Public funds are also a way for innovation-based companies to obtain the funding they need.
In this regard, we must mention CDTI (Center for Industrial Technological Development), a public entity under the Ministry of Science and Innovation that promotes research and development activities and technological innovation to promote the growth and improvement of Spanish companies.
The CDTI is also responsible for channeling requests for aid and support for R+D+i projects from Spanish companies at the national and international levels. You can grant your own aid or facilitate access to those of third parties.
In the first section we find the CIEN strategic projects. Until last year they were released on time, but since May 3, 2019, they can be submitted in a continuous call, becoming integrated as a category within CDTI R&D projects. This means that the call is open all year round and there is no deadline.
CIEN projects can be defined as “large industrial research and experimental development projects developed in effective collaboration by business groups and aimed at carrying out planned research in strategic areas for the future and with potential international projection”, according to the official website of the CDTI.
CDTI CIEN: Focused on business groups
Unlike other individualized grants, in this case they are focused on collaborative or consortium projects. That means, that they are aimed at major R&D projects that are being developed by business groups.
As requested by CDTI, each consortium must consist of at least three companies and a maximum of eight. In addition, two of them must be autonomous and at least one must be considered an SME.
The agency has not established limitations or considerations to the technologies to be developed, something that does happen in other grants or grants aimed at innovative activities.
As a sine qua non condition, none of the companies or the business group as a whole can exceed 70% of the bankable budget.
The CIEN also seeks to promote public-private cooperation in the field of R&D, allowing subcontracting to research organizations. In fact, the consortium is required to dedicate at least 15% of its total budget to research organizations. One of them has to be publicly owned.
What quantity can be ordered in CIEN projects
The maximum budget for CIEN projects will not exceed 20 million euros nor will it be below 5 million euros. The minimum bankable budget would be 4.5 million euros per project and 175,000 euros per company. As for the duration, they will have to be executed within 36 to 48 months.
The Center for Industrial Technological Development states that instrument and material costs, personnel costs, technical knowledge and patents acquired at market prices, contractual research costs, supplementary general expenses, as well as other operating expenses are eligible for aid. The entity warns that all the financed expenses will have to be directed exclusively or derived directly from the R&D activity that is supported.
More: Non-refundable grant for technology startupsPublic funding for R+D+iGrants for startups and SMEs
