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The Government of the Generalitat reinforces its tools to boost companies. During 2023, ACCIÓ, the agency for the competitiveness of the company of the Department of Enterprise and Work, will allocate 200 million euros in aid, services and programs to industry and the competitiveness of companies, 22% more than in the year 2022. This has been announced by the Minister of Business and Employment, Roger Torrent i Ramió, and the Secretary of Business and Competitiveness and ACCIÓ’s CEO, Albert Castellanos i Maduell, in the framework of the “ACCIÓ ‘ON’: fem today the company of tomorrow” that are held this March in eight cities in Catalonia. These events, which will have brought together more than a thousand managers and directors of companies from all over the country, have served to publicize ACCIÓ’s portfolio of services for the productive fabric.
The Minister of Business and Work, Roger Torrent, has highlighted that “in an environment of extreme complexity, the Government wants to be closer than ever to companies, and accompany them at a decisive moment in which the economy of the next few decades”. For his part, Secretary Castellanos assured that “the world has changed a lot and it has done so rapidly, also in the business environment. ACCIÓ makes available to companies the tools that help them transform their business model in order to adapt to the future and position themselves in the most competitive way”.
Castellanos has announced that this year five new aid lines will be activated with a budget of 13 million euros to promote new technological innovation projects by Catalan companies, international promotion, the opening of subsidiaries abroad, the growth of startups deeptech and access to Horizon Europe funds.
ACCIÓ’s aid for this year falls into two large groups depending on the phase in which the company is. The first is aid that allows the company to begin a process of strategic reflection and definition of a roadmap in different areas (digitization, sustainability or internationalization…). They are the ACCIÓ Coupons to the competition of the company, a line of well-established aid and in great demand by companies, which offer up to 20,000 euros to contract specialized services and which it is expected that this year more than 700 SMEs will be able to obtain catalan The call will open next May.
The second type of aid is for a second, more advanced phase, in which the company can develop this roadmap -previously defined- and implement it with specific projects. In this case, they can reach 250,000 euros per company and are articulated in different calls that will be opened between May and October. ACCIÓ offers a free fortnightly information service where openings and details of these and other calls are announced.
ACCIÓ’s aid and services are specified in four areas. First of all, regarding business strategy, this 2023 highlights the Novas Oportunitats de Negoci program. This is a grant of up to 60,000 euros to carry out or implement a business plan that involves a strategic change. “This help has allowed us to create a new line of e-commerce and has pushed us to take advantage of a new business opportunity that we might have discarded if we hadn’t had it,” says Martina Font, corporate director of Font Packaging Group. In this area, ACCIÓ’s Next Generation EU Office is also consolidated to facilitate companies’ access to European Union funds, with personalized advice and a tailor-made alert system.
A second area is the instruments related to technological transformation and disruption, which this year increases its budget by 65%. Lines such as R&D Centers stand out, with grants of up to 250,000 euros that subsidize research and development projects with a high technological risk. In 2023, this initiative will have a budget of almost 17 million euros, 70% more than last year.
In parallel, Catalan SMEs also have access to the ProACCIÓ 4.0 and ProACCIÓ Green programmes, which encourage the development of technological projects in the fields of digitization and the fight against climate change. They also highlight new lines that will allow access to European aid from Horizon Europe. As for startups, a new co-investment fund will be activated with a budget of 2.5 million euros specifically for emerging deeptech companies.
In addition, this year an advisory service for SMEs in the field of intellectual and industrial property was consolidated. “It is very important that SMEs have this knowledge. When we started the service we realized that we didn’t know anything”, explains Pere Roset, founder and president of Aumenta Solutions.
The third area is the promotion of internationalization in which this year the agency will increase the allocation of the budget allocated by 60%. For example, Catalan SMEs considering starting to export can access ACCIÓ Internationalization Coupons, direct aid of between 2,500 and 8,000 euros to develop an international promotion plan or hire an export manager. In addition, companies that aim to increase their commercial presence abroad through digital channels can access aid of up to 6,000 euros to develop e-commerce websites or portals focused on foreign markets, promote international digital marketing actions or participate in marketplaces, among others.
In fact, this year two new lines are activated to facilitate digital and face-to-face international promotion activities and a program that will promote the opening of new subsidiaries of Catalan companies abroad.
In addition, companies can receive advice and personalized follow-up from ACCIÓ’s 40 Foreign Trade and Investment Offices around the world to start or speed up their international expansion projects. Ricard Lascorz, CEO of Plimon Global, certifies the value of these offices. “It is not just about calling an office: there is a professional who is there 24 hours a day with a very deep knowledge of the market. This fact has allowed us to speed up our internationalization process”, he assures.
Finally, the fourth area has the objective of promoting productive investment in Catalonia. In 2023, ACCIÓ’s High Impact aid line will make up to 24 million euros available to companies within the framework of the High Impact line. This is a grant of up to 200,000 euros that subsidizes the hiring of qualified personnel, investment in fixed assets or the acquisition of equipment for R&D centers, among others.
ACCIÓ’s support is key to encouraging investment with impact and the landing of foreign multinationals, as illustrated by Gerard Esparducer, general director of ERNI Spain. “ACCIÓ was the cornerstone of ERNI landing in Catalonia: they advised us on legal issues, in the search for offices and suppliers, they put us in contact with universities… It was like a tailor-made suit, with a single point of contact that He accompanied us and listened at all times. ACCIÓ’s good work reached our headquarters, in Switzerland: coming to Catalonia had been a good decision and this led to new investments”, he affirms.
