Innovation

Does your company come up with new ideas and introduce innovative products, technologies or services into production and subsequently to the market? Are you considering the improvement of the organisation of company processes and cooperation with other entities, or the introduction of new sales channels? Are you an individual entrepreneur or do you represent a university, research institute, a small or medium-sized enterprise, and you need to protect your industrial property rights? If so, the Innovation programme is intended for you.

The Innovation programme will support two types of projects:

  • Innovation projects – in the case of projects utilising new, original solutions, the programme enables Czech companies to acquire the modern machinery, equipment, know-how and licenses necessary for their implementation. In the period 2004-2006 a similar programme supported more than 100 companies and thus contributed to their long-term growth. A range of successful applicants have asserted themselves with new products on the European and global markets and are successfully continuing to develop.
  • Projects for the protection of industrial property rights – in this case the programme contributes to the protection of intangible goods in the form of patents, utility models, industrial designs and protected trademarks.

Calls for submission of applications for both types of projects will be announced separately. 

1. 5. 2008 was announced the 2nd Call for the submission of Innovation programme – Innovation projects. Beneficiaries of the subsidy in this Call will be SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and large enterprises. Applications for innovation projects will be submitted in two steps (Application for Registration and Full Application) via the eAccount internet application. The Applications for Registration will be accepted during the period from 15. 7. 2008 to 30. 9. 2008 (6 p.m.). As a next step, after confirmation of the Applications for Registration, Full Applications will be accepted during the period from 14. 11. 2008 to 28. 2. 2009 (6 p.m.). Planned allocation for this Call amounts to CZK 2,000 million.

Basic characteristics:

 Innovation projects Projects for protection of industrial property rights

Who can apply

(aid recipients)
  • firms operating in the manufacturing industry in particular
  • project must be realized in Czech republic, outside of Prague
  • the entrepreneur with at least two completed consecutive tax periods
How much can be obtained for each project
(form and amount of aid)
  • 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
For what aid can be obtained
(supported activities)
  • 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)
Which costs can be supported
(eligible costs)
  • 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
Practical information
  • 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

Attached files

Description Type Size Date

Innovation - text of the programme

 72.2 kB 1 Dec. 2008