Calls for proposals and financial facilities
For companies, investing in innovation is the only way to remain competitive in the market and grow. But companies do not always have the funds to meet certain investments. In other cases, lack of knowledge on the subject (national, European or regional funds) lead to mistakes and give an advantage to competitors.
Every idea must be cultivated in order to be materialized. And to do so, it is essential to have economic resources, as well as creative resources and ingenuity.
A thorough understanding of one’s assets enables one to gain access to facilities that can make all the difference to the business. Calls for proposals are a key development tool through which the cost of these investments can be amortized, and innovation fostered. Monitoring and choosing, on targeted selective and evaluation criteria, regarding facilities and funding to approach requires specific skills and knowledge. Not seizing an opportunity right away can turn out to be a missed opportunity, and an advantage for other companies.
It is a valuable strategic tool for companies and start-ups that need support to foster an acceleration of intellectual property-related projects. It is a way in which to make business investments stand out by bringing back into the company a portion of previously invested cash.
Facility can be defined by area of interest or intervention. Facilities may consist of national or EU funding calls, but they can also be represented by Credit Institutions willing to come to the aid of companies and, today, also by innovative financial instruments such as Minibonds, Financing Platforms (crowdfunding) and On-line Business Credit Advance. They can, in addition, be enjoyed in the form of tax credits and tax breaks.
In order to be eligible, the company must meet the requirements specified in the appropriate Funding Notice, or the evaluation criteria of other funding agencies. It is further necessary to prepare and deliver all the required documentation for the purpose of the eligibility assessment. Once all steps have been completed, all that remains is to wait for the outcome.