Scope:  This scheme is open to companies which require assistance to carry out Research and Experimental Development projects as required by industry for the acquisition of knowledge in either industrial research or experimental projects.  These projects may include projects accepted and endorsed by the EUREKA Network under these various instruments: Network projects, Eurostars, Clusters.  The project’s scope should include a technological challenge through a structured approach within an established time frame, which should not exceed 36 months in project duration.

When a cash injection is required to finance the project, the applicant must commit not to commence the project prior to the formal approval of the aid from the Corporation.  In requesting fiscal (tax credits) support, the applicant may apply within 6 months of commencement of the project.

Definition:

• ‘Industrial research’ means the planned research or critical investigation aimed at the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes, or services or for bringing about a significant improvement in existing products, processes, or services. It comprises the creation of components parts of complex systems and may include the construction of prototypes in a laboratory environment or in an environment with simulated interfaces to existing systems as well as of pilot lines, when necessary for the industrial research and notably for generic technology validation.

• ‘Experimental development’ means acquiring, combining, shaping, and using existing scientific, technological, business and other relevant knowledge and skills with the aim of developing new or improved products, processes or services. This may also include, for example, activities aiming at the conceptual definition, planning and documentation of new products, processes or services;

Experimental development may comprise prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments representative of real life operating conditions where the primary objective is to make further technical improvements on products, processes or services that are not substantially set. This may include the development of a commercially usable prototype or pilot which is necessarily the final commercial product and which is too expensive to produce for it to be used only for demonstration and validation purposes.

Experimental development does not include routine or periodic changes made to existing products, production lines, manufacturing processes, services and other operations in progress, even if those changes may represent improvements.

Budget:      This scheme shall have a budget of €5,000,000 and an overall budget of €20,000,000.

Incentive:  45% of the eligible costs in the case of an undertaking which qualifies as a small enterprise; 35% of the eligible costs in the case of an undertaking which qualifies as a medium enterprise; 25% of the eligible costs in the case of an undertaking which qualifies as a large enterprise;

• Malta Enterprise may provide an additional assistance of 25% of the eligible costs if undertaking carries out industrial research project;

• The project may receive an additional assistance of not more than 15% of the eligible costs of up to a maximum aid intensity of 80% of eligible costs, if one of the following conditions is fulfilled:

The project involves effective collaborative R&D project involving at least an independent undertaking and/or Research and Knowledge Dissemination Organisations withing terms established by the Guidelines;

The results of the project are widely disseminated through conferences, publications, open access repositories, or free or open source software within one year of completion of the project and such intention is declared at application stage.

A pre-approval proposal must be submitted to the Corporation so they will do the necessary vetting and ensure that the intended project conforms with the Enterprises’ parameters as set in the Incentives guidelines.