PROJETS INDUSTRIELS D'AVENIR (PIAVE)

• PIAVE, which, in English, stands for Industrial Projects for the Future, is a government-funded financial support initiative that comes in the form of "grants and recoverable advances" and is offered to eligible projects in the industrial sector.
• Eligible projects include only those that have an expenditure budget of at least €3 million and that offer prospects with respect to the nine solutions the French government had outlined in its strategic plan for the industrial sector.
• The nine industrial solutions and the industries they encompass are as follows: new resources (eco-industries, chemicals, materials, extraction, primary processing), smart ciities (eco-industries), eco-mobility (automotive), tomorrow's transport (aerospace, naval, rail), smart food choices (agribusiness), data economy (digital), smart devices (digital, consumer goods), digital confidence (digital), medicine of the future (health).
• Projects should have the purpose of either industrializing a new product, process, or service or strengthening the competitiveness of an existing segment of the industrial sector. Projects that aim to make an existing segment more competitive should demonstrate a significant contribution to small and medium- or intermediate-sized businesses.
• The most recent call for projects took place last January 18, 2016 - July 28, 2017, but a new call for projects opened last October 9, 2018 and will end on June 12, 2019. This newly opened call for projects, however, is open only to companies that are affected by the shrinking diesel sector.
• With this new call for projects, the French government aims to "offset the decline in sales and jobs related to diesel" and to promote diversification of products, processes, or services. The goal is the smooth transition from the diesel segment to a new industrial activity.
• For this new call for projects, only projects with an estimated expenditure of €500,000 to €5 million and a maximum duration of 2 years are eligible. A project should be handled by a single company only.
• Awardees will be selected based on their ability to execute the project, the project's economic impact, and the project's contribution to the diversification and transition program.
• The PIAVE is administered by public investment bank Bpifrance under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Investment.
• France's Ministry of Economy and Finance notes PIAVE as one of the country's financing initiatives to "develop cutting-edge technologies" in the industrial sector. The development of these cutting-edge technologies is one of the five pillars of France's The Industry of the Future project.

SOCIÉTÉS DE PROJETS INDUSTRIELS (spi)

• SPI, which, in English, stands for Industrial Projects Companies, is an €800-million investment fund of the government that provides financial support in the form of venture capital or minority stakes. Also managed by Bpifrance, it is funded by the government's broader Programme d’Investissement d’Avenir or Future Investment Program (PIA), which funds projects across sectors including the industrial sector, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
• France's Ministry of Economy and Finance notes SPI as one of the country's financing initiatives to "develop cutting-edge technologies" in the industrial sector. The development of these cutting-edge technologies is one of the five pillars of France's The Industry of the Future project.
• Only industrial projects that align with the 34 plans listed in France's Industry of the Future project are considered.
• Examples of projects that are considered for investment include the development of shared industrial sites, the development of industrial equipment, the expansion of production capacities, and the development of export-quality products.
• Projects that are selected typically have reasonable profitability-to-risk ratios and strong environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG).
• Amount invested ranges from €10 million to €160 million.
• The fund, which was created in 2015, has a life of 12 years, but there is a possibility that the fund life will be extended. Investment typically spans five years but can be extended as well.

INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE TAX INCENTIVE

• This tax incentive is a higher depreciation allowance on industrial investments made between April 15, 2015, and April 14, 2017. These higher depreciation allowances span a period of six years.
• The higher depreciation allowance covers at most 13% of the investment made.
•  Covered industrial investments include those meant to expand production capacity or modernize business models.
• The tax incentive, initially, was supposed to cover only industrial investments made between April 15, 2015, and April 14, 2016, but the duration was extended on April 14, 2016, to cover investments made until April 14, 2017.
• France's Ministry of Economy and Finance notes the tax incentive as one of the country's financial support initiatives to "help companies adapt to the new paradigm" in the industrial sector. This adaptation is one of the five pillars of France's The Industry of the Future project.
• France's Ministry of Economy and Finance estimates that the tax incentives over the six-year period, when combined, will amount to €5 billion.

INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE LOANS

• The Industry of the Future Loans are soft, unsecured loans that Bpifrance grants to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-tier enterprises. Loan repayment can be deferred by two years.
• They can be used to finance low-collateral, "innovative and high-powered investment in production capacities." Bpifrance notes that they can also be used to finance the introduction of new products or processes.
• Only SMEs and intermediate-sized enterprises in the manufacturing industry that are financially sound and have been operating for over three years are eligible to avail of the loan.
• Loanable amount ranges from €500,000 to €5 million, and loan term can range from 3 to 10 years.
• The loan amount should be matched with external financing at a ratio of 1:1. External financing can be in the form of capital or quasi-equity contributions or bank loans with a similar duration.
• The Ministry of Economy and Finance notes the tax incentive as one of France's financial support initiatives to "help companies adapt to the new paradigm" in the industrial sector. This adaptation is one of the five pillars of France's The Industry of the Future project.
• The French government originally allotted a total of €2.2 billion for this initiative but announced an extra tranche of €1.1 billion, which the government noted will be available in 2018.
• As of June 2016, Bpifrance had already granted 851 Industry of the Future loans amounting to €719 million.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

GRW CASH GRANTS

• Direct grants are mainly issued for building new business premises, for investment into research and development and for the deployment of innovative technologies. The grants are offered by a wide range of specialist institutions.
• The GRW — Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures offers a national grant program that distributes subsidies to investment projects across Germany.
• The levels of support are distributed across regions, and some regions do not receive GRW support at all. The Border Area to Poland has the highest level of support, followed by region C and region D.
• The levels of support also vary according to the size of the company. The smallest companies (small enterprises, less than 50 employees) receive the highest levels of support, so those levels are detailed below.
• A small company investing in the Border Area to Poland area can receive up to 40% of their eligible investment costs reimbursed. Investing in region C would mean it is eligible for 30% and investing in region D would make it eligible for 20%.
• Certain types of investment projects are eligible for GRW cash grants and the criteria are determined at a federal level by the GRW Coordination Framework. Setting up new or expanding existing facilities, for diversification of production and for fundamental changes to production processes.
• Only manufacturing and service companies are eligible for the GRW program. Pure sales or marketing businesses cannot receive funding from the program.
• At least 25% of investment project financing must be derived from sources free of any subsidy (company resources or equity investors, for example).
•  Eligible costs are either project-related capital expenditures occurring in the first three years after project start or personnel costs of the newly created jobs in the first two years.
• Formal application requirements must also be met and each application needs to include the following documents: the official application form, a bank financing statement on secured project financing, a business plan and an SME status verification, if applicable.
• Since the GRW cash grants are applied for at the federal state level, each federal state development bank has additional requirements that need to be fulfilled. The requirements closely specify eligible industries and conditions for receiving support.

Public loans and Guarantees

• Public loans are given out for investments, working capital, recruitment and research and development projects.
• Public guarantees are instruments used to strengthen the collateral of an investor in order to expand his access to financing.
• The KfW Group is the development bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and it offers various loan programs, including promotional loans, mezzanine financing and private equity.
• The KfW Group issues out loans of up to 25 million euros, while regional banks have a limit of 10 million euros.
• The Entrepreneur Loan program is a very popular program of the KfW Group and it offers financing of up to 100% of eligible costs.
• Businesses that are mainly privately owned and that have an annual group turnover of under 500 million euros are also eligible for the loans.
• Capital can be loaned out for a wide variety of uses, unlike the GRW cash grants program. The only requirements are a sound business plan and sufficient loan securities (collateral).
• Public guarantees function as a promise by the German government to the lender that the debt will be paid back by the government in case that the borrower defaults.
• Public guarantees can cover up to 80% of the respective loan amount.
• Guarantee maturity is 15 years for general loans and 8 years for working capital loans. Guarantee fees are paid annually.

Equity capital

• Even though not technically a financial incentive, for technologically innovative start-ups, incentives are available in the form of equity financing through public venture capital and private equity funds.
• The KfW Group also provides equity capital through different channels. For example, the HTGF- the High-Tech Start-Up Fund for financing the seed phase of a company.
• The HTGF offers an initial investment of 600,000 euros and the maximum available amount goes up to 2 million euros per enterprise.
• The only requirement for HTGF funding specifically is that the company needs to be in the seed funding stage. In addition to this, the company needs to present a sound business plan.

Research Strategy:

1) 4E (End to End Energy Efficiency) PROGRAM

• The Indian government offers businesses financing support for energy-efficient projects and measures taken to improve end-to-end energy efficiency. The government in partnership with the World Bank provides loans and grants for such project at concessionary rates.
• The 4E program "helps MSMEs improve the bottom line through energy savings (10 to 25%), by getting the services of Technical Consultants at a reasonable cost with assurance on the quality of services and savings Businesses that intent to pursue energy efficient measures are provided." For such measures, the government provides up to 50% of the cost.
• To be eligible for such support, the company must be either a micro, small, or medium enterprise and must be in the service or manufacturing sector.
• The participating company must have been operating in India for at least three years and must have earned profits in the last two financial year.
• To be eligible for the loan, the company must submit Detailed Project Report (DPR) and Detailed Energy Audit (DEA).

2) Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE)

• The Indian government offers businesses collateral free and third-party guarantee free credit to businesses from eligible financial institutions.
• The government covers 50-85% of the credit facility up to a maximum of INR 200 lakh.
• To be eligible, the business must be either a new or existing micro or small enterprise in the manufacturing, service or retail sector.
• The business must have the collateral or third-party guarantee needed to cover the part of the financing not covered by the government.
• The loan application must be made from an eligible financial institution that has been approved by the government. The eligible financial institutions are all "all scheduled commercial banks and specified Regional Rural Banks, NSIC, NEDFi, SIDBI, NBFCs, and Small Finance Banks (SFBs) which have entered into an agreement with the Trust for the purpose."

3) Credit Linked Capital Subsidy for Technology Upgrades

• The Indian government offers small scale industry businesses capital subsidies to upgrade their equipment and machinery to state-of-the-art (or near state-of-the-art) equipment.
• The government offers a 15% subsidy on the price of the equipment. The maximum subsidy amount under this program is INR 1 crore.
• To be eligible, the company must be a small scale industry business that is registered with the State Directorate of Industries that is looking to upgrade to state-of-the-art equipment or machinery or near state-of-the-art machinery or equipment. Small scale industry companies expanding to medium scale company are also eligible.
• New small scale industry businesses that are "registered with the State Directorate of Industries and which have set up their facilities only with the appropriate eligible and proven technology duly approved by the GTAB/TSC" are also eligible.
• The loan for the equipment or machinery purchase must have been approved by an eligible financial institution.
• The eligible financial institutions include "Scheduled Commercial Banks, Scheduled Cooperative Banks [including the urban cooperative banks co-­opted by the SIDBI under the Technological Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) of the Ministry of Textiles], Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), State Financial Corporations (SFCs) and North Eastern Development Financial Institution (NEDFi) are eligible as PLI under this scheme after they execute a General Agreement (GA) with any of the nodal agencies, i.e., the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)."

4) MSME Business Loans In 59 Minutes

• The Indian government offers eligible businesses subsidized loans with an interest rate as low as 8% in less than an hour.
• The government offers loans of between INR 10 lakh to INR 1 crore to eligible businesses. The loan approval process is automated,
• To be eligible for the loan, the business must be a micro, small, or medium enterprise that is GST (Indian Goods and Service Tax) and IT compliant.
• The company must have filed income tax for the last three years and must present its bank statement for the last six months.
• The company must also have a history of regular loan repayment and must not have defaulted in any loan repayment in the past.
• The company's eligibility is then determined based on the company's revenue, existing credit facility, and repayment capacity.

5) SIDBI MAKE IN INDIA SOFT LOAN FUND FOR MICRO SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMILE)

• The Indian government provides micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) with "soft loan, in the nature of quasi-equity and term loan on relatively soft terms to MSMEs to meet the required debt-equity ratio for the establishment of an MSME as also for pursuing opportunities for growth for existing MSMEs."
• Under the scheme, the minimum loan amount is INR 10 lakh for equipment finance and INR 25 lakh for other projects. The loan under this scheme has a long repayment period of up to 10 years.
• To be eligible, the MSME must be a new company in the manufacturing or service sector or an existing company that is expanding to take advantage of new opportunities.
• The MSME must have a minimum of 15% of the required loan amount to be eligible for the loan.

1. Buckinghamshire Business Growth Grants

• This government scheme can provide grants of up to £1,000 that can be invested in projects aimed to improve the business growth.
• It is open to businesses located in the County of Buckinghamshire, with a maximum employee count of 249.
• The organizer of the scheme is Buckinghamshire Business First.
• Businesses that have set up growth plans can fill an application for a £1,000 grant.
• This grant can be used to contribute in financing a specific project costing £3,000.
• The project can help to increase sales, profit, or productivity but can also apply to improving operational processes.
• Previous grants have been used to finance market research, CRM software, website design, or re-branding.
• More information can be obtained by phoning 01494927130 or emailing businesssupport@bbf.uk.com.

2. Better Broadband Subsidy Scheme

• This scheme provides UK businesses with subsidized broadband internet up to £350.
• The organizer of the scheme is Broadband Delivery UK, which is part of the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
• The scheme has been extended to December 2019 and is open to eligible applicants.
• Eligibility is based on whether the business will not have access to internet above 2 MB per second in the year to come. If that is the case, the Better Broadband Voucher Scheme can support businesses to access broadband with speed above 10 MB/second.
• Eligibility is also based on whether the business is the recipient of any state support, which include super fast broadband.
• The UK government has developed this subsidy to help homes and businesses by providing a maximum of £350 for basic broadband installation.
• The subsidy program was launched in December 2015 and benefited over 20,000 small businesses.
• The subsidy covers the installation and hardware cost of the broadband connection up to £400.

3. Business Energy Efficiency Programme — West Midlands

• This scheme provides free energy reviews and grants to support small businesses in the West Midlands region in their management and reduction of energy costs.
• Grants can reach from £2,000 to £20,000.
• Eligibility criteria is to be a small or medium business with a maximum of 249 employees located in one the following regions: Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Telford, Shorpshire and Wrekin.
• If eligible, businesses can have access to free energy efficiency assessments, which in turn can lead to being offered a grant that can be used to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs, as well as reducing the negative impact on the environment.
• The organizers for this scheme are Herefordshire Council, Telford and Wrekin Council, Worcestershire County Council, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, and the Shropshire Chamber of Commerce.
• Other eligibility criteria include having an annual revenue inferior to 50 million euros or an annual balance sheet below 43 million euros.
• The annual energy spend of the business should reach at least £2,000.
• It is limited to some types of industries, mainly B2B, which does not include primary agriculture and retail.
• Other industries such as banking, social welfare, and education are also not included in the scheme.
• The first step of the scheme is to receive a free energy efficiency assessment. Grants can then be awarded for 40% of the energy efficiency project cost.
• Examples of projects that can be funded with the grant range from light sensors, energy storage, to renewable technologies.
• It is possible to apply for the scheme by emailing sustainability@worcestershire.gov.uk or calling 01905677888.

4. Leeds City Region LEP Capital Grants

• The scheme awards grants to businesses that are undertaking expansion projects that create jobs in Leeds.
• Grants awarded can range from £10,000 to £250,000.
• They are available to businesses of at least 12 months old located or planning to locate to the Leeds City Region.
• To be eligible, businesses must have a capital investment project worth at least £50,000, and create permanent new jobs.
• Another eligibility criteria is to have private funding available to cover at least 75% of the capital investment, the other 25% being provided by the loan.
• The scheme can help fund capital investment in land, buildings, plants, machines, or equipment.
• It can also fund R&D projects that promote job growth.
• The project has to be within the area's key growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, digital, or low carbon.
• Those businesses need to have their operations located in commercial premises.
•  Leeds City Region includes the following cities or towns: Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield, and York.
• Organizers for this initiative are Leeds City Region (LCR) and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

5. Staffordshire Business Funding

• This initiative provides grants to businesses located in Staffordshire in order to help them finance external professional services to help the development or marketing of new products or services.
• Eligible services to be supported financially are IPR strategy, counsel on new product designs, or IT support.
• These grants can reach £5,000 or 37% of the cost incurred and target small and medium companies of less than 249 employees that are located in Staffordshire.
• The initiative is managed by Staffordshire Business Innovation Centre (BIC).
• Applicants can fill an expression of interest form online and submit it.
• Eligible candidates should be based in Staffordshire, but should also be B2B companies.
• They can also be new startups with an innovative product concept aimed at businesses.
• Companies who have already benefited from this grant in the last 3 years would not be eligible anymore.

Australian Government Industrial Financial Support

1) R&D Tax Incentive

• The Australian government offers a 43.5% refundable tax offset for costs incurred on research and development initiatives that meet the eligibility criteria for companies with less than $20 million in annual revenue.
• The Australian government offers a 38.5% non-refundable tax offset for costs incurred on research and development initiatives that meet the eligibility criteria for all other eligible companies.
• To be eligible, the company must be incorporated under Australian law and must have conducted either ‘Core R&D activities’ or ‘supporting R&D activities’. Companies incorporated under foreign law but that are Australian resident for income purposes or in a country with which Australia has double taxation agreement may also qualify.
• The Australian legislature under section 355-25 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 defines 'Core R&D Activities' as activities that are "experimental activities whose outcome cannot be known or determined in advance on the basis of current knowledge, information or experience, but can only be determined by applying a systematic progression of work that: (i) is based on principles of established science; and proceeds from hypothesis to experiment, observation and evaluation, and leads to logical conclusions; and (ii) that are conducted for the purpose of generating new knowledge (including new knowledge in the form of new or improved materials, products, devices, processes or services)."
• The legislature defines ‘Supporting R&D Activities' as "activities directly related to core R&D activities. However, if an activity: is an activity referred to in subsection 355-25(2); or produces goods or services; or is directly related to producing goods or services; the activity is a supporting R&D activity only if it is undertaken for the dominant purpose of supporting core R&D activities."
• Some R&D activities conducted in foreign countries may also be eligible if they are first registered and an eligibility finding is obtained from the government.

2) Certain Inputs to Manufacture

• The Australian government offers manufacturers importing or looking to import plastics, chemicals, paper goods, metal materials, or goods used in food packaging duty-free concessions to help reduce the company's importation cost.
• To be eligible, the company must be incorporated in Australia, and the company must also apply in advance before importing the goods.
• In addition, the company must also show/prove that the goods or material being imported will perform better than similar goods or input materials that are already being produced in Australia.
• The material or intermediate goods to be imported must be used to produce or manufacture a specific end product in Australia.

3) Accelerating commercialization PROGRAM

• The Australian government offers companies expert advice and up to $1 million in matched funding to cover commercialization costs that meet the eligibility criteria to help businesses take novel services, products, and processes to the market.
• The government can also provide matching funding of up to $250,000 to researchers that do not want to form a company in Australia if they are an Eligible Partner Entity or a commercialization office of an Australian university or other research organizations funded by the public.
• To be eligible, the company must have a novel service, product, or process they wish to bring to the market and must have received commercialization guidance from the government provided expert.
• The company must be a for-profit company that is registered and operating in Australia or an individual or partnership that agrees to form a for-profit company in Australia.
• The company must also prove that they can fund 50% of the cost of the venture, including the cost of "labor (plus on-costs), contracts, manufacturing plant, pilot and prototype manufacturing expenditure."
• The company must not be named "by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as a non-complying organization."
• The company must also have the intent to "trade to customers external to the state or territory of their place of business."
• The company must also have "the ownership, access or beneficial use of the intellectual property to undertake the commercialization project."

4) Business Evaluation Program

• The Australian government offers companies on-site business evaluation service by an independent and skilled business expert/adviser at no cost to the company. The business adviser will work with the company to develop "a business evaluation action plan with detailed analysis and recommendations to increase your business’s capability to trade in Australian markets and/or markets in other countries."
• If at the end of the process the business adviser recommends specific business "improvement activities to increase the business’s capability to trade in Australian markets and/or markets in other countries," the government will provide matching grants of 50% of the cost (minimum of $2,500 and maximum of $20,000) to the business.
• The company must have the "intent and opportunity to engage in or increase trade in Australian markets and/or markets in other countries."
• To be eligible, the company applying must be incorporated in Australia or an incorporated trustee that is applying on behalf of a trust.
• The company must have operated in "Australia and filed business activity statements showing ongoing trading in at least three consecutive years."
• The company must either be operating in on of the growth sectors (Food and Agribusiness, Advanced Manufacturing, Oil, Gas and Energy Resources, Mining Equipment, and Technology and Services) or plan on operating in one or more of the sector or be providing services to one or more of the growth sectors. Companies planning on operating in a growth sector must have the skill, intellectual property, and resources needed to operate in the sector.

5) Business Growth Fund Program

• The Queensland government of Australia offers small and medium companies funding of up to $50,000 to businesses with high growth potential to purchase and implement specialized services or equipment that will help them grow.
• To be eligible, the company must be headquartered in Queensland and must have had a minimum revenue of $500,000 in the last financial year.
• The company must have a minimum of three-year trading history and less than 50 employees at the time of application.
• The business must have "the potential for high-growth within the next 2 years. High-growth is generally considered to be a 20% increase in turnover or employment."
• The business must "not be insolvent or have owners/directors that are an undischarged bankrupt."
• The company must clearly demonstrate how the funding will help them achieve their business goal.