Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme | 10
The State Aid basis for support for local infrastructure projects and innovation clusters (Streams 1 and 2) under the Scheme is the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) for 2014-2020, extended to December 31 st , 2026, and last amended under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1315. The State Aid basis for the services to SMEs to help them drive innovative solutions and enhance their competitiveness, and the feasibility and priming grants (Streams 3 and 4) is the De-minimis Regulation 1407/2013. 3.1 Stream 1 – Article 56 GBER – Investment Aid for local infrastructure Article 56 GBER provides for Aid for local infrastructure. The Article is summarised as follows: ώ Financing for the construction or upgrade of local infrastructures which concerns infrastructure that contribute at a local level to improving the business and consumer environment and modernising and developing the industrial base shall be compatible with the internal market within the meaning of Article 107(3) of the Treaty and shall be exempt from the notification requirement of Article 108(3) of the Treaty, provided that the conditions laid down in this Article and in Chapter I of the GBER are fulfilled. ώ This Article shall not apply to aid for infrastructures that is covered by other sections of Chapter III of this Regulation with the exception of Section 1 — Regional aid. This Article shall also not apply to airport infrastructure and port infrastructure. ώ The infrastructure shall be made available to interested users on an open, transparent, and non-discriminatory basis. The price charged for the use, or the sale of the infrastructure shall correspond to market price. ώ Any concession or other entrustment to a third party to operate the infrastructure shall be assigned on an open, transparent, and non-discriminatory basis, having due regard to the applicable procurement rules. ώ The eligible costs shall be the investment costs in tangible and intangible assets. ώ The aid amount shall not exceed the difference between the eligible costs and the operating profit of the investment. The operating profit shall be deducted from the eligible costs ex ante, on the basis of reasonable projections, or through a claw-back mechanism. ώ Dedicated infrastructure shall not be exempted under this Article.
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