Funding for e-commerce development of SMEs

SIMEST, the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group company, which has been supporting the growth of Italian companies through the internationalization of their business since 1991, has activated Facilitated Financing and extraordinary measures for Italian SMEs.

Thanks toEuropean Union resources-NextGenerationEU-under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), funding lines have in fact been activated to support the internationalization processes and digital and ecological transition of Italian SMEs.

Specifically, one of the instruments funded with NRP resources is the “Development of SME e-commerce in foreign countries (e-commerce)“

What is funded

Creation and development of an IT platform or the use of a market place

• platform creation, acquisition and configuration
• hardware and software components
• Software component extensions to expand functionality (e.g., order management software, payment circuits, cloud services, integrations with ERP, CRM, AI, and augmented reality)
• app creation and configuration
• start-up costs of using a market place.

Investment for the platform or market place

• platform domain hosting fees
• fee for using the platform or a market place
• Expenses for investment in data and platform security
• addition of content and graphic solutions
• Expenses for the development of platform access monitoring
• Expenses for the development of navigation data analysis and tracking
• Consulting services aimed at developing and/or modifying the platform
• registration, approval and trademark protection
• Expenses for international product certifications.

Promotional expenses and training related to the project

• expenses for indexing the platform or market place
• web marketing expenses
• communication expenses
• Training of internal staff assigned to manage/operate the platform

How the funding is structured

This is a de minimis low-interest Loan with co-funding under Temporary Framework* intended for the implementation of a digital investment project for the creation or improvement of a e-commerce platform owned (dedicated) or access to a third-party platform (market place) for the marketing of goods or services produced in Italy or under the Italian brand name.

How much is funded

• For an own platform: up to €300,000 and in any case not more than 15 percent of the average revenues resulting from the last two approved financial statements filed by the company
• For a third-party platform: up to €200,000 and in any case not more than 15 percent of the average revenues resulting from the last two approved financial statements filed by the company

Minimum amount of € 10,000

Maximum grant share: up to 40 percent for SMEs in the South (i), up to 25 percent for the remaining SMEs. The share of non-repayable co-funding is granted in each case within the overall maximum amount of Temporary Framework facilitation per enterprise.

Documentation

Reference documents, product sheet, attachments and further details have been published by SIMEST on this page:
https://www.simest.it/finanziamenti-pnrr/sviluppo-del-commercio-elettronico-delle-pmi-in-paesi-esteri-(e-commerce)

Deadlines

Extended application deadline to May 31, 2022:
https://www.simest.it/finanziamenti-pnrr/finanziamenti-agevolati-pnrr-nextgenerationeu

Is this type of financing not for you?

Keep an eye on these other resources:

The information channels of the Ministry of Economic Development dedicated to Companies

• Incentives and Support Tools – these are incentive and support measures aimed at businesses and the productive world initiated by MISE for which applications can be submitted.
  https://www.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/incentivi
  
  
• Innovative start ups and SMEs – Administrative simplification and tax relief for innovative startups and SMEs, that is, all small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the field of technological innovation, regardless of the date of incorporation or corporate purpose.
  https://www.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/per-l-impresa/innovazione2

And finally, let’s always keep an eye on our Chambers of Commerce from which incentives such as the recent ones of digital vouchers to support the development of innovation and digital in businesses could come
https://www.camcom.gov.it/