Support program: "Ris3mur COVID-19 for reactivation business through technological innovation"
About this good practice
An important number of enterprises faced loses in revenues in 2020 as a consequence of Covid-19. This, together with the global situation of uncertainty, caused liquidity shortage and decline in R&D investment.
The purpose of this program was to reactivate businesses through innovation, by supporting technological projects to recover, maintain or increase productivity or competitiveness. Following a competitive concurrence regime, it co-financed up to 80% of the eligible costs in the case of SMEs, 60% for large companies. The maximum amount per beneficiary was 250.000 euros.
To opt for this financial support, regional SMEs and large companies had to prove that they were facing a loss of productivity or competitiveness, a lack of liquidity or other types of significant economic damage as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their activity had also to be framed in one of the areas of specialization included in the “Ris3Mur” (Research & Innovation Smart Specialization Strategy of the Region of Murcia).
The aid was co-financed up to 80% with resources from the European Regional Development Fund “ERDF” assigned to the Regional Development Agency of the Region of Murcia (“INFO”), entity that managed these funds.
Resources needed
6 million euros available (5.959.830,00 € granted)
Evidence of success
Dozens of R&D projects financed, including several eco-innovation projects related to strategic sectors (agri-food, water cycle, environment...) of the Region of Murcia.
QUANTITATIVE RESULTS (*):
• Number of beneficiary enterprises/projects: 53.
• Nº of direct jobs created: 20.
• Total subsidy granted: 5.959.830,00 €
• Total investment: 13.297.192,00 €
(*) Source: Regional Development Agency of the Region of Murcia, Transparency Website
Potential for learning or transfer
• The access to capital that can finance eco-innovation is one of the greatest challenges for eco-innovative companies, so that economic support practices must be further enhanced and accelerated. In this sense, “RIS3MUR COVID-19 for business reactivation through technological innovation” proved to be a successful program.
• It's an easy-to-implement and effective solution for Regional Development Agencies.
• This program is targeted at regional strategic sectors, so that the focus on specific industries leads to a better use of available resources. Furthermore, the development of support practices specifically addressing eco-innovative companies, or that incorporate eco-innovation within evaluation criteria, is one path to explore.
• Since the support practice is addressing a wide range of sectors, the financial support tends to be well distributed in terms of area of activity of beneficiaries and territorial subdivisions within the region.