Introduction
The Programme SMEs Growth Romania has the objective to increase value creation and sustainable growth in Romanian business sector. Further, the Programme will seek to stimulate and develop long-term business cooperation between Norway and Romania based on business development and innovation.
The Programme is encouraging bilateral project partnerships in all three focus areas of the Programme:
1. Green Industry Innovation targets initiatives for development and/or application of innovative green technologies, development of innovative products and solutions, greener production processes, more efficient handling of resources and technological systems, material efficiency activities and waste management;
2. Blue Growth targets initiatives for development and/or application of innovative technologies, processes, solutions, products or services based on blue resources from the Black Sea, inland waters and rivers and coastal areas;
3. ICT targets initiatives for development and application of digital technologies that could mobilize growth and innovation for industrial and other economic sectors.
The Norwegian Financial Mechanism has two overall objectives of equal importance:
• Contributing to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area; and
• Strengthening bilateralrelations between the Donor State and the Beneficiary States. These guidelines will give the ruling criteria for this CALL.
What is offered?
• A lump sum Travel Support per entity per country of EUR 1,200 for Norway / Romania.
• Continuous submission of applications (until depletion of the budget).
• Total budget for this CALL is EUR 50,000
How to apply?
• Applications shall be completed online at this weblink.
• It is important to fill in all the sections of the online application with clear details as follows:
- Entity name, contact person, telephone, e-mail, year of establishment andwebsite;
- The entities registration number;
- Main line of business / economic sector;
- Main purpose of the travel and meetings;
- The purpose and expected outcome of visit to Romania/ Norway;
- Meeting agenda in Romania / Norway. List the entities, location, contact details
and person that the company willmeet.
• Before traveling, you need to obtain Innovation Norway’s written approval. A confirmation will be sent you by email from the official Programme email address [email protected]
Who can apply?
The following entities are eligible for financial support under this CALL for Travel Support:
• Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), as defined by Commission
recommendation 2003/361/EC, and large companies with less than 25% public ownership, functioning in accordance to enforced Romanian legislation on commercial companies, respectively: Law 31/1990 regarding commercial companies, republished, with subsequent modifications and completions.
Romanian entities that are expected to play the role of applicants in the main project, must be established for at least 3 years at 17 September 2020 for the areas of Green Industry Innovation and Blue Growth and at least 1 year at the same date for ICT area.
Eligible activities and expenditures:
- Travel costs in connection to/or associated with the search for partners for donor
partnership projects and the development of suchpartnerships;
o A partnership project must constitute of at least one entity (SME or large company with less than 25 % public ownership) from Romania and one entity from Norway;
o Partnership projects must be developed within one of the three focus areas of this Programme;
o Travel Support is awarded per entity and not per person;
o The travel should take place no later than 16 September 2020.
- The applicant must present that they have an eligible project idea, and that they intend
to be involved either as a promotor or as a bilateral (Norwegian) partner performing
substantial tasks in the project. The travel needsto be performed by the entity awarded
the grant.
Selection criteria
- Applications for Travel Support are assessed and awarded by Innovation Norway on a
continuous basis (until the depletion of the available budget); - In order to be awarded Travel Support the following criteria must be fulfilled:
o All sections in the online application is filled incorrectly;
o The planned activities are within the objective of this TravelSupport;
o Applicant and partner(s) are eligible;
o The purpose of the travel and the meeting need to be within one of the three focus areas of this Programme;
o Planned activities/costs are eligible.
