Business Innovation

News - may 2024

Low Density and Other Territories

The SICE Business Innovation - Low Density Territories (BD) and Other Territories (OT) call, which was available last year, is open again.

What changes?

Increase in the minimum amount of expenses to 300 thousand euros;
Significant increase in the budget: BD with + € 35M and OT with + € 65M;
Possibility of rates of up to 60% in the Alto Alentejo and Beiras and Serra da Estrela areas;
Beneficiaries of the last call can submit an application in the same establishment as long as it targets investments other than those supported;
Updated de minimis limits to 300 thousand euros over 3 years per single company.

SICE Innovation is a call for proposals under the Portugal 2030 program that provides 500 million euros to support individual productive investment operations in innovative activities promoted by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The low-density territories (BD) defined by the Portugal 2020 CIC and other territories (OT) in the mainland's NUTS II regions (North, Center, Alentejo and Algarve) are eligible for these notices.

Budget:

Typologies of Operations: Operations of an innovative nature that result in tradable and internationalizable goods and services to with high added value and a level of national incorporation, corresponding an initial investment related to the following typologies, are eligible for support:

The creation of a new establishment;
Increasing the capacity of an existing establishment;
The diversification of an establishment's production into products not previously produced in the establishment;
A fundamental change in the overall production process of an existing establishment.

Maximum co-financing rate: 40%, except for operations located in the Alto Alentejo and Beiras e Serra da Estrela sub-regions: 50% for medium-sized enterprises and 60% for micro and small enterprises.

Eligible expenses:

Tangible assets, including the acquisition of machinery and equipment, costs directly attributable to placing them in the location and conditions necessary for their operation, as well as computer equipment, including the software necessary for its operation;
Intangible assets, including the transfer of technology through the acquisition of patent rights, licenses, technical knowledge not protected by patent and standard or specifically developed software;
Other expenses, including expenses for the intervention of an accountant; studies, diagnoses, audits; studies or reports in the context of alignment with the “Do No Significant Harm” Principle; marketing plans; architectural and engineering projects and services.

Period of application

The period of application begins on April 30, and the analysis and decision will be made according to the following phases: