Managerial placement aid for internationalisation - ERDF Notice No. 2/2024

This is a non-repayable incentive under the ERDF Programme 2021-2027, aimed at supporting projects that aim to initiate or strengthen a process of internationalisation in small and medium-sized enterprises and that provide for the hiring of a manager by SMEs .

The incentive is governed by theNotice and by the general provisions common to all LP 6/2023 interventions.

Eligible initiatives

To be eligible for the incentive it is necessary to present a project for the start-up or strengthening of an internationalisation process that envisages the hiring of a manager with an employment contract.

Below are the requirements for the manager:

• is a highly qualified professional figure, with advanced and specialised skills insetting up and/or managing projects for the competitiveness of the company through internationalisation actions;
• must have at least five years'professional experience in the activities for which the project is submitted
• must be employed under a subordinate employment contract (full-time or part-time contract of at least 30 hours per week) of indefinite or fixed-term duration of at least two years and in any case of a duration consistent with the term envisaged for the implementation of the project
• classification of not less than middle management.

Check point 3(b) of theNotice for the definition of "Manager" and point 6 of theNotice for the timetable with timelines.

Eligible expenses and contribution measure

The minimum eligible expenditure is at least EUR 200,000.

The incentive measure is 50% of the eligible expenditure, up to a maximum incentive of EUR 150,000.

Expenditure strictly related to the implementation of the project, as specified below, is eligible:

• gross cost by way of remuneration to be paid by the employer for the employment of the manager, as defined in point 3, letter c of theNotice;
• overheads calculated by applying a flat rate of 7% to the costs referred to in the previous point, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.

For more information on eligible expenses go to point 7 of theNotice.

The operating unit active in the province must be duly registered with the Register of Companies by the start date of the initiative (i.e. the date on which the manager's employment contract is signed).

Within 30 days of the date of communication by the examining body of the grant decision, the beneficiaries are required to transmit to Trentino Sviluppo S.p.a., via PEC

• the contract signed with the identified manager
• a service order stipulating that the manager shall carry out his or her professional activities for the implementation of the project funded by the 2021-2027 ERDF Programme, also specifying the project's CUP.

In return for the contribution received, the company must comply with a number of obligations, defined in point 14 of theNotice.

A summary of the main reporting obligations incumbent on beneficiaries of the 2021-2027 ERDF Programme Notices can be found at the following link.

Applications may be submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

• that meet the requirements set out in point 3 paragraph 5 of the general provisions common to all interventions of Provincial Law 6/2023
• that are duly established, registered and active in the Register of Enterprises by 31 December 2023;
• having one of the ATECO codes of Annex 1 of the general provisions common to all the interventions of Provincial Law 6/2023, as resulting from the Register of Enterprises (see the list of "excluded" in point 4.1 of theNotice).

For further information see point 4 of theNotice.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be assessed by means of an over-the-counter assessment procedure and scores will be awarded to projects in accordance with the criteria set out in point 9 of theNotice (general eligibility criteria, specific eligibility criteria, assessment criteria and award criteria).

Applications are admitted if the minimum threshold of at least 60 points is reached.

The examining body is TRENTINO SVILUPPO S.P.A.

Application submission and deadlines

The application can be submitted, also by proxy, from 15:00 on 27 February 2025 by connecting to the portal available below.

All operational instructions for the submission of the application through the platform are available in this manual:

Application submission user manual - SIFESR portal (Avviso FESR 2/2024 manager internationalization in SMEs)

In order to submit the application, it is necessary to be in possession of the SPID digital identity system.

PLATFORM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Any technical problems related to the use of the platform must be reported by email by writing to assistenzafesrtn@performer.it, specifying name, company tax code, telephone contact and application identification code (if available).
Technical assistance is available from Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (excluding holidays).

The procedural deadlines for taking the granting measures are set at 120 days starting from the day following the submission of the application for the incentive, subject to possible suspensions pursuant to Provincial Law 23/1992 and in accordance with point 8 of the general provisions common to all interventions.