Skopje, 12 April 2024 (MIA) - The Fund for Innovation and Technology Development (FITD) opened on Friday the Western Balkans Innovation Vouchers Call. The total budget for awarding funds through this public call is EUR 240,000. The goal is to encourage cooperation between micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and academic and scientific research institutions in the direction of implementing innovation activities and increasing competitiveness.  

The Western Balkans Innovation Vouchers pilot programme is implemented by the FITD as part of the EU project – POLICY ANSWERS – R&I POLICY making, implementation and Support in the Western Balkans. The project is funded under the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme. 

The main cross-border cooperation eligibility criteria is that the applicant and the service provider must be from two different Western Balkan economies. Legal business entities registered as micro, small or medium-sized companies in any of the Western Balkan economies, incorporated under the current respective company law, registered at any Western Balkans Business Registration Agency and located in the Western Balkans can apply to the call, the FITD said in a press release.  

A single voucher can cover up to a maximum of 80% of the total costs of a service provided by the higher education institutions, up to an amount of EUR 8,000 excluding value-added tax (VAT). The recipient of the voucher is obliged to co-finance the remaining amount of the total costs of the service, which is at least 20% of the total amount of the invoice, including VAT of the total costs. The awarded vouchers must be used by the recipient within a period of up to nine months from the date of the contract being signed.  

Vouchers can be used to transfer scientific, technological or innovative knowledge that is new to the company or to solve a technical/technological problem that will be identified by the company, i.e. development of new or improvement of existing products, processes or services, proof of concept, feasibility study, production of laboratory prototypes, manufacturing demonstrational prototypes, different types of tests, validation of technology, validation of new or improved products, processes or services, development and introduction of special software for a product or process, as well as IPR and technology transfer. 

The deadline for submitting the application is 26 June 2024, by 4 p.m.. Applications can only be submitted online via https://shorturl.at/qwD17 

Photo: FITD