Funding in Slovakia
Just Transition Fund
We identified the Just Transition Fund as a
potential source of funding for actors working in the Raw Materials sector in
previous years. Due to insufficient information and an out-of-date website of the fund it is unclear whether the fund is still
operating and open.
Project scope
The Banská Bystrica, Košice and horná Nitra regions must transform, develop, look to the future, strive to seize new opportunities through their own efforts. The state cannot ensure this; an essential precondition for a successful transformation is that local people and companies, educational and non-profit organizations, become active and strive for change themselves.
The global goal of the project is therefore to support and coordinate such activities, mobilize local players, involve them in the implementation, and support changes that are systematically generated from within individual regions.
And all this using the unique know-how of the consortium of Estonian and Israeli partners and the CIVITTA Challenger methodology, which will enable the effective realization of the following specific goals:
- prevent the outflow of young people by increasing interest in entrepreneurship, building a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, and promoting 21st century skills,
- substantially increase the number of innovative companies,
- to ensure the survival and long-term development of innovative companies in their early years of operation
- ensure that existing businesses are effectively transformed toward knowledge production and higher added value,
- hasten effective digital transformation
These goals will be fulfilled through the implementation of the following activities:
Activity 1. Entrepreneurial skills
Building 21st century skills, including entrepreneurial skills, developing business motivation in schools, and identifying entrepreneurial ideas and potential entrepreneurs.
Identification of innovative ideas to support community-building solutions to societal problems. Application and scaling of functional pilot education programs, which were pilot-tested in Slovakia at the local level or have been systematically validated abroad (such as the "Future Different", "Mommypreneurs" or "Junior Achievement" programs), their connection to the innovative ecosystem.
Activity 2. New enterprises
Creation of Connecting Hubs in individual regions, connecting counseling sites, incubators, and accelerators in local ecosystems.
Monitoring the development of the system and evaluating its progress.
Sharing the unique international know-how of the CIVITTA Challenger Accelerator in the field of incubation and acceleration. Increasing and independent evaluation of the quality of incubation and acceleration counseling services in the Slovak Republic.
Activity 3. Development of existing companies will be implemented through 3 comprehensive programs:
A. Enterprise Development Program
In Phase 1 Complete diagnostics of the current situation of the company are performed, including its goals, values, production processes and technologies, business, finance, human resources, etc.
In Phase 2 Comprehensive services provided a team of experts / coaches focused on strategy, market and development opportunities, innovative industrial technologies, environmental sustainability, and digitization. The result will be a Development Plan, containing strategic objectives, recommendations for development activities and acquisitions with expected results, financial and time plans, and possible sources of grant and other funding.
B. Digitization Development Program
In Phase 1 Complete digital diagnostics of the company and its bottlenecks in terms of digitization / robotization / application of the principles of Industry 4.0, recommendation of a comprehensive set of priority activities, estimation of financial intensity, return and impact on economic performance of the company.
Under Phase 2 Providing access to a limited amount of funding in the form of a lump sum to fund activities recommended for digital diagnostics.
C. BAT and open innovation program for large enterprises
A special program focused on the application of progressive technologies (best available technologies) aimed at reducing the environmental impact of production, the use of clean energy, ensuring sustainable development, and cooperation with the external environment through the application of the principles of open innovation.
RIS3 NATIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Note: This part of the report covers all identified funding opportunities which are currently available on national level and might be related to the raw materials.
Currently, in Slovakia exists two main schemes of European funding:
- Recovery and Resilience Plan
- European Structural and Investment funds (ESIFs)
European Structural and Investment funds (ESIFs)
The fund allocation strategy of European Structural and Investment funds for Slovakia has been reformed in 2022, and from now on it will be managed by a single institution - Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization (MIRRI). ESIFs in Slovakia used to be managed by several ministries and institutions through several operational programmes. As a result of the 2022 Slovak Reform of ESIFs, there will be only one operation program, Programme Slovakia, which will make the allocation of finances more efficient and ease the whole process of application.
For the 2021/2027 programming period, the European Commission allocated to Slovakia 12.6 bn. €. The main focus of “Programme Slovakia” is on the following thematic objectives:
- Competitive and Smart Slovakia (1,89 bn. €) - the focus is on innovation, digitalisation, and SMEs' support.
- Green Slovakia (4,2 bn. €) - the focus is on carbon free economy, implementation of the Paris Agreement, and renewables.
- Connected Slovakia (2 bn. €)- the focus is on strategic transport and digital networks.
- Social and Inclusive Slovakia (3.25 bn. €) – the focus is on social rights, quality employment, education, and social inclusion.
- Europe closer to citizens (400 mil. €) – the main focus is on support to locally-led development strategies and urban development.
- Just Transition Fund (459 mil. €)
- Technical Assistance (410 mil. €)
The thematic objectives „Competitive and Smart Slovakia” and “Green Slovakia” present an opportunity for Raw Material oriented business.
Identified measures within “Program Slovakia” related to R&D, innovation, and SMEs:
Identified call 1. Support for measures to
expand research and innovation capacities and the use of advanced technologies
Identified call 2. Support for small and medium-sized enterprises
Recovery and Resilience plan
The Slovak Recovery and Resilience plan consists of 18 components, and 3 of them are relevant for Raw Materials:
Decarbonising industry;
More efficient management and strengthening of science, research, and innovation funding;
Digital Slovakia.
The total budget of the Slovak Recovery and Resilience plan is 6 575 mil. €, out of which 1 487 mil. € are allocated to activities relevant to EIT Raw Materials.
Currently open calls within Recovery and Resilience
plan
Upcoming open calls within Recovery and Resilience plan – Vouchers
Recovery and Resilience plan also includes “investment vouchers” which will be open in the following years (2023-2014). The main goals of the vouchers are to support for cooperation of Slovak companies with actors of the innovation ecosystem and improve the transfer of knowledge and technology into practice in the form of innovation. The beneficiaries are small and medium sized enterprises. The available aid is up to 200K € for a period of 3 years.
Sources:
1 https://www.minzp.sk/files/poo/dekrbo/vyzva-na-podporu-projektov-zameranych-na-dekarbonizaciu-priemy...