Start-up

The Announcement, published on 13 March with Directorate Decree 436, is aimed at micro enterprises and SMEs in the Convergence regions, with the aim of favouring the involvement of innovative start-up initiatives to respond to the social and economic needs of innovation.

The Start-up initiative is one of the initiatives undertaken with the Cohesion Action Plan to support research and innovation and favour the competitiveness of enterprises.

The Start-up Announcement is intended for micro, small and medium size enterprises in the Convergence regions (Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily) active for less than six years and inviting them to submit research projects - also in collaboration with universities, research centres, Public Administrations and major enterprises - to identify innovative solutions in fields of particular importance and relevance for local social and economic development.

The Start-up initiative accounts for a total of 30 million euro and consists of four lines of intervention, of which the first three are expressly aimed at innovative new enterprises:

• Line 1 - Big Data

New methods and technology to manage and improve databases involving high volumes, varieties and speed (8 million euro).

• Line 2 - Enhanced impact culture

New procedures for the production, distribution and utilisation of cultural heritage, also through combination with digital technology (14 million euro).

• Line 3 - Social Innovation Cluster

Aggregations of interdisciplinary skills, innovative capacities and emerging entrepreneurship to respond to the demand for innovation and to satisfy emerging needs (7 million euro).

For the first three lines of intervention, the amount of the single projects may vary from a minimum value of € 400,000.00 to a maximum value of € 1,200,000.00. The duration of the project is 24 months.

• Line 4 - Contamination Lab

This line is aimed at universities in the Convergence regions and is aimed at the creation of CLabs, i.e. places to facilitate new forms of integration and collaboration among students, teachers, the world of production, the local area and institutions in order to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation (1 million euro).

A Contamination Lab project may have an overall maximum value of € 200,000.00 and a duration of 24 months.

The Announcement closes on 10 May 2013, and applications must be presented through the website http://roma.cilea.it/Sirio .