National Calls and Structural Funds of the European Union 2021-2027.

The maximum funding per project is 400,000 euros per company and 2,200,000 euros for business networks or consortia.

Most companies in Italy have never received a grant.

It seems evident that the causes of this poor approach to “state aid” lie in the lack of knowledge and fear of being in over their head, probably caused by the complicated terminology that one is not used to, such as “Facilitated finance” or the like.

In reality, by putting the proper steps in the administrative procedure concerning “aid,” it is possible to obtain non-repayable contributions even at five or six figures. And the money comes!

Why rely on a Law Firm?

You have to participate in a tender. The assistance and advice found in other firms (of accountants or brokerage agencies) do not have the pulse of the legal and law-case aspects concerning financial aid.

Nevertheless, a subsidy application is submitted within a deadline, not as a pure attempt—no counterfactual scenario is admitted!

You can later integrate into the aid-granting procedure additional documentation. But you can never lack your qualifications related to aid-application submission requisites.

Calls can fund many sectors of producing goods and services, companies or individuals, as is well known, but they have common elements that apply to everyone.

The European Union has allocated over 74 billion euros for 2021-2027.

And over 47 billion euros have been assigned to the southern regions of Italy.

The approach to state aid is necessarily multidisciplinary and has nothing to do with a professional specialization. There is no register of state aid specialists.

Therefore, the expiry deadline for applying for subsidies is the least of the problems when you want to obtain a grant or other type of funding.

A process involves at the least:

1. “risk management;“
2. “compliance;“
3. and “network management.

The legal aspects are never negligible.

Trying to obtain a State subsidy protected by rules and precautions to prevent unjustified enrichments and applications lacking the required requisites makes it rigorous!

The state contribution is not a gift, whatever the form and conditions.

It falls within the broader economic planning that the Public Decision-maker has devised for collective rather than individualistic purposes.

Showing admission requisites to the subsidy in Italy puts aspiring companies or individuals in the condition of demonstrating their eligibility through compliance with the rules. A compliance check that necessarily precedes the submission of the application.

Banks can play another small part in the administrative procedure that leads to the granting of funds, although not all are willing to put the client’s interest first.

Aid to the internationalization programs of Small and Medium Enterprises.

The financial aid supports projects:

1. for internationalization;
2. functional to the enhancement of the competitiveness of the corporate offer system abroad;
3. carried out through marketing projects abroad and industrial collaboration with foreign partners (such as partnerships, joint ventures, and exploitation of patents and technologies);
4. which can provide research services for foreign partners for the definition of investment projects;
5. or industrial collaboration agreements to be carried out abroad;
6. feasibility studies connected with the economic-financial, fiscal, legal contract, and design/engineering of products/processes related to investment projects;
7. or industrial partnerships to be carried out abroad;
8. technical assistance and tutoring services to the company in the various stages of implementation and monitoring of the internationalization program;
9. for international marketing, aimed at ensuring the stable presence of the company in foreign markets;
10. which can provide qualified consultancy assistance for the implementation of actions in the field functional to the structuring of its offer on foreign markets;
11. the introduction of new products and brands in frequented foreign markets ;
12. or the inclusion of products and brands in new foreign markets;
13. planning and coordinating promotional and communication initiatives (also through collective brand creation and launch);
14. for participation in trade fairs exclusively related to a company’s involvement in a single fair or exhibition, in Italy or abroad, of particular international importance.

Who can participate?

1. Single small and medium-sized businesses;
2. Small and medium-sized concerns with operational headquarters in the place in the announcement;
3. whose legal form was set up as a “network contract” and has acquired legal subjectivity;
4. The network must identify in detail its constitutional purpose and have a network program containing an indication of the rights and obligations assumed by each participant in the network and how to achieve the common goal;
5. consortia, with external activity and small and medium-sized enterprises consortium companies, also in the form of cooperatives, with operational headquarters in the place set out in the announcement, can participate in the call.

What does it finance?

1. Expenses for specialist consultancy services aimed at developing the international promotion project, including:

• planning;
• organization;
• and implementation of specific promotional actions in the reference foreign markets;
• research and identification of potential foreign partners;
• analysis and reorganization of the corporate structure;
• and procedures for internationalization;
• analysis and evaluation of joint ventures or commercial or industrial collaboration agreements, including in the field of innovation, research, and international technology transfer;
• international legal, tax, and contractual assistance services, referring exclusively to the target countries of the global promotion subsidized project;
• the “export manager” external costs, whether a temporary manager or a shared manager in the case of networks or consortia:

That manager must dedicate to:

a) conducting;

b) coordinating;

c)and managing the international promotion project exclusively;

d) and to develop even in the target countries, up to a maximum of € 100,000.00.

2. Expenses for specialist consultancy services relating to:

• feasibility studies;
• analyses for establishing and managing foreign investments functional to the establishment of sales, quality control, certification service centers, after-sales assistance, distribution, or logistics for the bidding system.

3. Expenses for participation in specialized trade fairs of particular international importance.

4. Costs for participation in a promotional exhibition included in an international event/exhibition.

Author: Communications Office of the “Italynlaw,” Law Firm.

Image 5: Motto “No gains without pains.”

Source: Italynlaw.

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