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Call announcement for proposals under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 Programme ‘Business Development, Innovation and SMEs’ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) focus area

Valid till

12-02-2021

1.

General informatiom

1.1.

Name of the Call

Call announcement for proposals under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 Programme ‘Business Development, Innovation and SMEs’ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) focus area

1.2.

Call number

LT07-1-EIM-K02

1.3.

Objective of the Call

To boost competitiveness of Lithuanian enterprises within Information and Communication Technology (ICT) focus area. 

1.4.

Legal framework 

1.4.1. Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme 2014-2021  ‘Business Development, Innovation and SMEs‘ Call for Proposals Under Green Industry Innovation (including bioeconomy) focus area (hereafter - the Call);

1.4.2. Regulation on the implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021

1.4.3. Guidelines adopted by the NFMA in accordance with the Regulation;

1.4.4. Rules on Administration and Financing of European Economic Area and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2014-2021,  approved by the Order on implementation of 2014-2021 European Economic Area and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms in Lithuania of Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania by 12 November 2018 Order No. 1K-389 (LT);

1.4.5. Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty;

1.4.6. Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid".

2.

Requirements for applicants

2.1.

Eligible applicans

2.1.1. Eligible applicants under the Call are SMEs and large enterprises, which are private legal entities established in one of the EU Member states or EEA EFTA states. If an applicant is a large entity, public ownership can constitute no more than 25%.

2.1.2. Under the Small Grant Scheme (hereinafter-SGS1) and for the activity Application of new products/ technologies(see subparagraph 13.3 of the Call) eligible applicants are SMEs.

2.1.3. A private legal entity established in one of the EU Member states or EEA EFTA states whose project has been approved for funding shall be established as a legal person in Lithuania no later than the date of project contract signing. 

2.1.4. Eligible partner – any public or private legal entity, commercial or non-commercial, and non-governmental organisations, established as a legal person in Lithuania or Norway. 
Partnership is not compulsory, which means that projects can be implemented without any partners. Nevertheless, bilateral projects are highly encouraged, and projects implemented together with a partner(s) from Norway will score additional points during assessment of an application. 

3.

Requirement for projects

3.1.

Eligible activities

3.1.1. The Call will support development, commercialisation and application of ICT products and technologies used to handle information and aid communication in all industry sectors:

3.1.1.1. Development of new ICT products/ technologies.:

3.1.1.1.1. Funding under the Call will be provided for projects aiming at development of new ICT products and technologies, which have a potential to enhance performance across different business sectors, economies and societies. For example, information and communication devices, high-speed computing, large-capacity information analysis, imaging and sound technology, solutions related to such areas as cyber-security, Internet of Things, GDPR, artificial intelligence or a Human-centric Digital Age.

3.1.1.2. Application of new ICT products/ technologies:

3.1.1.2.1. Funding will be provided for introduction  (application) of new technological solutions, including digital tools, in Lithuanian entities. This activity shall be implemented as a part of a more complex project, i.e. together with the activity indicated in 3.1.1.1. Application shall correspond to a definition of initial investment, presented in Article 2 (49) of State Aid Regulation, i.e. an investment in tangible and intangible assets related to extension of the capacity of an existing establishment, diversification of the output of an establishment into products not previously produced in the establishment or a fundamental change in the overall production process of an existing establishment. 

Commercialisation and application activities shall be implemented as a part of a more complex project, i.e. together with the activity – Development of new ICT products/ technologies.

3.2.

Duration of  project activities 

Implementation of a project shall not start earlier than the date on which MITA decides to award a grant to a project. A day after MITA decision to award a grant to a project is considered to mark the beginning of a project. If project activities are commenced to be implemented before a day on which MITA makes a decision to grant funding to a project, the whole project becomes ineligible and no funding shall be allocated for it. The final date of implementation of project activities (final date for eligible expenditure) shall not be later than 30 April 2024.

3.3.

Other requirements

 

3.3.1. All projects shall contribute to the outcome of the Programme: Increased competitiveness of Lithuanian companies within the focus areas Green Industry Innovation, including bio economy, and ICT and shall deliver the expected outcome indicators referred to in paragraphs 30 to 34 of the Call. 

3.3.2. All projects involving Donor State Partners shall contribute to the bilateral outcome of the Programme: Enhanced collaboration between beneficiary and donor state entities involved in the programme.

3.3.3.  Project activities (or the major part thereof) shall be implemented physically within the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.

3.3.3.1. If this is not possible due to the specifics of a project and the nature of activities, and activity(ies) is (are) carried out beyond the boundaries of the Republic of Lithuania, then the results, products and benefit (or in case it is possible to separate a portion thereof pro rata to the financial contribution) must be used in activities of a Project promoter and/or partner (s) in the Republic of Lithuania.

3.3.3.2. Project activity - Application of new products/ technologies shall be implemented physically within the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.

3.3.4.  A duration of a project shall not be longer that 36 months from the date a project contract is signed. A duration of a project under SGS1 shall not be longer than 18 months.

3.3.5. Implementation of project activities shall start no later than within 3 months from the day a project contract is signed.

3.3.6. To prove project readiness a business plan will have to be submitted. If the requirement is not fulfilled and a business plan is not submitted together with an application, such application will be rejected without request to revise an application and provide supplementary documents. If a business plan is not drafted according to the recommended template, it shall contain all the information indicated in the recommended template.

3.3.7. All projects shall be drafted in accordance with the principles of good governance (the possibilities of socially or otherwise isolated or differentiated groups of the society to enjoy the same rights), sustainable development (alignment of the objectives of economic and social development and environmental protection, having regard to the multiple interdependence and foreseen consequences of the implementation) and gender equality (assurance of equal opportunities for women and men and elimination of any discrimination on the basis of ethnic or racial dependence, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief). The impact of the project on these principles may not be negative. The project must promote implementation of the principle of sustainable development.

3.3.8. A project and project activities shall not be previously or presently funded and, upon the allocation of the funding, submitted for funding under any other programmes financed from the State budget, the European Union or any other international assistance if this results in the eligible expenditure of the project or any part thereof being funded several times, including de minimis aid.

4.

Eligible expenditure and requirements for funding

4.1.

Eligible expenditure 

4.1.1. Costs are eligible in accordance with Chapter 8 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021. 

4.1.2. For more detailed information see article 4 of the Call for Proposals Under Green Industry Innovation (Including Bioeconomy) Focus Area.

4.2.

Types of eligible expenditure

4.2.1. tangible assets;

4.2.2. goods (current assets) and services;

4.2.3. travel and subsistence allowances (not eligible for projects which implement activities for Application of new products/ technologies);

4.2.4. the cost of staff assigned to the project ((not eligible for projects which implement activities for Application of new products/ technologies);

4.2.5. indirect costs.

4.3.

The maximum amount of eligible direct expenditure, according to project activities

The maximum aid intensity for a project is determined on the basis of Chapter 4 of the Call.

4.4.

Eligible indirect costs

Indirect costs are all eligible costs that cannot be identified by the Project Promoter and/or the project partner as being directly attributed to the project but which can be identified and justified by its accounting system as being incurred in direct relationship with the eligible direct costs attributed to the project. Indirect costs can be identified following one of the methods decribed in the paragraph 7.3 of the Table 2 of the Call.

4.5.

Maximum amount of grant assistance

The maximum grant amount for a project shall be determined following the provisions stipulated in the Chapter 4 Article 2 of teh Call.

4.6.

Form of funding

The funding under the Call is available in the form of a non-repayable grant.

4.7.

The total available funding amount under the Call

4.7.1. € 4 000 000 will be allocated under the Main Scheme, i.e. for projects applying for the grant assistance from € 200 000  to € 1 000 000.

4.7.2. € 1 500 000 will be allocated under the Small Grant Scheme, i.e. for projects applying for the grant assistance from € 10 000 to € 200 000.

5.

Submission of applications and selection of projects

5.1.

Deadline for submission of applications

12 February 2021 at 23:59 (GMT+2)

5.2.

Submission of applications

5.2.1. Applications, together with mandatory supplementary documents, are filled in and submitted online:
5.2.1.1. If an applicant is a private entity registered in Lithuania - directly online via an electronic data exchange portal DMS for 2014-2021 European Economic Area and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms;
DMS instructions, currently available in Lithuanian: 

Login to DMS

Preparation and submission of the application 

Video on how to fill out an application via DMS

5.2.1.2. If an applicant is a private entity registered as a legal person in one of the EU Member states or EEA EFTA states – via the electronic system administered by MITA.

5.3.

Mandatory documents to be submitted with an application

5.3.1. Mandatory documents:

5.3.1.1. a business plan and a financial plan;

5.3.1.2. a detailed activity budget of an Applicant. If a project is implemented together with a partner, a detailed activity budget of a partner shall also be provided;

5.3.1.3. documents supporting validity of a project budget (for example, commercial offers, links to market prices, etc.);

5.3.1.3. documents supporting validity of a project budget (for example, commercial offers, links to market prices, etc.);

5.3.1.4. documents supporting capacity of an Applicant and a partner to cover financial contribution to a project and ineligible expenses (e. g. statement from a bank or credit institution, legal entity, shareholders, on their intention to provide a loan for a project, loan agreement or similar document);

5.3.1.5. a copy of relevant registration certificates (applicable for Applicants registered in one of the EU states (excluding Lithuania) or EFTA state);

5.3.1.6. a copy of the last approved annual financial statement (for Lithuanian applicants applicable only if financial reports were not submitted to the State Enterprise Centre of Registers);

5.3.1.7. an approved annual report for year 2019 in English (applicable for Applicants registered in one of the EU states (excluding Lithuania) or EFTA state); 

5.3.1.8. Declaration of a Legal Status of a SME, filled in by an Applicant and a partner (if a project is implemented together with a partner):

5.3.1.8.1. For Applicants and partners registered in Lithuania - the form, which was approved by the Order of the Minister of Economy „On Approval of Procedures for Declaration of a Legal Status of a Small and Medium-Sized Entity and Approval of a Form for Declaration of a Legal Status of a Small and Medium-Sized Entity”, Order No. 4-119 of 26 March 2008; 

5.3.1.8.2. For Applicants registered in one of the EU states (excluding Lithuania) or EFTA states and Norwegian partners - the European Commission SME declaration form

5.3.1.9. Declaration of a Single Undertaking (applicable if an Applicant is registered in Lithuania); 

5.3.1.10. communication plan

5.3.1.11. information required to assess the compliance of the project with the requirements of the call and the project criteria (Annex 4);

5.3.2. Optional documents:

5.3.2.1. a Draft Partnership Agreement, if a project is implemented together with a partner; 

5.3.2.2. a questionnaire on eligibility of VAT, if an Applicant who is registered in Lithuania asks for VAT to be recognized as eligible expenditure, i. e. includes this expenditure into a project budget;

5.3.2.3.  a copy (-ies) of a report(-s) on expenses incurred in relation to R&D activities, submitted to the statistical authority for the period of last three years preceding a date on which an application is registered by MITA or since the date of registration of an entity (if an entity has been active for less than three years) and a copy (-ies) of a document supporting submission of a report on expenses incurred in relation to R&D activities for the statistical authority (i.e. an email or any other source of information verifying the fact of submission);

5.3.2.4. an Applicant certifies conformity with the requirement stated in State Aid Regulation paragraph 16 of Article 14 (if the activity specified in subparagraph 13.3 of the Call is to be implemented), prepared in a free format declaration.

5.4.

Project evaluation

5.4.1. Projects selection will be based on competition. Projects under the Programme will be selected via single stage calls for proposals.

5.4.2. Projects are evaluated by giving points for selection criteria.

5.4.3. All projects have to comply with eligibility and administrative criteria.

5.4.4. A complete list of selection, eligibility and administrative criteria are presented in the Annexes to the Call.

6.

Other information

6.1.

Contacts for enquiries

Norway Grants group, [email protected]

Phone: (+370) 604 77086, +370 604 78935.

7.

Important

  Guidance on indicators  Guidance document for projects financed under the call
  Guidelines for communication

Guidelines for preparing a communication plan

 

General T&C

General Terms and Conditions