Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises

(2002/C 288/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 06/02

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: South West

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Heritage economic regeneration scheme for Falmouth

Legal basis: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Sections 57, 77, 79 and 80. The National Heritage Act 1983, Section 33

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total ERDF grant GBP 357360. Total common fund GBP 748610.

No grant to an SME under this block exemption is estimated likely to be over GBP 70000.

The project funding package for the scheme is as follows:

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SMEs will match a grant from the common fund with their own resources

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity is 50 %.

A maximum of 35 % ERDF and the remainder from other public bodies.

The grant will be used within Cornwall which has Objective 1 status

Date of implementation: First grant 1 January 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Final claim by 30 September 2005

Objective of aid: To facilitate the regeneration of buildings owned by SMEs so as to maintain their economic use through external improvements and some restoration to vacant floorspace.

This work is one element of a wider image enhancement programme for Falmouth Town Centre.

Contractors undertaking works will be appointed through open tender

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors excluding: Agriculture/Fisheries and aquaculture/Coal mining/Steel/Shipbuilding/Synthetic fibres/Motor vehicles/Maritime transport system/Other transport services/Financial services

Name and address of the granting authority: Government Office South West ( Philip Charlesworth ) Mast House

Shepherds Wharf

24 Sutton Road

Plymouth PL4 OHJ United Kingdom

Other information: The grant will be managed by Carrick District Council ( Tim Kellett ) Planning and Leisure Services Department Carrick House

Pydar Street

Truro Cornwall TR1 1GT United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 100/01

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Midlands

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Accelerate Action Plan for the West Midlands

Legal basis: The DTI funding is provided under the Industrial Development Act (1982), Sections 7, 8 and 11.

The ERDF funds are provided through the Single Programming Document for the West Midlands, which was drawn up under Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: This new scheme will provide funding of some GBP 26 million (EUR 41 million) over a period of six years from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2007. This comprises both ERDF and United Kingdom Government funding. The final year is subject to renewal of the SME block exemption.

The estimated annual funding profile is as follows:

- 2002: GBP 4,5 million (EUR 7,1 million)

- 2003: GBP 6,0 million (EUR 9,5 million)

- 2004: GBP 5,5 million (EUR 8,7 million)

- 2005: GBP 4,0 million (EUR 6,3 million)

- 2006: GBP 3,0 million (EUR 4,8 million)

- 2007: GBP 2,0 million (EUR 3,2 million)

This funding will be used to support SMEs (which meet the definition set out in Annex 1 to Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001) located in the West Midlands region. In the case of consultancy, the support offered will be for one-off and non-recurring activities in accordance with Article 5(a) of that Regulation and the consultanes will be selected competitively from a shortlist of three companies in accordance with the practice of United Kingdom "Business Link" organisations.

The programme will fund the following activities (with the level of support expressed on a gross basis):

- consultancy and company networking to develop best practice in business processes (up to 50 % support),

- advice to improve the flexibility and skills of the company workforce (up to 50 % support),

- grants towards capital equipment used for product or process innovation in companies (up to 25 % support).

For the avoidance of doubt, the level of support shown above comprises both ERDF and United Kingdom Government funds.

Note on capital grants

For capital grants offered to SMEs within the agreed assisted areas, the level of support offered will be dependent on the status of the individual ward (administrative division) within which the SME operates.

For capital grants offered to SMEs outside the assisted areas, support will either be offered under the de minimis arrangements or reduced to a level compatible with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 and will then be included within this notification.

In all cases, SMEs will contribute at least 25 % (and, in most cases, the entire remaining amount) of the capital cost of the investment, in accordance with Article 4(3) of that Regulation.

Monitoring and reporting

Records of assistance to companies will be maintained for ten years from the date on which individual assistance is granted and appropriate information will be notified to the Commission on an annual basis in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001. In addition, all other requirements of Article 9 (in particular, the maintenance of such records as will allow compliance with Article 9(2)) will be fulfilled.

The award of grants will be monitored by local Business Link organisations under a framework set out by the granting authority. These organisations are already familiar with the application of the de minimis ceiling and the requirement to ensure that aid from different sources is not awarded such that individual SMEs exceed the rolling three-year threshold. The provisions of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 will be clarified and the records kept by the Business Links will be examined to ensure that they are sufficient and correctly maintained

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity will be 50 % for advice, consultancy and network support and 25 % for assistance with capital investment.

The maximum amount available to any one company will be GBP 200000 (EUR 317000) over the six-year period. No company will receive more than GBP 120000 ( EUR190000) from this scheme over any three-year period

Date of implementation: 1 January 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Six years, but this notification applies to the first five years only

Objective of aid: The objective of this aid is to improve the competitiveness of small and medium-sized component manufacturing companies through the development of new products and the improvement of business processes.

The objective will be achieved through business planning and benchmarking, consultancy, advice on workforce development, supply chain activity, networking and capital investment. Companies will be assisted in participating in these activities by advisers from the United Kingdom Small Business Service.

The resulting improvements will be measured by comparing company performance before and after the activities funded by the Accelerate Action Plan in areas such as quality, cost, delivery performance, return on capital and employment

Economic sector(s) concerned: The sector to be supported will be "all manufacturing". The companies receiving support are typically in the subsectors of:

- plastic moulding and processing,

- metal finishing and heat treatment,

- machining,

- surface finishing and plating,

- presswork,

- tool making,

- rubber moulding,

- forging and casting (but see note below).

The recipient companies under the Accelerate Action Plan manufacture and process a diverse product portfolio across many manufacturing sectors, including automotive components, which account for a significant proportion of manufacturing activity in the West Midlands. However, recipients will not include automotive OEM or first-tier suppliers, or steel manufacturing companies as defined in the Community Framework for State aid to the motor vehicles industry (OJ C 279, 15 September 1997, p. 1) and the Steel Aid Code (Commission Decision No 2496/96/ECSC of 18 December 1996 establishing Community rules for state aid to the steel industry)

Name and address of the granting authority: Accelerate Programme Team Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry 75 Harborne Road Birmingham B15 3BU United Kingdom

Other information: Companies that are eligible to apply for funds from the Accelerate Action Plan may also be eligible to receive funding for diversification of their activities away from traditional low value-added activities such as automotive components. A separate aid scheme providing assistance for diversification activity is being notified at the same time as the Accelerate Action Plan, although this will begin sooner (1 November 2001). The nature of the activities funded under that scheme are different from those that from the subject of this application, but SMEs may, if they wish, apply to take part in both schemes.

Additional funds within the Accelerate Action Plan totalling GBP 5,2 million (EUR 8,3 million) will assist independent companies in the West Midlands that do not fall within the SME definition, employing more than 250 but fewer than 400 employees. These funds, which will be granted under the de minimis exemption to eligible companies, are not included in the GBP 26 million shown above since they do not form part of this notification.

The Accelerate Action Plan aims to assist SMEs across the whole of the West Midlands region. It is expected that the majority (over 70 %) of SMEs assisted will be located in the Objective 2 region of the West Midlands, although the actual proportion will depend on the level of demand and quality of applications

Aid No: XS 102/01

Member State: Germany

Region: Land of Lower Saxony and the Hanseatic city of Bremen

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Section 10(2) of the guidelines on aid for cultural films and media by nordmedia Fonds GmbH (nordmedia Fonds)

Legal basis: 1. Anspruch der nordmedia Fonds auf Gewährung einer Finanzhilfe (zur Förderung Dritter) aus Konzessionsabgaben nach § 9a des Niedersächsischen Gesetzes über das Lotterie- und Wettwesen vom 21. Juli 1997, zuletzt geändert durch Artikel 7 des Niedersächsischen Haushaltsbegleitgesetzes 2001 vom 15. Dezember 2000.

2. Verpflichtung des NDR zur Vergabe von Fördermitteln gemäß § 64 Absatz 3 des Niedersächsischen Landesrundfunkgesetzes vom 9. November 1993, zuletzt geändert durch Gesetz vom 15. Dezember 2000 (Nds. GVBL. Nr. 24/2000).

3. Vertrag über Vergabe von Mitteln des Landes Bremen aus dem Landesförderprogramm "Bremen in Time".

4. Vertrag über Vergabe freiwilliger Beiträge des NDR.

5. Vertrag über Vergabe freiwilliger Beiträge von Radio Bremen.

6. Vertrag über Vergabe freiwilliger Beiträge des ZDF

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 100000

Maximum aid intensity: Aid amounts to up to 50 % of calculated total costs. The rules on the cumulation of aid are complied with

Date of implementation: 7 December 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 7 December 2001 to 31 December 2004

Objective of aid: The aid is designed to provide advisory services for the completion of projects and for the establishment, expansion or fundamental rationalisation and conversion of audiovidual/media businesses (including associations and organisations).

The costs of permanent or recurrent services are excluded, as is normal business expenditure, e.g. on routine tax advice, regular legal services or advertising.

Rescue and restructuring aid for firms in difficulty (within the meaning of the Community guidelines on state aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty: OJ C 288, 9.10.1999) is not covered by the measure.

The aid is granted in the form of investment grants

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs and start-ups in the audiovisual/media field are eligible.

Aid may not be granted to firms in sensivtive sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Nordmedia Fonds GmbH Expo-Plaza 1 D - 30539 Hannover

Other information: Mr Coldewey Tel. (49-511) 12 34 56-0 Fax (49-511) 12 34 56-29 E-Mail: j.coldewey@nord-media.de

Aid No: XS 103/01

Member State: Germany

Region: Bavaria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Logistik-Kompetenz-Zentrum Prien, Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Str. 9, D - 83209 Prien am Chiemsee.

Legal basis: Zuwendungsbescheid vom 23.11.2001 i. V. m. Artikel 44, 23 Bayerische Haushaltsordnung (BayHO)

Annual expenditure planned under the schme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: DEM 29999,95

Maximum aid intensity: 16 %

Date of implementation: 23 November 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2001

Objective of aid: The aid is designed to promote successful cooperation between business and science at trade fairs within the meaning of Article 5(b) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001

Economic sector(s) concerned: Services

Name and address of the granting authority: Regierung von Mittelfranken Promenade 27 D - 91522 Ansbach

Aid No: XS 13/01

Member State: Spain

Region: Balearic Isles

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Industry 2001

Legal basis: Decreto 29/1997, de 18 febrero

Decreto 70/1998, de 17 de julio

Decreto 17/2001, de 2 de febrero

Orden del conseller d'Economia, Comerç i Indústria, n° 4311, de 19 de febrero del 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: ESP 415676000 (EUR 2498263)

Maximum aid intensity: 30 % for all the areas covered by this Regulation

Date of implementation: 1 March 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2001

Objective of aid: Aid to SMEs to carry out investment in:

- the modernisation of production facilities

- transfers to industrial land

- micro-enterprises

- job creation

Economic sector(s) concerned: All industrial sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Conselleria d'Economia, Comerç i Indústria - Govern de les Illes Balears C/ San Felio, 10 E - Palma de Mallorca

Aid No: XS 46/01

Member State: Greece

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Support for and creation of science and technology parks and incubators

Legal basis: Νόμος 2741/1999, άρθρο 23 και νόμος 2919/2001 άρθρο 5

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company:

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Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity must not exceed the regional investment aid ceiling specified in the regional aid map approved for Greece by the Commission and will be equivalent to 40-50 % of the eligible costs. The maximum amount per project is EUR 7500000

Date of implementation: November 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: November 2001-December 2006

Objective of aid: The term "science and technology parks" (STPs) refers to areas, or networks of areas that host:

- enterprises, especially high-tech enterprises,

- joint business ventures,

- networks of enterprises with or without the participation of research and technological organisations,

- scientific and technological organisations

In order to achieve these objectives, the scheme provides support for:

- further development and growth of existing STPs and acquisition of tangible and intangible assets, which contribute to the establishment of new high-tech business activities,

- the creation of new STPs by consortia, possibly with the cooperation of regional and local authorities,

- the creation of incubators in STPs

The term "S & T incubator" refers to a legal entitiy which provides, in specific areas, support services for:

- enterprises, especially high-tech enterprises, for the development and exploitation of technological innovations;

- entrepreneurial schemes which utilise and exploit innovations;

- private individuals active in the development, utilisation and exploitation of innovations.

In order to achieve these goals, the scheme provides support for:

- the further development and growth of existing operational S & T incubators in Greece and the acquisition of tangible and intangible assets that contribute to the effective incubation of new high-tech business activities;

- the establishment of new S & T incubators by business initiatives, possibly with the cooperation of regional and local authorities, universities and research centres.

Eligible organisations

Proposals may be submitted by legal entities established as corporations and limited liability companies. The mission statement of the entreprise's charter should include activities related to the development and operation of S & T parks.

The recipients of the aid are S & T parks and incubators that are private SMEs.

The beneficiaries of the parks' and incubators' services will be SMEs (mainly micro-enterprises).

The eligible costs concern tangible investment (business start-ups, business expansions, basic equipment) and intangible investments (acquisition of patent rights, licences, know-how or unpatented technical knowledge), subject to a ceiling of 50 %. The services concerned must not relate to a continuous or periodic activity or to the enterprise's usual operating expenditure. Finally, eligible costs include up to 50 % of the additional costs incurred for renting, setting up and running a stand when the enterprise participates for the first time in a fair or exhibition.

Economic sector(s) concerned: All Sectors and services

Name and address of the granting authority: General Secretariat for Research and Technology/Ministry of Development Ave. Messogion 14-18 GR - 11510 Athens

Other information: The scheme is in full accordance with the EU policy of fostering enterpreneurship, innovation and employment in the European Union. The aid is co-financed by the CFS 2000-06