Do you have an SME and want to boost its digitization by collaborating with a start-up? In that case, the subsidies of Activa Startups are exactly what you need to achieve it. Find out more about these aids by reading our post.
Start-ups can do a lot for SMEs in terms of digital transformation and sustainability. That is why initiatives such as the program that we analyze here represent a powerful impulse to make this type of synergy a reality. Are you still not taking advantage of it?
What is the Activa Startups program?
Activa Startups is a program belonging to the National Strategy of Connected Industry 4.0 that provides for subsidies of up to 40,000 euros. With them, it is sought to encourage SMEs to overcome innovation challenges through their collaboration with emerging companies. This initiative has been launched by the School of Industrial Organization (EOI), an organization under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
These calls will be endowed with an investment amounting to 44 million euros. These funds are intended to help 11,100 SMEs before the end of 2023.
The economic endowment of this aid to start-ups and SMEs comes from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (whose overall endowment is 101 million euros). This plan belongs to the Next Generation-EU funds: a program created by the European Union in response to the economic crisis unleashed by the pandemic.
Each of the calls will determine the specific geographical area where it will be implemented. You can consult the regulatory bases of this program in the BOE (Order ICT/1426/2021, of December 14).
What kind of actions does Activa Startups finance?
What is sought with this aid to start-ups is to promote growth and business competitiveness through digitization. To this end, the Activa Startups program subsidizes projects capable of innovating in some of the following fields:
- Digital transformation.
- Development and integration of emerging technologies.
- Evolution towards a decarbonized economy.
- Implementation of the circular economy in the business business model.
This program plans to finance a wide range of actions. Thus, its scope ranges from projects that manage to innovate by solving technological challenges to advisory and training actions in such areas. Likewise, it will subsidize actions of adaptation, testing and customization of various technologies (e.g.: manufacture of prototypes).
Who can apply for this grant?
Activa Startups is aimed at both SMEs and start-ups and is articulated through three types of calls:
- SMEs: the program finances small and medium-sized enterprises so that they can face the hiring of the start-up that will help them face technological challenges.
- Start-ups: the program subsidizes start-ups so that they can face the costs directly related to their task of solving the innovation challenges assigned to them.
- Consortiums (pyme-start-up): in this case, economic aid is granted to the pre-constituted union between the emerging company and the SME to solve the technological challenge. To be a beneficiary, this consortium must meet the requirements required by the call (such as having a single representative or proxy).
Who are beneficiaries for the purposes of the Activa Startups program?
SMEs are considered to be those companies with a workforce of less than 250 workers and an annual turnover of less than 50 million euros or an annual balance sheet of less than 43 million euros. This concept includes associations, cooperatives and other social entities.
Newly created companies are considered start-ups. Therefore, at the time of applying for the subsidy, no more than 5 years must have passed since their registration in the commercial registry; this period is extended to 7 years in the case of biotechnology, industrial or energy companies. In addition, they must comply with the other requirements established in art. 1.2 of the call.
How to apply for Activa Startups grants
- Select the call corresponding to your autonomous community. You can learn about its publication through various information channels (press releases, BOE, RR. SS., etc.).
- Fill out the application form.
- Attach the descriptive report of the innovation project.
- Attach the documents required in article 15 of the call for Activa Startups. Remember that the documentation must be issued by the competent official body or, if applicable, signed by means of a digital certificate.
The EOI Foundation’s Grants Selection Commission will evaluate your application in accordance with the evaluation criteria established in article 19 of the call. Its final resolution will be published at the electronic headquarters of that organization.
Undoubtedly, the help from Activa Startups will give your company the boost it needs to take advantage of all the advantages that digitization brings. At Acceleralia we help you successfully implement these technologies through training and personalized virtual spaces. If you are looking to finance your project, do not hesitate to contact us today to start working together on identifying the right financing program for you. We are here to help you every step of the way!
