Key information about the programme
- The programme is operated by: the Slovakian Research Agency.
- The Donor Programme Partners are: Innovation Norway, Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU) and National Agency of International Affairs (AIBA).
- The programme’s objective is: Increased value creation and sustainable growth.
- The programme funding amounts to € 20 million out of which € 6 million is funded through the EEA Grants and € 14 million is funded through the Norway Grants.
Why is the programme needed?
The objective of the Innovation, Business Development, and SMEs programme in Slovakia is to increase value creation and sustainable growth in Slovakian enterprises, mainly SMEs. The programme will support initiatives in the areas of green industry innovation, welfare technology and ambient assisted living, in order to increase competitiveness and profitability among Slovakian enterprises and bring more innovation in products, technologies, services and processes. Furthermore, in order to foster innovation, the programme aims to strengthen the relationship between academia and the private sector. An educational component will fund projects within higher education and upper-secondary level, to foster knowledge, skills and the general education quality. Furthermore, the programme will seek to stimulate and develop long-term business cooperation between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and Slovakia based on business development, innovation and education.
What will the programme achieve and who are the beneficiaries?
The programme will apply a bottom-up approach and address the identified needs and challenges of the business sector, by supporting enterprises whose project ideas are selected through open calls.
The programme will have a strong focus on innovation in the defined focus areas. This is important in order to increase the competitiveness of the private sector in Slovakia as private enterprises depends on their innovative capacity in products, technologies, services and processes.
The programme will contribute to:
- Support for enterprises to develop, apply or commercialise green, welfare and ambient assisted living technologies, processes, solutions, products or services. Support for enterprises to green their business operations.
- Support education and employment potential in Slovakia in green industry innovation and welfare and ambient assisted living technologies
Thanks to this programme, we expect that:
- 5 new technologies/processes/solutions will be developed
- 7 innovative technologies/processes/solutions will be applied
- 3 products or services will be commercialized
- 12 enterprises will be supported to green their business operation by improving their energy efficiency
- 6 start-ups will be supported
- 25 new jobs will be created
- 6,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be reduced annually
- 15,000 tons of waste from production and operational processes will be collected annually for re-use or recycling
- 1,200 MWh will be reduced from energy consumption annually
- 10,000 tons of waste will be reused for other production processes annually
- 40 apprentices will be supported
- 40 students from Slovakia and the Donor States will participate in exchanges
- Private enterprises will engage in institutional cooperation at higher education and upper-secondary level
- 25 staff from Slovakia and the Donor States will participate in exchanges
How will the programme strengthen bilateral relations?
The programme will contribute to strengthening bilateral relations between Slovakia and the Donor States.
Donor project partnerships will be facilitated through matchmaking events and activities in conjunction with the launch of calls for proposals, as well as by encouraging donor partnership projects in call texts. The Slovakian Research Agency, the Programme Operator, will support bilateral initiatives, such as networking, exchange, sharing and transfer of knowledge, experience and best practices in business.
Availability of funding through open calls
The funding in this programme will be made available through the following open calls:
- Call 1: Increased competitiveness of Slovak enterprises within the focus areas: Green Industry Innovation and Welfare Technology and Ambient Assisted Living Technologies 1st half of 2020 (Norwegian Grants)
- Call 2: Increased competitiveness of Slovak enterprises within the focus areas: Green Industry Innovation and Welfare Technology and Ambient Assisted Living Technologies 2nd half of 2020 (EEA Grants)
- Small Grant Scheme 1: Increased competitiveness of Slovak enterprises within the focus areas: Green Industry Innovation and Welfare Technology and Ambient Assisted Living Technologies 1st half of 2020 (Norwegian Grants)
- Small Grant Scheme 2: Institutional Cooperation Supported – “Education and Employment potential enhanced in Slovakia in Green Industry Innovation and Welfare and Ambient Assisted Living Technologies” 2nd half of 2020 (Norwegian Grants)
- Small Grant Scheme 3: International mobility supported – “Education and Employment potential enhanced in Slovakia in Green Industry Innovation and Welfare and Ambient Assisted Living Technologies” 2nd half of 2020 (EEA Grants)
Bilateral call: Calls for bilateral activities (Bilateral business cooperation development) will be available.
Download the full programme agreement for more detailed information about the programme.