First calls for service innovation vouchers planned in France

KIS-PIMS newsflash - 2 September 2009

The first innovation vouchers for innovative service SMEs in the renewable energy sector will be handed out to its beneficiaries in the framework of the EC-funded KIS-PIMS project. The speedy implementation is due to the high interest in these new support schemes that seem to be particularly well-adapted to the needs of small companies.

The concept of innovation vouchers was first tested by Senter Novem in the Netherlands, and then taken up with keen interest by Enterprise Ireland. Many more national and regional innovation agencies are eager to try it out.

Initially, innovation vouchers were intended to incentivise SMEs to engage in technology cooperation with research centres. While the basic idea of enabling SMEs to access external knowledge is still true, the KIS-PIMS project sets out to design vouchers to support in particular innovation in knowledge intensive services (KIS). Moreover, KIS-PIMS adopts a sectoral approach to innovation, supporting companies active in the knowledge-intensive services for planning, installation, maintenance and scrapping (PIMS) of renewable energy systems.

The French innovation agency OSEO has committed to hand out at least 60 vouchers to renewable energy service companies with a face-value of maximum 15.000 EUR each by the end of 2009, totaling support of close to 1 Mio EUR. Calls for proposals are published by three renewable energy clusters, CapEnergies, DERBI and TENERDIS (mid December ‘08) and are relayed by ADEME and OSEO at national level. SMEs from all over France can apply using a downloadable form. The selection Committee, made of the Cluster experts, OSEO and ADEME, commits to evaluate the 2 to 5 page applications within 2 months. This makes the innovation vouchers one of the speediest and least bureaucratic public incentives available to SMEs. With a funding rate of 75% of the external costs, the vouchers force SMEs to show minimum motivation by engaging a small share of self investment.

In Austria, the Ministry for transport, industry and technology (BMVIT) started a large general innovation voucher scheme nationwide in early 2008, which is handled by the FFG. This existing general scheme worth 5.000 EUR with funding up to 100% of costs is expected to be completed by a regional pilot scheme funded by Landesenergieverband (LEV) of Styria for special support to service innovation in the renewable energy sector from 2009 onwards. If successful, the regional scheme might be extended nationwide. Five national innovation vouchers have already been delivered to KIS-PIMS Austrian SMEs.

Finland will launch its call for proposals in early 2009. All calls are continuous; companies can apply any time for external support for their service innovation plans.

The EU added value of this approach is strong:

• for the SMEs: they are given a European perspective of their market projection when accessing the innovation expertise funded by the vouchers;
• for the KIS-PIMS action: while each country follows its own guidelines for the publication of calls for proposals and the attribution of the vouchers, there is a strong mutual learning component, which is reinforced through regular meetings and updates on process developments in Austria, France and Finland. The parallel development of three similar support schemes in different countries presents an ideal test-bed before the innovation vouchers are rolled-out more widely.

Various regional innovation agencies have already heard about the project and expressed their interest in learning more about the concrete procedures and the potential innovation impact. KIS-PIMS foresees to get 10 further innovation agencies involved in the project by transferring the acquired knowledge to them, thus enabling them to quickly implement similar support schemes for their target companies.

N.B. Greenovate is strongly involved in the KIS-PIMS project through several of its members as well as the Brussels Secretariat.
For questions or suggestions, please contact the project coordinator Vincent Morfouace , TECHNOFI
Tel:  +33 493 653 444.