Co-financed grants for technological development to overcome the consequences of COVID-19

Objectives

The purpose of this Instrument is to provide financial support for technological development of enterprises and private health institutions (hereinafter only “PHI”) to overcome the consequences of COVID-19, which meet the conditions set out in the Rulebook on the support instrument – Co-financed grants for technological development to overcome the consequences of COVID-19.

If the companies affected by KOVID-19 introduce new methods and technologies in their operations and measures to protect the health of employees and customers, they can maintain a satisfactory level of productivity, generate revenue through new sales channels, introduce new products or services which will respond to changes in demand.

Supported companies within 6 months of project completion are expected to return to pre-crisis revenue levels as a result of adjustments made to their operating model.

Through this Instrument, the Fund provides financial support up to 70% (seventy percent) of the total project budget, but not more than 3,000,000.00 (three million) denars per applicant, as follows:

• for enterprises and PHI whose average number of employees is up to 10 employees and whose annual income in the last two years is less than 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) euros according to the financial statements for the last two fiscal years, financing in a maximum amount of 750,000.00 ( seven hundred and fifty thousand) denars,
• for enterprises and PHI whose average number of employees is from 10 to 50 employees and whose annual income in the last two years is greater than 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) euros, and less than 2,000,000.00 (two million) euros according to the financial reports for the last two fiscal years, financing in the maximum amount of 1,500,000.00 (one million and five hundred thousand) denars and
• for enterprises and PHI whose average number of employees is from 50 to 250 and whose annual income in the last two years is greater than 2,000,000.00 (two million) euros, and less than 10,000,000.00 euros according to the financial statements for the last two fiscal years, financing in the maximum amount of 3,000,000.00 (three million) denars.

Eligibility criterion

The eligibility criteria to be met by an individual applicant are:

• to be a trade company established in accordance with the Law on Trade Companies and registered in the Central Register of the Republic of Northern Macedonia or to be a private health institution established in accordance with the Law on Institutions and the Law on Health Care registered in the Central Register of the Republic of Northern Macedonia;
• to be a company or PHI with a maximum of 250 employees;
• the annual income of the applicant should not exceed 1000,000.00 (ten million) euros according to the financial statements for the previous two fiscal years;
  not be related to another enterprise or PHI whose annual income exceeds 10,000,000.00 (ten million) euros and the total number of employees does not exceed 250 in the previous two fiscal years, except in case of connection with a higher education or scientific research institution;
• no bankruptcy proceedings or liquidation proceedings have been initiated against him;
• to have settled due liabilities on the basis of public duties and contributions;
• no proceedings have been initiated against him for forcible execution of overdue monetary claims;
• applicants with over 3 (three) years of existence from the moment of application have not generated a loss in the last two fiscal years according to the official income statements for those years;
• to meet the requirements of the Law on State Aid Control and the Decree on the conditions and procedure for granting minor assistance (de minimis), ie:
• not to have accumulated more than 200,000.00 (two hundred thousand) Euros of minor assistance for a period of three fiscal years, including the requested amount of funds from the Fund in accordance with the Law on State Aid Control and the Regulation on the conditions and procedure for granting assistance of minimal importance (de minimis);
• not to have accumulated more than 100,000.00 (one hundred thousand) Euros of minor assistance for a period of three fiscal years, including the requested amount of funds from the Fund, if the company is active in the road transport sector, in accordance with the Law on State Control assistance and the Decree on the conditions and procedure for granting assistance of minor importance (de minimis);
• is not in difficulty (a company in difficulty is an enterprise that is unable to meet its obligations from its own resources or with funds it may receive from its owner / shareholders or creditors to stop losses, which without external intervention from providers will certainly lead to short-term and long-term cessation of operation of the enterprise); and
• not to be engaged in coal production.