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Business Development Tools - Small Enterprises

PIA (Integrated Incentives Packages)

(New public notice - Regional Programme ERDF – ESF+ 2021-2027)

The new Integrated Incentives Packages (PIA) scheme, following on from the previous edition, has expanded both the public of potential beneficiaries and the types of initiatives eligible for funding.

The PIA scheme offers funding support to SMEs and innovative start-ups, individually or in association with one or more local SMEs and innovative start-ups, for eligible investments in industrial research and experimental development programmes, which may be integrated with capital investments, technological innovation initiatives, training initiatives and environmental protection measures, as well as investments in specialised business consultancy services and international business promotion programmes, including the participation in trade fairs. In certain circumstances, retail businesses may also qualify for funding under the PIA scheme.

The PIA scheme provides subsidy grants for investment programmes with overall minimum eligible expenditure of 1 million euros. Investment limits for capital investments, in terms of maximum eligible costs, are fixed at 50 million euros for medium-sized enterprises, 40 million euros for small enterprises and 20 million euros for innovative start-ups and enterprises. Overall eligible investments in experimental R&D should not exceed 40 million euros, whilst the limits on investments in innovation by SMEs is fixed at 3 million euros and in business process and organizational innovation at 5 million euros. Training initiatives are eligible for costs of up to 2 million euros, whereas the costs related to implementing environmental protection measures should not exceed 10 million euros.

The PIA funding scheme is operative as of 21st December 2023 and has no fixed deadlines for proposals, subject to the availability of funds.

Applications must be submitted online, following the procedure in the dedicated section “PIA”, by registering and filling out the necessary online forms, on the platform PugliaSemplice:

pugliasemplice.sistema.puglia.it

MiniPIA (Integrated Incentives Packages)

(New public notice - Regional Programme ERDF – ESF+ 2021-2027)

The new Integrated Incentives Packages scheme for small businesses (MiniPIA), offers funding support to micro and small businesses, as well as freelancers, with the aim of facilitating integrated investment programmes that combine capital investments with innovation and staff training initiatives, environmental protection measures, specialist consultancy services, international business programmes, including the participation in trade fairs.

The integrated incentives packages support investment programmes for business innovation, related to digitalisation, energy efficiency and eco-sustainability, with overall eligible expenditure of minimum 30,000 euros, up to a maximum of 5 million euros.

In terms of maximum eligible costs, capital investments, including the purchase of new machinery and manufacturing facilities which respect the guidelines of the Industry 4.0 and/or the European green deal initiatives, should not exceed 90% of the total investment programme. In addition to capital investments, the investment programme must include investments for innovation, which may also be associated with initiatives for staff training, business consultancy and international business promotion services, trade fair participation as well as the introduction of environmental protection and energy efficiency measures.

The MiniPIA scheme operates an open call procedure: to qualify for evaluation and selection, the business investment proposal should first secure a bank loan, making use of the guarantee facilities offered by Confidi and Medio Credito Centrale.

Applications must be submitted online, following the procedure in the dedicated section, by registering and filling out the necessary online forms, on the platform PugliaSemplice:

pugliasemplice.sistema.puglia.it

The application will then be forwarded to the bank or to the Confidi, which, after examining the eligibility status of the proposing business, will grant the secured loan and send the investment programme proposal to Puglia Sviluppo for evaluation.

The MiniPIA funding scheme has been running since the 29th February 2024 and has no fixed deadlines for proposals, subject to the availability of funds.

 


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