ICT innovation Vouchers Supporting ICT excellence in SMEs Region of Murcia, Spain OPEN DAYS - BRUSSELS 7th October 2014

The Region of Murcia 1,5 Million inhabitants aprox. 1 province with 45 municialities Extension: 11.313 km2 GDP: 28.000 M€ 87.000 enterprises aprox. Employment: 0,5 Million aprox.

Innovation Vouchers and Regional Growth ❖ Increasing the number of innovative SMEs in the Region ❖ Facilitating access of SMEs to advanced services ❖ Promoting the acquisition of skills and the creation of links between SMEs and innovation service providers ❖ Contributing to the growth of businesses providing innovation services in the Region

Our first experience on Innovation Vouchers (2009)

Innovation Voucher Providers of Innovation Services SMEs Catalog of Services Innovation Managers Innovation Voucher Providers of Innovation Services SMEs Technological Centres Information Network Information System Marketing Plan & Actions

Lauching an ICT Innovation Voucher chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Lauching an ICT Innovation Voucher The Region of Murcia and DGCONNECT to help enterprises grow by using digital technologies INFO – Best practices in managing innovation vouchers DGPIT, DGPyFE – Providing Regional Funds (co-financed by ERDF)

chequeTIC ¿What is “Cheque TIC”? 2013 Pilot Project ¿What is “Cheque TIC”? A pilot project based on previous best practices in the Region of Murcia: Pyme+i project Tailored grants for SMEs to implement ICTs Fast administrative process Predefined catalog of services Provided by approved ICT service providers

chequeTIC Our Objetives 2013 Pilot Project Our Objetives Promotion of ICTs in regional SMEs with lack of innovation experience/culture, BUT ALSO… … to boost the regional market of ICT innovation services, giving the providers a new tool to keep their clients and get new ones, so they can create durable links among them.

Who can provide ICT services? chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Who can provide ICT services? Who is approved as a Provider? Private organisations / freelance that usually provide ICT services to SMEs Which requirements? They must have enough capacity and expertise on each service. ¿How? All the information, evaluation criteria and application forms are available on the web www.institutofomentomurcia.es/web/innova/chequetic

Which are its main features? chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Which are its main features? Intensity Up to 75% of the cost of the service is granted (co-financed by ERDFs), by giving a voucher to the enterprise. The voucher is a real payment mean So, the enterprise must only pay the difference between the voucher and the total amount of the invoice. Economic justification It is the service provider that will do this job, not the granted SME.

Which services are granted? chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Which services are granted? TIC - 1 ICT Services for improving internal processes in enterprises: Costumer Relationship Management Entreprise Resource Planning Business Process Management TIC - 2 ICT Services for implementing e-commerce in enterprises: Advanced e-commerce site (including Social networks and analytic tools) e-business Apps for tablets and smartphones (link to internal processes)

chequeTIC How does it works? SME Approved ICT service Provider 2013 Pilot Project How does it works? (1) Application (ICT service 10.000 €) SME (2) INFO approves the grant (Voucher) (5) Justification (4) Payment of the service (3) The service is provided (6) Transferring the economic value of the voucher + 2.500 € Approved ICT service Provider 7.500 € (+ VAT of the invoice)

chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Flier

chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Poster

Launching the iniciative (8th October 2013) chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Launching the iniciative (8th October 2013)

chequeTIC 2013 Call (pilot project) Budget & Application deadline 300.000 euros (17 october – 29 november) Number of applications 482 applicants + 114 providers to be approved !!! Resolution 44 SMEs granted; 18 providers approved Granted projects 12 Internal Management; 32 e-Commerce (Average grant of 6.945 euros) Size 31 micro-enterprises (0-10 empl.), 12 Small-size enterprises (11-50 empl.) and 1 Medium-size Enterprise

Enterprises Experience chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Enterprises Experience & Impact

Enterprise experience chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Enterprise experience They greatly appreciate this economic support Address the project vs. Put it off / Not to do it: “Without ChequeTIC, this project would have been delayed ONE YEAR” (Ability Diseño Gráfico)

TIC-1 Projects RESULTS / IMPACT chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project TIC-1 Projects RESULTS / IMPACT Technological advance for controlling processes Linking different areas Improving decision making processes Savings of management costs, avoiding duplicate tasks Tracing of processes Reducing product costs by optimising stuff storage 25 - 30% time saving in bureaucratic processes

TIC-2 Projects RESULTS / IMPACT chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project TIC-2 Projects RESULTS / IMPACT Access to new clients Integration with internal processes Enabling new business opportunities through Internet Internationalisation (global value chain) STARTUPs will make of e-commerce their main selling channel CONSOLIDATED ENTERPRISES estimate a selling raise of 10%

chequeTIC Lessons learnt 2013 Pilot Project Lessons learnt Internal process for provider approve is critical for high quality services and confidence on voucher scheme Quick payment to reduce financial burden in most active providers Application form: provide strategic indicators and their estimated improvement Quick answer to incidences (change of providers, deadlines …)

chequeTIC Pilot Project COSTs Call budget: 300.000 euros (44 vouchers) Technical staff: Call design and launch: 3.500 euros Voucher evaluation/approval/rendemption: 20.000 euros Administrative staff: 7.000 euros Dissemination costs: 8.000 euros TOTAL COSTS: 338.500 euros (aprox.) Total Costs / Enterprise: 6.945 € (voucher) + 875 € (“Ind. Costs”)

chequeTIC 2013 Pilot Project Next Steps Rendemption and Payment of 32 vouchers (by Dec 2014) Mid-term evaluation of pilot project IMPACT: Increase in turnover Job creation New clients Better positioning of the company and its products Internal improvement Better links to clients and suppliers …

Innovation Vouchers in our Regional OP 2014-2020 ❖ ICT Innovation Voucher ❖ Technological and Non-Technological Innovation Voucher Design Intellectual Property Innovation Management Systems Organisation and internal management improvement ❖ R&D Voucher 14 Million euros aprox. (co-financed by ERDFs) !!!

Support to your Region to develop tailored innovation tools for Regional Growth French Chamber of Commerce in Belgium (FR) PACA Region (FR) Alsace (FR) Limousin (FR) Extremadura (ES) Acció, Cataluña RDA (ES) Scotland Europe (UK) Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (UK) Consultant for Greek Ministry of Economy (GR) Region Friuli Venezia Giulia (IT) Development Agency of Malta (MT)

Antonio Romero Navarro Head of Innovation and Competitiveness Unit chequeTIC Thank you very much!!! Antonio Romero Navarro Head of Innovation and Competitiveness Unit antonio.romero@info.carm.es Supporting ICT excellence in SMEs