ERDF 128: ERDF Innovation Action Grant Schemes (Innovation and Environment)

This aid scheme is an incentive to help SMEs n the manufacturing industry and related services, meet today's business challenges by stimulating innovative processes, products and services and organisational innovations or to implement eco-innovation projects with the aim to contribute towards environmental sustainability.

The Innovation Action Scheme is an incentive to assist SMEs in the manufacturing industry and related services through two specific calls on Innovation and Environment. The overall objectives are: Innovation - in exploiting new ideas to achieve better results in an increasingly competitive global environment, through product, service, process or organisational innovation. Environment: in implementing eco-innovation projects to contribute towards sustainability, through consultancy, acquisition of plant, machinery and equipment and licensing and certification.

The aid scheme in the manufacturing industry and related services run by Malta Enterprises will assist a total of 180 enterprises invest in innovative technologies such as exploring new ideas to achieve better results in an increasingly competitive global environment through product, service, process or organisational innovation. This may entail the development of a new production line which is developing a new product or the improvement of a new production line to upgrade into more innovative/eco-friendly technology. The aid scheme will also assist enterprises invest in eco-innovation projects to contribute towards environmental sustainability, through consultancy, acquisition of plant, machinery and equipment and licensing and certification. This will generate more efficient work flows and improved products assisting these enterprises compete in their respective competitive globalised markets.

The direct benefit of the aid scheme to the manufacturing industry and related services are: Innovation - to support SMEs develop innovative processes, products and services allowing these SMEs become more competitive in their sector both at a national level and international level allowing them expand their market share through new products and services; Environment - to assist SMEs in implementing eco-innovation projects that will contribute towards environmental sustainability. The approach of increasing the corporate social responsibility of the enterprise from an environmental perspective may allow the enterprise to tap into new markets or establish new clients who seek environmentally sustainable suppliers/clients. The end result will consist in the achievement of the overall objective of the scheme, i.e. having SMEs able to invest in projects to stimulate innovative processes, products, services and organisational innovations to meet today's business challenges.