Practical Information and Guidance to Applicants

Green Industry Innovation Poland

Launching seminar, Poznan, 26th February 2014

Mr. Magnar Ødelien, Innovation Norway

Agenda outline

• Programme web-site

Roles and responsibilities

Bilateral relations / How to find a partner

Essential reading /Important documents

Project assessment and methodology

How to apply / Application Portal

The Project Contract

www.norwaygrants-greeninnovation.no• Main information channel

• One general «landing» page:Information about the programme area Green Industry Innovation, bilateral relations and other common issues

Select the specific page for Green Industry Innovation Poland (PL flag)

All relevant information and Programme documents

Roles and responsibilities

- Innovation Norway – fund manager – overall responsible towards the donor (financier)

- The National Focal Point – no formal responsibility (consultation/advice/coordination)

- Project Promoter (applicant) fully responsible towards Innovation Norway

- Project Partner responsible to fullfil their tasks towards Project Promoter (Partnership Agreement)

Bilateral relations/How to find a partner?

- Donor partnership projects encouragedPolish applicant – Norwegian partnerJoint projects – plan and implement together

Long-term cooperation, beyond project lifetime

- Enterprise Europe NetworkPartnership Request Form

- Polish Chamber of Commerce- NPCC – Norwegian-Polish Chamber of Commerce- The Norwegian Trade Portal – www.nortrade.com

Essential reading / important documents

Call for Project Proposals

Rules and Procedures

Standard Terms andConditions

State Aid Regulations Reg. EC 800/2008

Assessment criteria andmethodology

Eligibility criteria - Promoter and Partner

- Applicant – legal entity in Poland- Partner – Independent entities (no legal bindings) - In operation for at least one fiscal year - Clean criminal and tax records- Financial capacity (co-financing)- Signed Partnership Agreement (draft)- Applicant’s/Partner’s main activities closely linked to the area for which the application is made

Eligibility criteria – Projects

Relevance, contribute to:- overall objectives of Norway Grants- objectives of Green Industry Innovation Progr.- expected programme outcome for Poland

- No overlapping or double funding - Compliance with grant min./max. amounts and co-financing- Implementation period: max. 28 months

Compliance with EU and Polish legislation

Eligibility criteria – expenses

- In line with the state aid provisionsDepend on type of projects and activities

- Eligibility dates: from approval of project until 30 April 2017

- Normally only new equipment/machinery

- Normally only 10% of project cost can be buildings/land

Project co-financing and Disbursement

- Applicant’s co-financing: Cash – internal resources or bank loan Man-hours (= cash), No in-kind.

- Disbursement of grants: Advance payment: 10-20% of approved grant Reimbursement of accrued expenses Interim Reporting/payment claims Currency: EURO

State aid

EU and EEA: state subsidies should not distort competition, but

General Block Exemption Regulation (800/2008)

- research, development and innovation- Aid for environmental protection- Regional aid (25-50% + possible bonus for SMEs)

- De minimis

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/overview/index_en.html

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State aid - Application of the rules

- Part of the rules and procedures, standard terms and, if needed, special conditions in the project contract

- Travel support will be awarded as de minimis

- SME- and de minimis-declarations will be required

Green Industry Innovation Programme Poland

Relevant State Aid categories

- Regional Aid – maximum grant rate 50% plus 20% bonus for small enterprises or 10 % bonus for medium sized enterprises.

- Research and Development and Innovation, experimental development – maximum grant rate of 25% plus SME bonuses and collaboration bonus of 15% under certain conditions.

Green Industry Innovation Programme Poland

Relevant State Aid categories –cont.

- Aid for environmental protection – maximum grant rate of 35% plus SME bonuses.

- Aid for training – specific training 25%, general training 60% plus SME bonuses.

- Aid for consultancy in favour of SMEs- maximum grant rate of 50%.

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Public procurement

- In compliance with the Regulation on Norway Grants- Polish legislation implementing EU-legislation- Special conditions in the project contracts

- The purpose is to ensure transparency and «best value for money»

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Starting point: A Project Promoter that receives 50 per cent public funding or more of the eligible expenditures of the project shall conduct its procurement for that project in compliance with the national public procurement law as though the Project Promoter were a contracting authority Polish national thresholds will decide

Assessment

Organised by Innovation Norway

Internal and external experts

20 criteria

Scoring 1-6 points per criteria

20 assessment criteria (weighted)

30%

• Project maturity, releasing effect, relevance/impact

• Criteria selected: 1 to 3

25%

• Implementation capacity (HR/techical/financial)

• Criteria selected: 4 to 11

20%

• Bilateral relations• Criteria selected: 12 and 13

15%

• Risk, compliance with strategies, sustainability

• Criteria selected: 14 to 16

10%

• Publicity, CSR, cross-cutting issues, socio-economic

• Criteria selected: 17 to 20

A special vocabulary

Expected OUTCOME of the project:the likely short-term and medium effect

OUTPUT:project deliverables (products, goods,

services)

INDICATORS: How do we verify success?A tool to verify whether or not the project is

achieving its expected outcome and outputs

Environmental performance (quantitative/qualitative)

Electronic ApplicationForm

Available at the websitewww.norwaygrants-greeninnovation.no

All mandatory attachmentsand supporting documentsto be submitted inelectronic versions ONLY

Mandatory attachments to the Application Form

- Project Implementation Plan (PIP) – template – English

- Detailed Activity Based Budget – template – English

- Disbursement Plan (DP) – template – English

- Procurement Plan – template – English

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Attachments cont.

- Letter of Committment (also for partner) – template – English

- Publicity Plan (Publicity Guidelines on Programme web-site) - English

- Relevant registration certificate – Polish(an excerpt either from KRS or from the CEIDG register)

(For Norwegian Partners –available from public sources)

- Clean criminal and tax record (self declaration)

Attachments cont.

- Partnership Agreement (if applicable) – template – English

- CV’s for Project Management Team - English (Manager, financial and technical/technological)

- Project Document/Business Plan – English

- Certified annual accounts of the applicant - PolishBalance sheet and profit & loss statements for 2011 and

2012 (For Norwegian partners – available from public sources)

The Project Contract

Grant Offer Letter

Standard Terms andConditions

Detailed Activity Budget

Project Implementation Plan

Disbursement Plan

Thank you for your patience

Good luck with project preparations and applications

Questions to: poland@norwaygrants-greeninnovation.no