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 encouraged
Polish applicant – Norwegian partner
Joint projects – plan and implement together
Long-term cooperation, beyond project lifetime
- Enterprise Europe Network
Partnership 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 and
Conditions
State Aid Regulations Reg. EC 800/2008
Assessment criteria and
methodology
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 provisions
Depend 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
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
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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%.
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
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Assessment
Organised by Innovation Norway
Internal and external experts
20 criteria
Scoring 1-6 points per criteria
20 assessment criteria (weighted)
30%
25%
20%
• Project maturity, releasing
effect, relevance/impact
• Criteria selected: 1 to 3
• Implementation capacity
(HR/techical/financial)
• Criteria selected: 4 to 11
• 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 Application
Form
Available at the website
www.norwaygrants-greeninnovation.no
All mandatory attachments
and supporting documents
to be submitted in
electronic 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
-
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 - Polish
Balance sheet and profit & loss statements for 2011 and 2012
(For Norwegian partners – available from public sources)
The Project Contract
Grant Offer Letter
Standard Terms and
Conditions
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