Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme | 12
3.3 Stream 3 – De Minimis Aid – Services to SMEs to drive innovative solutions
The support is designed to be strategic in supporting the transformation of Regional SMEs operating in an ecosystem that requires support. The services to be provided by Not-for-Profit DAC’s / CLG’s will be made accessible to eligible Regional SMEs by way of De Minimis Pass Through aid, meaning these SMEs will be able to benefit from these services at reduced rates, while other businesses will have to pay the higher market rates. The amount of that reduction will be recorded as De Minimis aid for the applicant SME. The aid will be provided to SMEs by the full pass through of the funding received by the DAC’s/CLG’s. In this regard, the DAC’s/CLG’s will fully pass-on the entire benefit of the funding received to their eligible users (including, where applicable, interest reflecting the time advantage of funding received but not passed-on, which will be determined at the end of each year based on the Commission’s standard rates and methodology) and any remaining benefit at the level of DAC’s/CLG will have to be recovered at the end of the project. 3.4 Stream 4 – De Minimis Aid – Feasibility & Priming De-Minimis Regulation 1407/2013 establishes the framework for providing De Minimis aid, which allows EU Member States to provide limited financial assistance to businesses. The Regulation sets out the maximum thresholds, which this Scheme will comply with, and conditions under which De Minimis aid can be granted to companies over a rolling three-year period, currently up to €200,000 but this amount is expected to slightly increase from 1 January 2024.
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