Innovation

Who can apply

(aid recipients)

• firms operating in the manufacturing industry in particular
• project must be realized in the Czech republic, outside of Prague
• the entrepreneur with at least two completed consecutive tax periods

• small and medium-sized enterprises
• natural persons
• public research institutes
• universities

• subsidy in the amount of CZK 1 - 75 mil. for activities a), b)
• subsidy in the amount of CZK 1 - 150 million for activities a), b) for regions with concentrated state support*
• subsidy in the amount of CZK 2 million for activities c), d)
• percentage amount of subsidy is governed by the regional map valid for the period 2007-2013

*more information in The Call for proposals

• grants in the amount of CZK 10 - 1000 thousand
• 45% for small and medium-sized enterprises, natural persons
• 55% for small and medium-sized enterprises cooperating with universities and public research institutes
• 75% for universities, public research institutes

• a) product innovation – improvement of technical and use values of products, technologies and services
• b) process innovation – improvement of production processes and provision of services
• c) organisational innovation – introduction of new methods of organizing company processes and cooperation with other firms and public institutes *
• d) marketing innovation – introduction of new sales channels*

*note: c) and d) only for small and medium-sized enterprises if concurrently implementing a) or b)

• acquisition of patents, utility models (abroad and in the CR), industrial designs and protected trademarks (only abroad)

• long-term tangible assets
• long-term intangible assets
• operational costs (in the case of entrepreneurs only for SMEs)
• costs of project publicity

the eligible costs will be precisely defined in individual calls

• costs for authorised representatives (i.e. patent agents)
• translations
• administrative fees

• projects must use the results of research and development; projects involving simple modification of production equipment without a demonstrated connection to the development phase of the innovation process will not be supported
• research and development cannot be supported from the programme; development must already be completed at the time of submission of the application and this fact documented
• within the project the applicant should concisely describe what its novelty consists in and demonstrate the effectiveness of the project and its competitiveness in relation to the target markets

• prior to submitting the application at the relevant national or international industrial property office, it is necessary to first submit the registration application at CzechInvest (costs expended prior to submission of the registration application are not deductible)
• aid cannot be obtained for maintenance fees (these are not included in eligible costs; only costs expended up to the time of the award of industrial-legal protection are eligible)
• the invention registration for the same technical solution must always be submitted with the utility-model application