Policies to Support Small and Medium Businesses Ing. Petr Očko, Ph.D. Director of the EU Funds, Research and Development Section, MIT 6 March 2012 U.S.-Czech Innovation Conference, Prague
Agenda 1. Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation: Introduction 2. Impact of Crisis and Anti-crisis Measures 3. Knowledge Transfer Partnership 4. CzechAccelerator 2011 2014 5. CzechEcoSystem 6. Czech Development Closed-end Investment Fund(CDCIF)
Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation (OPEI) Global goal: Increase competitiveness and innovation performance of the industry and services sectors ShareofSMEsonTotalOPEISupport: Aid to SMEs will account for at least 2/3 of the total allocation of the OPEI (excl. PriorityAxes4and7) At least 1/2 of the allocation for each particular area of intervention (excl. Priority Axes4and7)willbespentonthesupportofSMEs With the sum of 3.671bil., OPEIis a key instrument for SMEssupport in the 2007-2013 period in the Czech Republic All 15 support programmes are primarily oriented on SMEs support
OPEI Programmes of Support Allocation EUR Celkem Allocation CZK Prioty Axis 1 Start 15,714,788 397,112,693 x Prioty Axis 2 Programme Seed fund I 31,792,025 803,384,472 x Progress 103,592,510 2,617,782,728 x Guarantee 189,593,839 4,791,036,312 x Seed fund II 21,194,683 535,589,639 x ICT in Enterprises 121,309,097 3,065,480,881 x Type of beneficiaries SMEs Large ICT and Strategic Services 215,003,323 5,433,133,972 x x Development 289,277,198 7,310,034,793 x Prioty Axis 3 EKO energies 456,605,881 11,538,430,613 x x Prioty Axis 4 Innovation 621,551,309 15,706,601,578 x x Potential 300,492,083 7,593,434,937 x x Prosperity 390,915,132 9,878,425,386 x x Prioty Axis 5 Cooperation 76,228,451 1,926,292,957 x x Training Centres 144,638,599 3,655,017,397 x x Real Estates 469,098,158 11,854,110,453 x x Prioty Axis 6 Consultancy 54,728,118 1,382,979,542 x Marketing 62,180,071 1,571,290,394 x Total OPEI 3,563,915,265 90,060,138,747 15x 8x
Current State of SMEs Support Medium Enterprises 39% Large Enterprises 9% Small Enterprises 52% The projects of SMEs represent more than 90 % of all supported grant projects More than 2/3 of support on each priority axis goes to SMEs 100 % of bank schemes reserved for SMEs Note: The chart represents projects supported within grant schemes from 1 Jan 2007 to 31 Dec 2011
OPEI Support of SMEs: Impact of Crisis Steep decline in investments Lower availability of commercial loan funding of new projects Substantial rise in project application withdrawals OPEI Support of SMEs: Anti-Crisis Measures Extra allocations for current calls for project applications (new calls for applications, bonus for projects implemented in converting regions) Possibility of changes in the schedule or cost structure of current projects Rendering services, when the project is drawn up and implemented by a governmental organisation with the beneficiary receiving assistance and service, not agrant:
I Knowledge Transfer Partnership New form of support based on the successful British programme Knowledge Transfer Partnership to enhance closer cooperation between Czech universities and R&D institutions and enterprises, especially SMEs focused on innovation Implemented in cooperation with specialists from the University of Salford (UK) in the Priority Axis 5, area of intervention Cooperation platfoms for financing of Innovative actions(new experimental activities projects and approaches) Total budget: approx. 1 mil. EUR Goal of the pilot projects is to assess and test the conditions of support for future launch of the full programme fit for knowledge based economy Projects are implemented as close partnerships between SMEs and universities, where the expertise and research from academic sphere is modified and localised for the specific needs of a SME on a project of strategic importance for its future development Results so far: two pilot calls released (June 2010, Sep. 2011) - 6 projects of enterprises with universities supported, 3 already successfully implemented, 3 to be completedinmarch2012/2ndcall 9newparnershipsselectedforsupport
II CzechAccelerator 2011-2014 Internal project of the CzechInvest Agency Implemented in the Priority Axis 6 - Business development services, area of intervention Support of consulting services Aimed at the development of Czech technology based SMEs in international markets. Objective Support of the development of Czech innovative companies in developed international markets by means of consulting services concentrating primarily on management competencies. Assistance in finding: Capital for financing the further development of a company (risk-capital fund, business angels), Strategic technology partner
II CzechAccelerator 2011-2014 Asequeltoaprecedingpilotstage: TookplaceinSiliconValley,USAfromApril2010toMarch2011. 10 participating businesses(8 ICT, 1 nanotech, 1 medtech), that acquired substantial experience intheus. The project has several stages. Prior to each of them, the call for submitting proposals is released, based on which the applicants are selected. 1stcall:6businesses(3inSiliconValley,WestCoastUS,and3inBostonu,EastCoastUS). 2ndcall:10businessesin5destinations(3inSiliconValley,3inBostonu,2inSingapore,1inIsrael, 1 in Switzerland). Implemented from Jan to Jul 2012. 3rdcall:1Jan2012to31Dec2012 Selection from two options: One3to6months stay Twostaysofatleast4months With the CzechAccelerator 2011 2014, repeated participation is possible. The participants that have already participated are allowed to submit their next applications, supposed that they comply with all conditions, but they cannot apply for a stay in a destination of their previous project implemented within the framework of Czech Accelerator.
III CzechEcoSystem Internal project of the CzechInvest Agency Implemented in the Priority Axis 6 - Business development services, area of intervention Support of consulting services Aimed at the development of Czech businesses in order to learn to prepare proposals for prospective investors. Helps to ensure portfolio for the demand part of the Seed-fund The project was approved by MIT management board(xii/2011) Preparation of public tenders for: Supplier of Coaches Scouts Provision of publicity and awareness raising services Provision of content and publication of brochures Provision of workshops and final conference
IV Czech Development Closed-end Investment Fund(CDCIF) Joint investments with private capital Private and state funding will be combined for the final beneficiary, small and medium-sized enterprises, i.e. at the level of the invested project. Private capital min. 30 % Public capital max. 70 % veřejný kapitál max. 70 % Amount of investment: Seed + Star-up stage: de minimis: max. 200 000 during 3 years (private coinvestment is not necessary) Seed+Start-up+ExpansionstageNOTdeminimis:max2,5mil. /year Type of companies suitable for the investment: SME with high innovative potential and promising fast expansion Advantage for Private Investors: State investment funds prefer early exit to reinvest the sources and attract more private capital, which is overall missing in the Czech Republic, mainly as regards early stage enterprises.
100% Share holder MIT (OPEI) 1) Seed/VC Fund (ČRUIF,a.s.) Grant, Management. Control 5) Depository 6) Audit Seed/VC Funds Steering Group Tender, Contrac t 2) Investment Management Company 3) Investment Commitee (DD) Contracts, Investments Max. 70 % CzechEkoSystem, IC, BIC, STP, BI (scouting, coaching, Pre-DD) 4a) Investment Advisors (Pre-DD) Contracts, Investments Min. 30% 4b) Private Investors Tender, Contract Payments Projekt y (MSP) SMEs DD = Due Diligence Pre-DD = Pre-Due- Diligence
IV CDCIF progress in implementation Czech government approved establisment of a joint-stock company, Czech Development, Closed-end Investment Fund, which will be 100% owned by the state.(23.11.2011): this joint-stock company will ask for a licence to perform the activities of an investment fund (in particular, the State Fund of Qualified Investors SFQI = Specialized Investment Fund) The Fund will be administrate and supervised by a management investment company selected through an open award procedure pursuant to Act no. 137/2006 Coll., on public contracts. The Fund will operate under the Act on collective investment, therefore the Czech National Bank(CNB) shall provide supervision.
IV CDCIF progress in implementation Preparation for establisment of a joint stock company Deed of foundation Articles Board of directors + Supervisory board Foundation of the joint-stock company Notarial record Registered capital payment(2 mil. CZK)
IV CDCIF progress in implementation Preparation for public tender to selection of a management investment company Basic structure and obligatory requierements for a Statute Basic structure and obligatory requierements for a contract between the Fund and a Management company Preparation of complete tender documentation Preparation for public tender to selection of a depositary Basic structure and obligatory requierements for a contract between the Fund and a Depositary Preparation of complete tender documentation
IV CDCIF nextsteps(aftercontractswiththe management company and the depositary) Preparation of application for Investment fund licence (granted by Czech National Bank): Contract with the management company and business plan of the Fund Fund Statute ManagingpersonsoftheFund Contract with the depositary and other requirements by the Collective Investment Act After licencing: Recording in the Business Register Transferofmoney(grant)onanaccountoftheClosed-endFund Start of carrying out investment process
Selection of SME (projects) for venture investments (SME point of view) Applicants for investment SME SME MSP SME SME Investment Company CzechInvest Scouts Investment Advisors (Pre-DD) Investment board (DD) Czech EkoSystem (Development plan, coaching, Pre-DD) Seed/VC fund (SFKI) DD Ready (mature) SME MSP SME DD Soukromí investoři Soukromí investoři Private Investors Investment SME Target SME Investment
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