sector until there is a spill-over in the entire territory of reference. The fact of focusing on the solidity of the projects and their long-term viability is undoubtedly a new way of disbursing contributions.
Tags: Art, COVID-19, Cultural heritage, Culture, Funding
