Innovative vouchers up to UAH 60,000 for small and medium-sized businesses in Ivano-Frankivsk

On May 3, applications will be accepted for the Competition for Support of Innovative Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Ivano-Frankivsk City Territorial Community.

The competition is part of the project "New Economy of Ivano-Frankivsk (NEF) - Support for New Clusters of Innovative Economic Activity in Ivano-Frankivsk" funded by the European Union under the Mayors for Economic Growth program. The Executive Committee of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council is one of the project partners and the organizer of the competition.

The aim of the competition is to promote the development of entrepreneurial activity, provide financial support to small and medium-sized businesses in Ivano-Frankivsk to develop the innovation economy in the city.

The competition will begin on 05/04/2023, which will be officially announced with information on the terms and conditions of the application. Applications can be submitted from May 04 to 23, 2023.

Information on the start of the application process will also be published on the New Economy of Ivano-Frankivsk page, the official website of Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, and the Zakhidnyi Kurier newspaper.

According to the results of the competition, 20 winners will receive up to UAH 60,000 (excluding VAT) each in the form of "innovation vouchers" for the implementation of innovation-related projects.

Who can participate in the competition?

Individual entrepreneurs, legal entities - representatives of small and medium-sized businesses that conduct business in Ivano-Frankivsk and submit their project in accordance with the Competition Regulations.

What can I get funding for?
Priority will be given to innovative ideas and projects in the following areas:

Innovations: research and development of new products, which may include design services, product modeling, industrial design for the product, customization of the product for a new type of customer, development of algorithms; certification, which may include obtaining national certificates and certification in international organizations; patenting; licensing; copyright registration; use of design laboratories, workshops;

Marketing: creation and updating of websites, their promotion; development of a product brand, logo, packaging design; distribution of products in online stores; development and publication (printing) of visual advertising materials (leaflets, brochures, flyers, advertising catalogs, directories);

Consulting: preparation of research and development aimed at increasing the economic efficiency and competitiveness of the business, which may include the preparation of a business model, business plan, financial plan, preparation of the company's export strategy, establishment of business processes; assessment of investment attractiveness and determination of the value of the business for attracting investment - business valuation; assessment of business cases for investing own resources (for example, development of new products, entering new markets, creating own production) - assessment

What are the project evaluation criteria?

The Selection Committee will evaluate applications based on the following criteria
- the impact of the project results on increasing business capitalization (creation of intellectual property, attraction of investments, etc;)
- impact of the project results on the commercial result (increase in sales, export growth, launch of new products or services)
- project novelty (how new the project is for the company);
- project relevance;

- project viability after implementation.

Each of the criteria is scored from 1 to 10. Based on the results of the total score for each submitted project, the Competition Commission makes a decision.

The competition to support the innovative development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Ivano-Frankivsk city territorial community is part of the project "New Economy of Ivano-Frankivsk (NEF) - Support for New Clusters of Innovative Economic Activity in Ivano-Frankivsk", which is funded under the Mayors for Economic Growth program of the European Union.

The New Economy of Ivano-Frankivsk project is being implemented jointly by the Executive Committee of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, the Promprylad.Renovation innovation center, METALAB urban laboratory, PPV Knowledge Networks economic development agency, and the Teple Misto platform.