The agency notes that the call aims to fund such activities that would strengthen SME clusters and raise their profile, help connect to international networks and open up opportunities for finding new export markets and developing those. existing. The maximum possible amount of funding for the implementation of the project is 320 thousand. EUR, the lowest – 170 thousand. euros. A total of 4 million is allocated for the implementation of the projects. euros.
“In the near future, we plan to issue several more invitations focusing on export promotion. These measures will allow companies to more widely present their products in foreign countries, find new business partners, expand the directions of export or redirect them,” says Gintarė Kuncaitytė, Deputy Director of the Innovation Agency’s Investment Management Department.
Applications can be submitted by a professional association or a chamber of commerce, industry and crafts which has been active for at least two years at the time of application for the implementation of the project and which has implemented at least three projects in the field of promoting internationality in the past three years. Possible applicants are also SMEs forming a cluster, which have been in business for at least two years at the time of application and which have at least 120,000 employees. Euro revenue from exports in the last accounting year, the report says.
Project activities must be implemented no later than 3 months. from the date of signature of the contract and to be completed within 24 months. from the date of signing the contract. Applications are scored according to three priority criteria.
“Initially, we will assess the effectiveness of the project, we will calculate the ratio between the number of international members of the cluster, who will be involved during the implementation of the project, and the amount of funding requested. Secondly, we will assess the candidate’s experience in carrying out cluster activities – we will give priority to those who have successfully implemented at least three joint cluster member activities in the area of promoting internationality over the past 3 years.
Third, we will assess the number of cluster members participating in the project, working in advanced and leading technologies or knowledge-intensive service sectors, assigning a higher score to clusters that have at least two members in the specified sectors”, says G. Kuncaityte.
The Innovation Agency stresses that entities in difficulty and those engaged in fishing and aquaculture, primary production of agricultural products, production of tobacco and its products cannot participate in the call.
Source: The Delfi
