MEASURE FACT SHEET

Supports investment projects aiming at the creation of technological added value by the national business structures, through the establishment of R&TD (Research and Technological Development) clusters within enterprises.

A R&TD cluster is a small, permanent team of three members at the most, exclusively dedicated to local development of technological competences within the enterprise; the team activities are founded on project-based activity plans, which lead to new products, processes or systems, or induce significant improvements in the existing products, processes or systems, with an effective technology incorporation.

Goals 

• To create R&TD internal competences within enterprises, as well as to foster their willingness to carry on such activities;
• To reward the efforts developed by enterprises, either at design and implementation level, or at knowledge development level;
• To favour an effective assertiveness of national firms through the offer of technologically innovative products.

Beneficiaries

Companies.

Activity Sectors

Industry, energy, building industry, tourism, commerce and services.

Eligibility Requirements

For the Promoter

• To be legally established and registered, under the terms of the legislation in force;
• To fulfil the legal conditions required to carry out business activities, namely having been granted all the necessary licenses, when applicable;
• To have fulfilled all obligations related to taxes and social security, and towards the paying agencies responsible for the incentive;
• To have an organised accounting system, according to the National Accounting Plan;
• To fulfil any other legal mandatory provisions specific for the relevant activity sector, when applicable;
• To assume the commitment of allocating the investment to be granted to the relevant activity and to the geographical location defined in the application, for a minimum period of five years, starting from the date of the incentive’s approval;
• To prove having a balanced economic and financial situation, to be verified by the fulfilment of economic and financial ratios (Annex B to the Regulation);
• To have the technical and management capabilities adequate to the requirements of the projects to be implemented by the R&TD team, within the scope of the corresponding activity plan, or to prove that those capabilities will be acquired through the cooperation with entities from the National Scientific and Technological System (SCTN);
• To have an adequate control system for the analysis and follow-up of projects to be developed by the R&TD team;
• Not having a R&TD team or department.

For the R&TD team

• To have an activity plan structured in one or several R&TD projects, according to the standard model integrated in the application form;
• To be included in the abovementioned activity plan, with a minimum duration of two years from the beginning of its implementation;
• To be proposed for financing before the beginning of the implementation of the activity plan to which it is related;
• To prove that the corresponding investment financing sources are guaranteed.

Elegible Expenses

Recruitment of technical staff for the promoter, whenever these are assigned to permanent research and development activities;

• Software and computer equipment for technical and administrative support;
• Bibliography and access to technical databases;
• Technology transfer or purchase contracts, which are translated into an effective local development by the cluster;
• Intervention of certified public accountants or chartered accountants, to verify the financial implementation of the activity plan.

Non-Eligible Expenses

• Second-hand goods purchase;
• Bank loan interests;
• Tax-related expenses;
• Work developed by the enterprise for itself.

Selection Criteria

The projects will be selected through the evaluation of the corresponding activity plans, and classified according to their value (V), estimated according to the following formula:

V = 0,7A + 0,3B

In which A and B correspond to the following selection criteria:

A – positive impact of the results of the R&TD team activities on the enterprise’s productivity and competitiveness;

B – technical and management capabilities of the promoter, adequate to the subsequent exploitation, with economic benefits, of the knowledge, products, processes and/or systems resulting from the activity developed.

Criteria’s scoring is achieved according to the following grades:

• 1 = Weak;
• 2 = Medium; 
• 3 = Strong; 
• 4 = Very strong.

Applications scoring “weak” in at least one criterion or having a value lesser than 2,5 shall not be deemed eligible.

Incentive

Support shall be granted as a non-refundable incentive with a base rate of 30% of the eligible expenses.

This rate may be increased by the following surcharges:

• "Territorial de-localization", to be granted to R&TD clusters located outside LVT (Lisboa and Vale do Tejo)  NUTS II (......)  - 10 p.p.
• "Type of enterprise", to be granted to SME R&TD clusters - 10 p.p.
• "Type of promoter", to be granted to R&TD clusters projects, when their implementation involves the participation of entities from the NSTS (National Scientific and Technological System) in the foreseen R&TD activities, provided that this participation accounts for at least 5% of the total amount of the eligible expenses - 10 p.p.

The total amount of the granted incentive cannot exceed €200.000.

The base rate plus the abovementioned surcharges cannot exceed 50% of the eligible expenses.

Application Submission

Applications to this Measure are now suspended (Ministerial Order no. 19624-B/2006, of 25 September). 

Body in Charge

Coordinating Body

AdI - Agency for Innovation

Geographical Area

Mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions.

This information does not dispense with consulting the legislation.

Updated on November 2006.