The CDTI and MINCyT in Argentina open the third call to finance business development and innovation projects in any sector.

Characteristics of potential projects to participate:

1. Projects may be in any branch of activity and any basic technology.

2. Develop technology which, on the basis of an industrial research activity, leads to an innovative product, process or service with market prospects (at pilot or prototype scale).

3. The proposal must be balanced between the parties and the results must be of benefit to the parties.

4. At least one Argentinean and one Spanish company must participate.

5. On the Argentinean side, at least one SME has to participate, On the Spanish side, one company has to participate.

6. The project participants must agree in Phase I on the intellectual property rights aspects and the strategy for commercialisation of the project outcome.

Minimum project budget:

The Spanish part: €175,000 if it is a company, and €500,000 if it is a consortium. The Argentinean part: No minimum limit, but it must be a balanced project in weight of both countries.

Amount of aid:

 Argentina: Maximum 2.5 million Argentinean pesos (269.000€) in the form of a grant not exceeding 70% of the budget of the Argentinean part, nor 50% of the total project.

Spain: up to 75%, of which up to 30% may be subsidised

The call will take place in two phases:

Phase I: presentation of business R&D&I project profiles together with a Gantt chart, valued in US dollars, with the activities to be carried out by the project partners and a collaboration and exploitation of results agreement signed by all participating partners. This documentation will be evaluated by experts from both countries and those projects that are eligible for both organisations will be allowed to move on to the next phase.

 Phase II: proposals positively evaluated in Phase I may submit the application for funding for their participation in the project to the respective national funding bodies.

Deadlines for submission:

For Phase I: Between 24 February and 12 May 2015 at 12:00 Argentina time / 17:00 Spain time.

For Phase II: The opening of Phase II will be announced in the second half of July, with the opening scheduled for 22 July, with a closing date of 29 September.

Eligible expenditure

Costs of research and technical support staff, augmented in the company to carry out the project.

Expenditure on staff training necessary for the implementation of the project is not eligible, nor is expenditure on the purchase of second-hand goods, real estate, rents or payments to companies linked to the beneficiary.

If you think that your company can benefit from this aid, do not hesitate to contact us, by calling +34 946424142 or filling in the form . ABRA-INVEST  has a team of public finance experts at your disposal.