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Last calls for Potential, Innovation and Application Programmes

In late August and early September, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced the long-awaited last calls within the Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness Operational Programme (OPEIC). These include calls to participate in programmes focusing on research and development activities and innovation in manufacturing – Potential, Application, and Innovation. Subsidy programmes are under certain conditions also available for large businesses.

The Potential Programme offers support to projects investing in the establishment or development of research, development and innovation centres; the Innovation Programme provides support to activities leading to the innovation of products and processes in manufacturing or relating to organisational and marketing innovation. The Application Programme helps cover operating expenses incurred to perform industrial research and experimental development activities. 

As before, large enterprises must again fulfil intervention codes 065 and 063. Specific requirements applicable to individual programmes are shown in the table below. For the sake of completeness, we also include a short summary of intervention codes:

  • Intervention code 065 – projects must have a significant positive effect on the environment, focusing on a low-carbon economy and resilience to climate change
  • Intervention code 063 – cooperation with small and medium-size businesses on specific research and development projects. 

Individual programmes’ detailed parameters are as follows:

Parameter

Potential

Application

Innovation

Application acceptance

4 Sept 2020 – 23 Nov 2020

14 Sept 2020 – 15 Dec 2020

15 Oct 2020 – 29 Jan 2021

Subsidy amount

CZK 2 – 50 mil

CZK 2 – 50 mil (for projects without efficient cooperation)
CZK 2 – 100 mil (projects carried out in efficient cooperation, CZ-NACE 30.3, intervention code 063 or 065)

CZK 1 – 75 mil

Level of support

50% of eligible costs 

25 – 65% of eligible costs*

25% of eligible costs

Eligible costs

- tangible and intangible fixed assets
- investment to buildings

- personnel expenses
- expenses incurred for tools, devices and equipment in form of depreciation
- contractual research expenses
- R&D advisory services
- additional overhead and other operating 

 

- structures, technologies
- software and data
- project documentation, rights to use intellectual property and certification of products for large businesses under the de-minimis regime

 

Participation criteria for large businesses

Fulfilling criteria of one of intervention codes: 065 or 063

Limited funds for allocation and a lower maximum subsidy amount available even without having fulfilled the intervention code criteria

Only projects meeting the 065 intervention code criteria

* depending on the activity being supported and the performance of a project with or without efficient cooperation.

All programmes must be carried out in the CR, excluding Prague. Applicants must have their beneficial owners registered in compliance with the Act on Certain Measures against Money Laundering and Financing Terrorism. Large enterprises may submit only one application per one applicant (corporate ID no.). Within the Application Programme, it is possible to apply for support for up to three projects if meeting certain selected criteria. 

Should you be interested, we will provide you with more detailed information on the programmes or assess the adequacy of the above programmes and other specific criteria for your planned activities.