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Innovation voucher for Seal of Excellence projects
Published on 29 August 2018
![Country flag flag](/themes/custom/interreg/images/flags/it.png)
Italy
Lombardia
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
“Seal of excellence” initiative: innovation vouchers to support local companies, not funded by SME Instrument (Ph. 1), to scale up their innovation projects
Resources needed
c.a. 800.000 € (total budget of SoE Phase 1).The regional resources available can’t be equal to EU ones. An option for the companies awarded with SeO Phase 2 could be a revolving fund in line with S3 and state aid rules and loans up to 1,5 mill (interest rate 0,5 and 7 ys reimbursement plan).
Evidence of success
In Lombardy more than 80 companies received SeO in Phase 2, demonstrating that there are many excellent projects, with a consolidated business plan, a high potential commercial impact and all relevant conditions to increase companies’ internationalization.
These elements in addition to the optimal results achieved in the 2 voucher editions for SeO Phase 1 companies (37 cases supported through R&I Call and 20 supported through Innodriver call) stimulated the evaluation of similar support measure
These elements in addition to the optimal results achieved in the 2 voucher editions for SeO Phase 1 companies (37 cases supported through R&I Call and 20 supported through Innodriver call) stimulated the evaluation of similar support measure
Potential for learning or transfer
The best practice developed by Region Lombardy demonstrated that the ERDF funds can integrate with H2020 support, offering local companies the chance to go further in their innovation development and commercialisation.
SeO is in fact a strategic tool to recognise quality projects and to support them if the available budget is not enough and the proposed methodology can be easily managed as there is no further evaluation. Even in Phase 2, the SeO could represent the quality measure to identify the most interesting and promising projects and therefore, invest funds for their development. The support measure can’t be a voucher with a fixed amount (as for Phase 1) as the project’s budget is much higher and the regional funds are limited to support possible request. The alternative has to be a different model of intervention that help the company getting financial support for project scale up (such as a loan or the intermediation of VCs).
SeO is in fact a strategic tool to recognise quality projects and to support them if the available budget is not enough and the proposed methodology can be easily managed as there is no further evaluation. Even in Phase 2, the SeO could represent the quality measure to identify the most interesting and promising projects and therefore, invest funds for their development. The support measure can’t be a voucher with a fixed amount (as for Phase 1) as the project’s budget is much higher and the regional funds are limited to support possible request. The alternative has to be a different model of intervention that help the company getting financial support for project scale up (such as a loan or the intermediation of VCs).
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
Organisation
Lombardy region
![Country flag flag](/themes/custom/interreg/images/flags/it.png)
Italy
Lombardia
Contact
Project Manager