The Innovation Activities Fund has announced a new public call for grants available to innovative companies and teams. The Republic of Serbia and the European Union jointly provide funds in the amount of 3.2 million euros through the IPA project “Increasing the capacity and technological readiness of small and medium-sized enterprises”.

The Fund is providing financial incentives for the transformation of innovative ideas into sustainable projects through the Early Development Program and the Innovation Co-financing Program. The programs, with clearly defined criteria, are intended for the development of new products, services or technologies that have a strong innovation potential for which there is a need in the market.

It is awarded from 80,000 to 30,000 euros

Depending on the program, the Fund allocates from 80,000 to 300,000 euros per individual project. In this way, the Fund, together with companies, participates in the research and development of innovative solutions, which consequently have a positive impact on the national economy.

As it is envisaged that the mentioned programs cover a maximum of 70% of project costs, companies are obliged to provide a part of funds from other, private sources for the implementation of their projects, independently of the Fund or any other public financing program.

Applications

Project applications from all fields of science and technology, as well as all industrial sectors, will be considered. The applications are submitted through the portal, and the necessary application documentation and detailed information about the public call can be found on the website of the Innovation Activities Fund.

Funding programs are in line with the Smart Specialization Strategy in Serbia, therefore at least 50% of the available funds will be allocated to applications from four dominant domains:

  • Food for the future
  • Information and communication technologies
  • Machines and production processes of the future
  • Creative industries.

Support for those interested

The Fund will provide daily support to all interested applicants during the period in which the call is announced, to present the conditions and details of submitting project applications. Also, workshops called “Open doors” will be held once a week, and information sessions will be organized in cooperation with local partners, as well as all organizations that work with small and medium-sized enterprises and scientific research institutions.

Interested companies and teams can apply for grants in the period from September 15 to November 15, 2022.