1. ИНОВАЦИОННИТЕ ВАУЧЕРИ An attractive support instrument for green innovation G REEN V OUCHERS –N EW F INANCIAL T OOLS FOR RES & EE I NNOVATION IN SME S 28 July 2011 – Sofia – Bulgaria

2. Presentation plan  Short introduction to Greenovate! Europe  Innovation vouchers Concept Rationale Existing voucher schemes  Examples how innovation vouchers schemes in support of RES innovation, energy efficiency could look

3. Greenovate! Europe The European experts for eco-innovation

4. Greenovate! Europe  Membership organisation  Independent, non-for-profit  Set-up with 7 founding members in August 2007 Objectives:  to pool eco-innovation expertise  to offer green innovation services for technology developers, companies and policy-makers at pan- European level

6. Our experts Innovation consulting  Active Innovation Management (AIM) - Paris  Advansis (Ramboll) - Helsinki  Atlantis Consulting Cyprus  Bird&Bird LLP - Düsseldorf  CEIS, Innovation 128 - Paris  Greenovate Sprl - Brussels  i.con innovation - Stuttgart  Logotech s.a. - Athen  Mermaid Venture Consulting - Copenhagen  Michael Heidenreich Consulting - Vienna  Orion Innovations - London  Van der Meer en Van Tilburg – Utrecht, Eindhoven  Youris.com - Milan  Technofi s.a – Sophia Antipolis  Zabala Innovation Consulting – Barcelona, Madrid, Pamplona, Valencia Technology experts, R&D  Centre Technique des Industries Méchaniques (CETIM)  Deutsche Gesellschaft für Galvano- und Oberflächentechnik (DGO)  DONG Energy Innovation  France Innovation Scientifique et Transfert (FIST)  GDF SUEZ (GdF) Research  SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden  UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (UK CEED ) Industry networks and associations  Amsterdamse Innovatie Motor (AIM)  Cluster de Energía del País Vasco (CEPV)  European Water Partnership (EWP)  Lahti Science and Business Park (LSPB)  Landesenergieverein Steiermark (LEV)  Oekoenergie-Cluster Upper Austria (OEC)  Zentralverband Oberflächentechnik (ZVO) Headquarters in Brussels and partners in 13 countries - A one-stop shop for sustainable solutions

7. Overview business areas 1.Facilitate the access to market for green products and services 2.Manage and support open innovation processes 3.Development of complex eco-innovation projects 4.Eco-Innovation policy and programme design  Innovation vouchers

8. Innovation vouchers A modern innovation support instrument

9. What are innovation vouchers?  Първоначална помощ на първо ниво  Малки грантови схеми които подпомагат иновационните дейности на МСП  Финансовите разходи на външни експерти  старт и подсилване на професионалните врзки с външни доставчици на знания и МСП

10. Page 10 1. МСП с иновационен проект подава молба за ваучер 2. Общ. Агенция оценява проекта и отдава ваучер за ползване и акредитиран експерт 4. Външният експерт помага на МСП с техническа/ бизнес експертиза 3. Тогава МСП се обръща към експерта с молба за помощ за сметка на ваучера 5. Expert си възстановява ваучера с органа, заедно с доклада за дейност подписан от МСП 6. Агенцията заплаща еквивалентната стойност на ваучера след одобряването на доклада

12. Vouchers are a revolution in speed!  Day 1: Download application form Complete 2-3 pages application form  Submit form  Day 14: Voucher granted or refused  Day 15: Contact chosen innovation expert  Day 16: Start project with your individual coach

13. Why implement a voucher scheme?  SMEs are the backbone of our economies  SMEs have many innovative ideas but often lack the necessary technical and / or business expertise to transform their innovation project into a market success!  Vouchers link SMEs with external support  Voucher can be designed according to an agency’s interests and the needs of SMEs in a certain market or context

15. Green Voucher schemes running in Europe

16. Survey on vouchers in EU  21 programs  Start date: 1990 (1) – 2006 (3) – many around ‘09  Amounts: 500 EUR (BE) – 66.000 EUR (DE)  9/21 schemes are 100% funded  SME own funding: 0% - 50%  Eligible services: technological development, R&D cooperation, business support, testing, etc.

17.  Eligible knowledge services Technology / R&D Management consulting & business process engineering  Usually excluded: Skill development  Market studies IT consulting  External knowledge providers Usually national public centres Some accept national private service providers Few accept foreign private commercial providers

18.  Speed & complexity of application 1 page – 1 day – 10.000 EUR (Flanders) Average: 5 pages – 18 days Beyond:   Control & monitoring Tight control at all phases (South) Only sporadic ex-post audits (NL)

19. Impact?  Little assessments so far – young programs  NL & Limburg have assessments >50% of voucher users continued cooperation with external knowledge provider 70% of voucher users had never used public funding before

20. What is working well at present?  Traditional “access to research” vouchers  Fully automated – low management costs  Hands-off management of agencies  25% own cost (own personnel costs)  Amounts: 5.000 – 15.000 EUR (not too much!)

21. Typology of innovation vouchers Different design for different purposes

23. 1. Technical support vouchers  SMEs use the voucher with technical knowledge providers Research centres Universities (Technical consultancies)  Voucher mostly goes to PUBLIC sector expert

24. Example 1: Dutch voucher for R&D collaboration  Aim: encourage SMEs to collaborate with R&D centres to implement their innovation projects  Value: 2,500 EUR (100% financed) 7,500 EUR (25% SME own contribution)  Management: Senter Novem (Innovation agency)  Source: national R&D funding

25. 2. Business support vouchers  SMEs use the voucher with an innovation consultant to solve non-technical problems Innovation consultant IPR lawyer (Business schools)  Voucher mostly goes to PRIVATE sector expert

26. Example 2: KIS-PIMS voucher for RES service innovation KIS-PIMS  Aim: allow SMEs to buy business support for their renewable energy service innovation project  Value: 5.000 EUR / company  Co-financing: 100% public funded  Management: LEV (Regional energy agency of Styria)  Source: regional funding

27. 3. Combination of technical and business support voucher  SME to use one part of the voucher with a technical centre and another one with a business consultant  Possible to use ONLY a technical centre or ONLY a business consultant  Voucher goes to PUBLIC and PRIVATE experts

28. Example 3: GreenConServe vouchers for sustainable construction services GreenConServe  Aim: to help SMEs launch new services that make construction more sustainable  Value: 15.000 EUR / company  Co-financing: 50% of costs in-kind by SME  Management: Innovation Norway (Norwegian innovation agency)  Source: national funds for innovation

29. 4. Audit vouchers  SMEs or private persons use the voucher to buy an audit from an external auditor  Used so far for industrial energy efficiency, industrial resource efficiency (energy, water, materials)  Voucher goes to accredited auditor

30. Example 4: REMake voucher for resource efficiency audit in industrial SMEs REMake  Aim: to help industrial SMEs understand their individual resource savings potential and what is costs to implement efficiency measures  Value: up to 17.550 EUR / company  Co-financing: 33% of costs of audit paid by SME  Management: DEMEA (German material efficiency agency)  Source: Ministry of Economy and Technology funds

31. Fictive scheme: Building energy-efficiency-audit voucher Aim: Help building owners understand the potential for energy saving and how to go about Manager: national / regional / municipal energy agency Target groups: owners of public buildings and private house-owners Financing: Structural Funds

32. Page 32 1. Собственика на сградата кандидатства за ваучер за ЕЕ 2. Агенцията оценява проекта и дава ваучер за използване от акредитиран одитор 4. Одитора провежда одита3. Собственика преговаря с одитира в замяна на ваучера 5. Одитора изпраща доклада от одита и поисква от агенцията да му се плати 6. След одобряването на доклада агенцията му изплаща ваучера

33. Optional rules Co-financing from building owners:  Vouchers are free if owner implements at least the two priority measures recommended in the audit within the 12 months following the audit  Otherwise, the house owner must pay 50% of the audit costs Combination with investment subsidies or zero- interest loans for energy efficiency investments

34. Pool of energy efficiency auditors  A pool of energy auditors should be listed by the energy agency for the house-owners to chose from  maybe need to set up professional training to qualify more energy auditors?

35. Norvegian scheme: Vouchers and green public procurement Aim: Encourage subcontractors of public building to work with innovative, green techniques and services Manager: Procurers for public constructions / refurbishment Target groups: subcontractors (architects, engineers, construction companies…) Financing: Innovation Agency in Norway

36. Discussion?

37. Contacts Greenovate! Europe EEIG Rue d’Arlon 63-65 B – 1040 Brussels Tel +32 2 400 10 05 www.greenovate-europe.eu Katharina Krell katharina.krell@greenovate.eu Astrid Severin astrid.severin@greenovate.eu