Innovation voucher

The direct purposes of the project was supporting micro and small sized enterprises in innovative initiatives and motivate supply and demand in the field of innovation services. Expected indirect effect: the Region’s catching up.

Objectives:

•         Increasing the competitiveness of the region

•         Stimulating innovation services

•         Increasing the number of new co-operations between SMEs and innovation suppliers

•         Creating new jobs

Innovation calls for proposals were financed from the Innovation Fund. The National Office for Research and Technology (NORT) launched a call for R&D services in the regions for which SMEs could apply. Észak-Alföld Regional Development Agency acted as an intermediary.

Handing in the applications was continuous during both “Innovoucher” and “Innovoucher +”.

In “Innovoucher” previous evaluation (by external experts) and a proposal of the Regional Evaluation Committee was needed, in “Innovoucher +” there was only formal verification. The proposition (proposing the approval without any changes/with conditions) made by the REC was sent to the NORT which made the final decision.

One of the main interesting point of “Innovoucher” project, is how the projects, initiatives were financed.

The SME – with an approved application – got a max. 100 000 EUR virtual budget. The innovation service provider delivered the service for the SME. The invoice was sent directly to NORT with a short notice about the work done. NORT payed the bill directly to the service provider, till the SME’s budget was exhausted.

Supportable actions of “Innovoucher”:

a) procurement of  intangible asset which needs to realize innovation idea

b) R+D requisition

c) incubation service requisition

d) recourse of  technological background service which needs to create , monitoring and qualification of prototype

e) project management service requisition

f) innovation marketing service requisition

g) feasibility study which promote the development of innovation project

h) drafting of market research and market estimating survey

i)  drafting of marketing survey

j)  drafting of technological consultancy

k) drafting of industry and copyright consultancy

l)  drafting of entrepreneurial management consultancy

m) drafting of productivity consultancy

n) examination of innovation and patent research

o)home patent, brand, utility and formdesigning model statement 

Supportable actions of “Innovoucher +”:

1) in the field of project idea qualification:

-       technological feasibility study

-       recourse of patent research services

-       recourse of industry- and copyright consultancy

-       home patent, brand, utility and formdesigning model statement 

2) in the field of product development:

-       incubation service requisition,

-       R+D requisition,

-       recourse of technological assistance,

-       recourse of patent research service,

-       recourse of industry- and copyright consultancy

-       home patent, brand, utility and formdesigning model statement;

3) in the field of methodological innovation:

-       recourse of technological consultancy

-       recourse of patent research services,

-       recourse of industry- and copyright consultancy,

-       home patent, brand, utility and formdesigning model statement;

4) in the field of organizational innovation:

-       recourse of productivity consultancy,

-       drafting of marketing plan,

-       recourse of patent research services,

-       recourse of industry- and copyright consultancy,

-       home patent, brand, utility and formdesigning model statement.

Indicators used for monitoring the implementation of the approved projects:

-       number of declared scientific, technological results connected to the project

-       number of developed or improved products or services

-       costs occurred connected to the project/project-part

-       growth in gross added-value at the supported company

-       new workplaces created at the supported company

-       average fluctuation of employees on an yearly basis

-       change in the number of cooperations

-       types of innovation services used