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

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

3. 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

4. Our first experience on Innovation Vouchers (2009)

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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)

12. chequeTIC How does it works? SME Approved ICT service Provider
2013 Pilot Project
How does it works?
(1) Application (ICT service €)
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)

13. chequeTIC
2013 Pilot Project
Flier

14. chequeTIC
2013 Pilot Project
Poster

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

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

17. Enterprises Experience
chequeTIC
2013 Pilot Project
Enterprises Experience
& Impact

18. 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)

19. 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
% time saving in bureaucratic processes

20. 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%

21. 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 …)

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

23. 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 …

24. 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) !!!

25. 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)

26. Antonio Romero Navarro Head of Innovation and Competitiveness Unit
chequeTIC
Thank you very much!!!
Antonio Romero Navarro
Head of Innovation and Competitiveness Unit
Supporting ICT excellence in SMEs