Grants for projects awarded the seal of excellence – Provincial Law 6/2023

This incentive scheme supports businesses’ research and development projects, to be carried out within the Province of Trento, which have been awarded themark of excellence certifying their qualityno more than six months prior to the date of submission of the application (formerly ‘Aid to Businesses for Research and Development’, Chapter III – Provincial Law 6/99).
   

What is funded

Support is provided for research and development projects – including those carried out jointly with other entities – which have been awarded the mark of excellence attesting to their quality under the Horizon 2020 programme or the Horizon Europe programme, and which fall within the priority areas of interest orstrategic projectsdefined by the Multi-annual Research Programme (P.P.R.) referred to in Article 18 of Provincial Law No. 14/2005.

Research and development projects must relate to the following activities:

• industrial research;
• experimental development;
• feasibility studies.

Applications are assessed through an evaluation procedure.
   

Incentives

The incentive amount is equal to the funding granted by the European Commission for the initiative under the rules of the Horizon 2020 programme or the Horizon Europe programme. However, the incentive may not exceed 2.5 million euros per project and per beneficiary.

The incentive is granted under the exemption provided for in Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014.
   

Expenditure limits

There are no minimum or maximum expenditure limits.

Eligible projects must:

• be carried out within an operational unit located within the Province of Trento, which meetsspecific requirements (see point 3, paragraph 8, of the general provisions applicable to all projects);
• be commenced after the date of submission of the application to the European Commission and within 3 months of the date on which the grant is awarded;
• be completed within 3 years of the date on which the grant is awarded or, if later, the date on which the project commences.

Further obligations are set out in the general provisions common to all projects and in the specific provisions for individual projects relating to the ‘Aid for projects awarded the mark of excellence’ scheme. These include the obligations to maintain the operational unit within the province, employment and financial obligations, and the obligation to use the project’s results for productive purposes within the province.

Projects with eligible expenditure exceeding 1 million euros are also subject, for the purposes of granting the incentive, to the signing of an Agreement between the Province and the enterprise applying for the incentive. The Agreement sets out shared objectives and obligations regarding the development of the territory.

Small and medium-sized enterprises that meet the requirements set out in the specific provisions of the individual schemes relating to the ‘Aid for projects awarded the mark of excellence’scheme, or in the general provisions common to all schemes.  

Each business may submit an applicationbetween 1 January and 31 December each year; the application must be sent by the owner/legal representative or by their authorised representative to the assessing body - Provincial Agency for the Promotion of Economic Activities (APIAE) – via certified email (PEC) to the following address: apiae.incentivi@pec.provincia.tn.it.

• Insurance contract providing cover for damage directly caused by natural disasters and catastrophic events occurring within the national territory, to the property specified in paragraph 1 of Article 2424 of the Civil Code (Assets section, item B-II, numbers 1), 2) and 3)), pursuant to Law No. 213/2023 (Article 1, paragraphs 101 et seq., as amended by Article 13 of Decree-Law No. 202/2024 and by Article 1 of Decree-Law No. 39/2025), in accordance with the general provisions common to all measures under Provincial Law No. 6/2023 (point 3, paragraph 5, letter r)).

  An insurance policy is required asa condition of eligibility for applications submitted from:

  • 30 June 2025, forlarge enterprises;
  • 2 October 2025, formedium-sized enterprises;
  • 1 January 2026, forsmall enterprises.

  Compliance with the obligation to take out an insurance policy is also requiredfor incentive applications submitted before the aforementioned deadlines but approved after those dates.
     

• Inclusion ofthe unique project code - The CUPmust be included oninvoicesissued from 1 June 2023 and relating to incentive applications submitted from 22 April 2023, in accordance with the operational guidelines set outin Provincial Council Resolution No. 728 of 23 May 2024.
     

Check the FAQs under ‘Further information’.
   

• Preliminary investigation: the preliminary investigation begins on the day following the date on which the application is submitted. The decision to grant the incentive is taken within 90 days from the day following receipt of the application by the investigating body or, where the Agreement between the Province and the company applying for the incentive is to be signed, following the signing of the Agreement.
     
• Payment: The grant is paid by the investigating body following the submission of a statement of expenditure by the company applying for the grant and receipt of a declaration certifying compliance with the obligations and conditions to which the company is subject, which have now expired. For the purposes of payment, the assessing body shall also obtain the binding opinion of the Committee for Research and Innovation.