The tender has similar conditions to the previous, the fourth tender in this grant programme, and targets companies that need to introduce their innovations into production and onto the market or to apply new processes or organisational schemes in their activities. Eligible applicants are therefore enterprises that have already completed the development of a new product and are preparing a new production process. It is also a prerequisite for obtaining support that the project contributes to the development and increase in the level of digitisation of the applicant for support and brings a significant increase in the competitiveness of the enterprise.

The content of the project may be (separately or in combination, provided that they form a functional unit):

• Product (i.e. product or service) innovation;
• Process innovation, i.e. the process of producing or providing a service; and
• Organisational innovation.

What can be supported:

Each enterprise can submit only one project plan, for which it can receive a subsidy of up to CZK 20 million and at the same time a maximum of 50% of the eligible costs. The focus of eligible costs should be on non-investment costs, but investments in fixed assets are also admissible under the de minimis regime. Eligible expenditure includes:

• Costs related to the protection of intellectual property;
• Cost of innovation advisory and support services;
• Cost of contract research, knowledge, and patents;
• Personal costs;
• Cost of tools and equipment for the period of use within the project (depreciation);
• Costs of contract research, know-how, and patents purchased or licensed from external suppliers at arm’s length;
• Other operating costs, including costs of material, supplies, and similar products incurred directly as a result of project implementation;
• Overhead costs;
• Under the de minimis regime:
  • Investments (acquisition costs of tangible and intangible fixed assets); and
  • Non-investments (administrative costs, such as the cost of preparing a subsidy application).

Important deadlines:

• Receipt of applications: from 18 April 2023 to 9 June 2023;
• Start of the project: from 1 January 2024 to 30 April 2024;
• Completion of the project: by 31 December 2025 at the latest; and
• Project duration: maximum 24 months.

Since the project designs will be evaluated in terms of compliance with the conditions of the public tender and the ranking of the projects will be determined by the score, we do not recommend underestimating the preparation of the application for support. If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to guide you through the procedure and provide you with maximum support and assistance.