Public call for co-financed technological development grants for accelerated economic growth in regular procedure

The purpose of this Instrument is to provide financial support for technological development of enterprises and private health institutions (“PHI”) for accelerated economic growth, which meet the requirements of the Rulebook on the Support Instrument – Co-financed technological development grants for accelerated economic growth.

The purpose of the support is for the enterprises to create conditions for overcoming the consequences of the economic crisis, achieve accelerated growth, and increase the competitiveness in international markets and the resistance to pandemic and climate crises, by introducing new, innovative, advanced, “green” and digital technologies for transformation thereof.

The support is intended for enterprises and PHIs (private health institutions) with clearly identified need for new technologies that will have a significant and measurable positive impact in one or more of the following aspects of their operations: increased productivity and efficiency, cost reduction and utilization resources, reduction of the negative impact on the environment, better quality and new features of the products and services offered on the market, development of new channels for sales, entry, expansion to new markets or for building more stable and sustainable network of suppliers.

Through this Instrument the Fund provides financial support:

• up to 70% (seventy percent) of the total project budget; however, not more than MKD 2,500,000.00 (two million five hundred thousand Denars) for enterprises and PHIs whose average number of employees is up to 10 (ten) employees and whose annual income in the last two years is less than EUR 50,000.00 (fifty thousand Euros).
• up to 70% (seventy percent) of the total project budget; however, not more than MKD 5,000,000.00 (five million 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 more than EUR 50,000.00 (fifty thousand Euros) and less than EUR 2,000,000.00 (two million Euros), financing up to 70% of the total project budget.

• up to 60% (sixty percent) of the total project budget; however, not more than MKD 10,000,000.00 (ten million Denars) for enterprises and PHIs whose average number of employees is from 50 to 250 and whose annual income in the last two years is more than EUR 2,000,000.00 (two million Euros) and less than EUR 10,000,000.00 (ten million Euros) of the financing.

The amount of generated annual income and average number of employees is determined in accordance with the financial statements for the last two years (2021 and 2020).

The maximum limits of the generated revenues, according to which the percentage and the maximum amount of the co-financing are determined, are expressed in Euros and are calculated according to the middle exchange rate of the NBRM for Euros on the day of announcing the Public Call.

THE APPLICANT PROVIDES its own co-financing of 30% (for micro and small enterprises) i.e. 40% for medium enterprises from the total project budget.

Funds received from the Fund on any other basis, as well as funds received on the basis of any other state aid, shall not be considered eligible funds for co-financing by the applicant.

1. To be a trading company established in accordance with the Law on Trading Companies and registered in the Central Registry of the Republic of North 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 Registry of the Republic of North Macedonia;

2. Not to be related (pursuant to the Law on Trading Companies) to another enterprise and/or PHI whose annual income exceeds EUR 10,000,000 (ten million Euros) and the average number of employees does not exceed 250 in the previous two fiscal years, pursuant to Article 10 paragraph 1 item 5 of the Rulebook and the provisions of the Public Call, except in case of connection with a higher education i.e. scientific-research institution;

3. No to have any bankruptcy proceedings or liquidation proceedings initiated against the applicant;

4. To have settled due liabilities on the basis of public duties and contributions;

5. No to have any proceedings initiated against the applicant for forcible collection of overdue monetary claims;

6. Applicants with over 3 (three) years of existence until the moment of application should not have any loss according to the financial statements for the last two calendar years, pursuant to Article 7 paragraph 6  of the Rulebook ; Given the economic crisis in 2020 caused by Covid-19 pandemic, only 2021 shall be considered as a year valid for review of the realized loss.

7. Noto to have any overdue and outstanding liabilities with a delay of over 90 days to any financial institutions, including the situation at the end of February 2020 i.e. before the beginning of the crisis caused by Covid-19 pandemic, issued by the Macedonian Credit Bureau;

8. To meet the requirements of the Law on State Aid Control and not to receive any state aid for the same purpose/measure from two different sources, since such aid is not allowed.

• • Procurement and introduction of new, innovative, advanced, “green” and digital technologies for transformation of production and business processes;
  • Development and introduction of new and more ecological processes and standards for production and work;
  • Procurement and introduction of new digital solutions (software, tools, licenses, etc.) and development of digital business models, which may include digitalization of sales and procurement channels;
  • Capacity building of the management and employees for the application of new technologies;
  • Improvement of the productivity and efficiency of production and/or business processes;
  • Reduction of the costs for production and operation;
  • Improvement of the efficiency when using resources;
  • Activities for reduction of the negative impact on the environment;
  • Significant improvement of the quality and addition of new or significantly improved features of the products and services as a result of changes in the supply and demand related to the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis (including standardization and certification);
  • Development of new sales channels and activities for entry or expansion on new markets – building a more stable and more sustainable network of suppliers.

  The list of activities is indefinite.

• • Gross salaries for the employees at the applicant who will be engaged in the project. The amounts of gross salaries of the employees engaged in the project should correspond to the established practices of the beneficiary before the start of the project, reduced by the amount of potential state subsidy received on the basis of salary;
  • Costs for technical support (expertise), costs for contractual services for research, development, digitalization (e.g. testing, laboratory services, etc.);
  • Costs for procurement and renting of equipment, software, information technology tools, raw materials and consumables, directly related to the project implementation;
  • Costs related to the implementation of the technological development plan of the applicant;
  • Other operating costs directly related to the project implementation, except those not eligible for financing through this Instrument.

  Only the costs incurred during the project in accordance with the approved project budget and realized by the end of the project are eligible for financing.

  When allocating the budget per quarters, the applicant should take into account the balance in the distribution of the budget, i.e. the amount for each separate quarter should not differ from the other quarters by more than 30% (thirty percent).

• • Technological progress and digitalization level;
  • Project quality;
  • Project team capacity;
  • Impact.

  The criteria and sub-criteria for project evaluation are listed in the form – Evaluation table.

   

The duration of the project can last up to 18 (eighteen) months.

Total budget in the amount of EUR 6,000,000.00 (six million Euros) in MKD equivalence is provided for financing projects under the Public Call for this particular Instrument.

You can download all application forms by clicking on the “Download Documentation” button.

The application forms listed below should be properly filled in, signed and stamped:

• Project application form;
• Project budget form;
• Statement of the applicant for acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Fund;
• Notarized Statement for ownership – founding structure of the applicant; and
• CVs of the people who constitute the project team engaged in the project (maximum for 5 (five) people).

1. The project application, project budget and the CVs should be completed in Macedonian and English language and should be attached in PDF format to the application form by clicking on the “Apply” button.

The rest of the documentation should be submitted only in Macedonian language.

Until 15.06.2022, by 16.00 hrs.

Should you have any additional questions, write to us at zabrzanrast2@fitr.mk