# C_2011123EN.01000701.xml

| 21.4.2011 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 123/7 |
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21.4.2011

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 123/7

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Information communicated by the EFTA States regarding State aid granted under the Act referred to in point 1j of Annex XV to the EEA Agreement (Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/2008 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the common market in application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty (General Block Exemption Regulation))

2011/C 123/06

PART I

| Aid No | GBER 2/11/R&D |
| --- | --- |
| EFTA State | Norway |
| Granting authority | Name | Innovation Norway |
| Address | PO Box 448 Sentrum |
| 0104 Oslo |
| NORWAY |

Aid No

GBER 2/11/R&D

EFTA State

Norway

Granting authority

Name

Innovation Norway

Address

PO Box 448 Sentrum

0104 Oslo

NORWAY

Web page

http://www.innovationnorway.com

Title of the aid measure

Landsdekkende innovasjonsordning — NHD 2421.50 (National Innovation Scheme)

The scheme receives only parts of the funding from NHD 2421.50

National legal basis (Reference to the relevant national official publication)

Prop. 1 S (2010-2011), pages 134-136, see

http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/nhd/dok/regpubl/prop/2010-2011/prop-1-s-20102011.html?id=618824

Web link to the full text of the aid measure

http://www.innovasjonnorge.no/Tjenester/Finansiering/

Type of measure

Scheme

Yes (grants to beneficiaries)

Amendment of an existing aid measure

EFTA Surveillance Authority Decisions Nos 170/94/COL, 129/00/COL and 130/00/COL, will expire. The temporary small aid scheme (Decision No 235/09/COL) will also expire

Duration

Scheme

From 1.1.2011

Allocations are subject to the annual parliamentary budgetary procedure. The scheme has been in operation for more than 20 years and no termination is planned in the foreseeable future

Economic sector(s) concerned

All economic sectors eligible to receive aid

All sectors

Type of beneficiary

SME

Yes

Large enterprises

Yes

Budget

Annual overall amount of the budget planned under the scheme

NOK 213 (in millions)

For guarantees

NOK 40 million from all Innovation Norway’s schemes managed on behalf of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. This is the sum of all guarantees possible to cover from the scheme. Guarantees are normally limited to NOK 12 million each, in line with the rules on de minimis aid

de minimis

Aid instrument (Article 5)

Grant

Yes

Interest rate subsidy (on loans provided by Innovation Norway)

Yes

Loan

Yes

Guarantee/Reference to the EFTA Surveillance Authority’s decision

Yes — as de minimis aid or within the safe-harbour premiums for SMEs

de minimis

PART II

| General objectives (list) | Objectives (list) | Maximum aid intensity in % or maximum aid amount in NOK (1) | SME-bonuses in % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SME investment and employment aid
  (Article 15) | | 20 % in the case of small enterprises
  10 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises | |
| Aid for small enterprises newly created by female entrepreneurs
  (Article 16) | | 15 % | |
| Environmental investment aid for the promotion of energy from renewable energy sources
  (Article 23) | 45 % | 20 % bonus to small enterprises
  10 % bonus to medium-sized enterprises |
| Aid for consultancy in favour of SMEs and SME participation in fairs
  (Articles 26-27) | Aid for consultancy in favour of SMEs
  (Article 26) | 50 % | |
| Aid for SME participation in fairs
  (Article 27) | | |
| Aid for research, development and innovation
  (Articles 30-37) | Aid for research and development projects
  (Article 31) | Fundamental research
  (Article 31(2)(a)) | | |
| Industrial research
  (Article 31(2)(b)) | 50 %: a 15 % bonus may be added to all enterprises up to a maximum of 80 % if the prescribed conditions apply in paragraph 4 applies | 20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises |
| Experimental development
  (Article 31(2)(c)) | 25 %: a 15 % bonus may be added to all enterprises if the prescribed conditions in paragraph 4 apply. | 20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises |
| Aid for technical feasibility studies
  (Article 32) | 65 % for studies preparatory to industrial research, and 40 % for studies preparatory to experimental development | 10 % for small and medium-sized enterprises |
| Training aid
  (Articles 38-39) | Specific training
  (Article 38(1)) | 25 % | 20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises |
| General training
  (Article 38(2)) | 60 % | 20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises |

General objectives (list)

Objectives (list)

Maximum aid intensity in % or maximum aid amount in NOK (1)

1

SME-bonuses in %

SME investment and employment aid

(Article 15)

20 % in the case of small enterprises

10 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises

Aid for small enterprises newly created by female entrepreneurs

(Article 16)

15 %

Environmental investment aid for the promotion of energy from renewable energy sources

(Article 23)

45 %

20 % bonus to small enterprises

10 % bonus to medium-sized enterprises

Aid for consultancy in favour of SMEs and SME participation in fairs

(Articles 26-27)

Aid for consultancy in favour of SMEs

(Article 26)

50 %

Aid for SME participation in fairs

(Article 27)

Aid for research, development and innovation

(Articles 30-37)

Aid for research and development projects

(Article 31)

Fundamental research

(Article 31(2)(a))

Industrial research

(Article 31(2)(b))

50 %: a 15 % bonus may be added to all enterprises up to a maximum of 80 % if the prescribed conditions apply in paragraph 4 applies

20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises

Experimental development

(Article 31(2)(c))

25 %: a 15 % bonus may be added to all enterprises if the prescribed conditions in paragraph 4 apply.

20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises

Aid for technical feasibility studies

(Article 32)

65 % for studies preparatory to industrial research, and 40 % for studies preparatory to experimental development

10 % for small and medium-sized enterprises

Training aid

(Articles 38-39)

Specific training

(Article 38(1))

25 %

20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises

General training

(Article 38(2))

60 %

20 % for small enterprises, 10 % for medium-sized enterprises

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(1)  Amounts in NOK are subject to an exchange rate EURO:NOK of 1:8.

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