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ATTRACTION OF INVESTMENTS IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA, online the eighth call to enter into regional Agreements for the Settlement and Development of Enterprises. Applications can be submitted from the 26th of January 2026 to the 31th of March 2026 (12am).

The following content represent a summary of the main characteristics of the tender. Please refer to the full text of the call for proposal (in Italian) before sending your application. 

RESOURCES

13.2 million euros of resources are available for the present call for proposal. 

MAIN OBJECTIVES

-    Support investments of regional interest that increase the competitiveness and innovative capacity of the regional value chains
-    Integration with the research and training system
-    Relevant employment impact and economic, environmental and social sustainability
-    Even if the whole regional territory is eligible, a further objective is the development of disadvantaged areas

BENEFICIARIES

The agreement is open to:

  • foreign/national companies not already settled in the region that intend to invest in Emilia-Romagna (with at least one local unit to be settled in Emilia-Romagna before the signing of the Agreement)
  • regional companies already established in Emilia-Romagna
  • newco, made up of at least two subjects with different ownership

TYPES OF INTERVENTION:

The call for proposal allows receiving non-repayable grants - with a single procedure - in the following types of intervention:

  • R&D - Research and development. This type of intervention is mandatory to be eligible for the call
  • Testing and experimentation facilities
  • Energy from renewable sources
  • Investment aid for the implementation of investment programs by SMEs across the regional territory, and by large enterprises only within assisted areas (Art. 14 and Art. 17 of the GBER)

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

  • R&D intervention is mandatory to be eligible for the call
  • Each R&D project must have total eligible costs of:
    -  no less than €3 million for large enterprises; 
    -  no less than €2 million for SMEs."
  • Each R&D project must include mandatory expenditure for new research personnel. Such personnel must be hired on open-ended (permanent) contracts after the submission of the application and must hold a Master’s degree in technical-scientific disciplines. Master’s degrees in other fields will also be eligible, provided there is a clear and demonstrable link to the planned research activities
  • Each R&D project must include a mandatory (minimum) expenditure for collaborations with universities, research organizations, research institutions, and/or other entities primarily engaged in research, innovation, or know-how transfer. This is calculated based on the following two tiers of R&D investment for each individual project: 
    -  10% of eligible expenses up to €2.5 million for large enterprises and up to €1.5 million for SMEs; 
    -  5% of eligible expenses exceeding €2.5 million (up to a maximum of €4 million) for large enterprises, and exceeding €1.5 million (up to a maximum of €3 million) for SMEs.
  • An industrial plan has to be attached to the eligible programme.

BONUS GRANT INCREASE FOR 30 NEW HIRES

The grant amount for one or more industrial research and experimental development projects may be increased — in accordance with the percentages set out in the Call —  upon the submission of an employment plan (as defined in the Call), which provides for at least 30 new full-time, open-ended hires based at the investment site.

TIMING AND DURATION

  • Deadline for application: 31st of March 2026 (12am)
  • Opening of the online platform to submit the application: 26th of January 2026
  • The investment programme has to be completed by June 30, 2028. A 6-month extension can be requested.
  • Eligible expenses will be considered starting from the date of the application submission until June 30, 2028 (subject to potential extensions)

LINK AND CONTACTS

FOREIGN COMPANIES SUPPORTED BY THE PREVIOUS TENDERS include: Lamborghini (DE), Ducati (DE), AVL (AU), Newcleo (UK), Meta System Spa (DE), FEV (DE), YNAP (CH), CPC (JP), B.BRAUN (DE), JMA Wireless (USA), Cooltech (DE), System Logistics (DE), Spectrum Medical (Ex Qura, UK)
 

Tag
Incentives
Innovation