Which modifications has CDTI
included in its most recent programmes?

Read article at El Mundo Financiero

Which modifications has CDTI included in its most recent programmes?

All the companies in our country, regardless of their size or sector of activity, can benefit from different financial aid for the development of their projects, distinguishing between private and public financing. The latter is granted through different State and Autonomous Community institutions in the form of subsidies, credits or partially reimbursable aid and is usually conditioned by the European framework in which the projects are developed. The CDTI, the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation, is one of the main reference bodies for the management of public funds for companies.

But what changes has this organisation made to its latest programmes? Before detailing them, it is very important to highlight that we live in a very changing public funding environment, marked by the arrival of the Next Generation Funds and the rise in interest rates, among other things, where even the traditional programmes have been subject to changes in their conditions. Such is the case of the CDTI, which has recently modified the funding conditions for its main programmes: Research and Development Projects (PID), Innovation Hotline (LIC) and Expansion Hotline (LICA).

However, it should be noted that, although the interest rates for the granting of loans is determined by the rise in Euribor, the CDTI, through its programmes, is trying to counteract this increase by increasing the percentage in the non-refundable tranches of aid in the event of the availability of European Funds, either from the ERDF, through the Commission’s Multiannual Financial Plan for the period 2021-2027, or from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism within the Next Generation framework. This aspect clearly benefits companies, although it should be borne in mind that the allocation of European Funds will oblige beneficiaries, among other things, to justify and accredit compliance with the Do Not Significant Harm (DNSH) principle of not causing significant harm to the environment, if necessary in each project.

Amendments to 3 different aid programmes

In the case of CDTI aid, the latest changes introduced are as follows:

  • In the case of the “Research and Development Projects Line (PID)” programme, focused on projects for the creation and significant improvement of production processes, products or services, the non-refundable tranches remain in the range of 20 to 33% of the aid, and can even be raised to 27% in Aragon, Catalonia, Madrid, Navarre and the Basque Country when ERDF funds are available.
  • With regard to the “Innovation Direct Line” programme, aimed at projects very close to markets that allow companies to increase their competitiveness through the incorporation of innovative technologies, the interest rates are raised to Euribor + 0.75% or 1.5%, depending on the chosen repayment period – 4 or 6 years. In the case of this programme, the non-refundable tranches of this aid are increased to 5% in general or up to 7% when ERDF funds are available. In addition, the execution period for actions is extended to 24 months.
  • Finally, in the “Direct Expansion Line” programme, focused on productive investment initiatives in the most disadvantaged regions, the interest rate is raised to Euribor + 1%, and the non-refundable tranche may reach 25% if European funds are available.

It should also be remembered that the allocation of non-refundable tranches of aid is equivalent to the granting of a non-refundable subsidy, since they do not have to be returned to the CDTI, which is a great advantage for companies.

In addition, another of the great benefits of all these CDTI lines is that they keep the application window open all year round, being able to evaluate applications and allocate funds by means of a simple first-come, first-served process. In addition, all those companies that are granted funding are eligible for an advance of 35-50%, depending on the programme, without the need to provide additional guarantees. Another novelty in some of the CDTI programmes is that companies that were not in crisis on 31 December 2019, but became companies in crisis in the period between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, may be beneficiaries of this aid.

For these reasons, and based on all these advantages, the aid offered by the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) is considered to be one of the most beneficial aids for companies in terms of public funding.

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