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

(2004/C 5/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 9/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Scotland

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Consultancy Support Scheme for Credit Unions(1)

Legal basis: Section 10(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The budget for the scheme will not exceed GBP 200000

Maximum aid intensity: The aid provided under this scheme is discretionary aid and will not exceed 50 % (gross) of the non-routine consultancy costs incurred by credit unions(2). This may include consultancy services for such matters as operational reviews, business planning reviews and feasibility assessments of new ventures. A credit union's usual operating expenditure will not be eligible

Date of implementation: 16 January 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 14 September 2004

Objective of aid: As part of the strategy of meeting the targets of the Scottish Executive's Credit Union Action Plan, funding is being made available to help make sure that all credit unions in Scotland are strong and sustainable over the long term. To do this, funding is being given to buy non-routine consultancy services for credit unions. The primary aim of the work is to assist all credit unions with their development as sustainable social enterprises and to add value to the services received by credit union members

Economic sector(s) concerned: This support is open only to credit unions which are social enterprises within the finance sector and are SMEs(2)

Name and address of the granting authority: Scottish Executive Social Inclusion Division

Area 2F

Victoria Quay Edinburgh, Scotland EH6 6QQ United Kingdom

Other information: This scheme is in accordance with 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, published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 13 January 2001(3)

Aid No: XS 119/02

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: North East (Tees Valley Subregion)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Onyx Internet

Legal basis: Regional Development Agency Act 1998

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: GBP 72000 of public money will be given to Onyx out of project costs of GBP 240000

Maximum aid intensity: 30 % (Article 87(3)(c) area: 20 % + SME bonus of 10 percentage points)

Date of implementation: 8 November 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 30 September 2003

Objective of aid: The aim of this project is to provide support to Onyx Internet (an SME) in order to pilot wireless broadband internet access, primarily on Riverside Park and Belasis Hall Technology Park, for one year.

The aid will go only towards the costs specifically incurred as a result of the investment made by Onyx in this project. These costs are in line with the eligible costs outlined in Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 and include:

1. Capital costs for the broadband infrastructure/equipment in order to provide the service.

2. The capital cost of setting up/installing a specific new telesales and project management department to market and run the pilot project (though not staff salary costs).

The provision of financial assistance will reduce the commercial risk for Onyx Internet of piloting this emerging technology and will provide a range of benefits, including:

- Enabling up to 100 SMEs to take part in the pilot and to benefit from the use of this technology. (There will be no State aid to these end-users as their connection will not be subsidised.)

- Enabling up to 10 Middlesbrough Council buildings which currently do not have access to broadband internet to be linked into the project free of charge.

- Enable the Tees Valley to be at the pioneering end of the development of this new technology, which has the potential to provide cheaper and faster access to the internet.

- Supporting the regeneration of the Tees Valley at business and community level.

- Supporting the development of the knowledge-based economy as identified in the RES and through the Tees Valley Visioning Study.

- Supporting the work of the Tees Valley Development Company in attracting inward investment, especially that associated with R & D, ICT and knowledge-based businesses

Economic sector(s) concerned: ICT Media

Name and address of the granting authority: Martin Simpson Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (on behalf of Tees Valley Partnership through the RDA subregional fund) Municipal Buildings

Church Road

Stockton on Tees and ONE NorthEast (Regional Funding) 20 Manor Way

Bellasis Hall Technology Park

Billingham

Stockton on Tees

TS23 4HN United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 14/03

Member State: Germany

Region: Berlin

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Innovation and technology consultancy in Berlin (ITB)

Legal basis: § 44 der Landeshaushaltsordnung (LHO) vom 5.10.1978 (GVBl. S. 805), zuletzt geändert durch Gesetz vom 24.7.2001 (GVBl. S. 303) in Verbindung mit § 49 und 49a des Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetzes (VwVfG) und die Bestimmungen über den Einsatz von Mitteln aus dem Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung (EFRE)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Approximately EUR 0,6 million

Maximum aid intensity: In Objective 1 areas 25 %, in Objective 2 areas 50 %

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: To end 2006

Objective of aid: SMEs get external advice on how to develop interdisciplinary cooperation and exploit Berlin's research potential in improving or bringing in new products and processes. The funds are awarded to consultancies

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Frauen Referat II E

Other information: The measure has so far been implemented under the de minimis Regulation

Aid No: XS 21/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Midlands Objective 2

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Developing the creative industries in Coventry through Business Support 2002-2006

Legal basis: Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000; Industrial Development Act 1982, Sections 7 and 11

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total: GBP 392984

2002: GBP 74470

2003: GBP 76700

2004: GBP 79004

2005: GBP 81379

2006: GBP 81431

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity will not exceed 50 % for consultancy costs.

Total all years: 383 SMEs assisted.

The maximum support any individual SME would receive under the programme is GBP 80000. We expect that in the majority of cases it will be very much less than this

Date of implementation: 1 December 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2006 - five years

Objective of aid: To provide support to existing and new SMEs in the creative industries via business advice, in order to ensure the sustainability and survival rate of businesses. The majority of SMEs in this sector are microbusinesses without essential business management skills or the funds needed to purchase professional advice. By granting this assistance, the jobs of existing SMEs will be safeguarded

Economic sector(s) concerned: Other services: (SMEs in the high-growth sector of creative industries). Without prejudice to special rules, regulations and directives concerning State aid in certain sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Roger Vaughan Coventry City Council Herbert Art Gallery and Museum Jordan Well, Coventry CV1 5QP United Kingdom Tel. 024 76 83 23 75

Other information: Marion Doyen

Chief Executive

Arts+Media Training Consortium (Coventry) Ltd 57-61 Corporation Street Coventry CV1 1GQ United Kingdom Tel. 024 76 23 17 02

Aid No: XS 71/02

Member State: Greece

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Creation or extension of technology transfer and innovation services

Legal basis: Προεδρικό Διάταγμα 274/2000 "Όροι, προϋποθέσεις και διαδικασία χρηματοδότησης (επιχορήγησης ή συνδρομής) έργων και προγραμμάτων που υποβάλλονται από βιομηχανικές ή άλλες παραγωγικές μονάδες" (ΦΕΚ 225/Α/17.10.2000)

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 will not exceed the ceiling for regional investment aid determined in the regional aid map approved for Greece by the Commission and will amount to not more than 50 % of the eligible costs

Date of implementation: September 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: September 2002 to December 2006

Objective of aid: The main objective of the scheme is to support the development and networking of small and medium-sized enterprises specialized in technology transfer and innovation services. These SMEs will act as intermediate agencies creating better partnerships between academic and research centres and the private and banking sectors, in relation to technology transfer (technology brokers, patent attorneys, intellectual property experts, technology assessors). The scheme will support activities in connection with:

- evaluation of the technological needs of enterprises,

- examination of the existing technology market and search for the most appropriate technology for the enterprise or sector concerned,

- search for investors in Greece or abroad willing to finance technology transfer investment,

- provision of information and technical advice concerning patents,

- organization of seminars for enterprises on best practices in technology management,

- search for licensing opportunities,

- finding investors for spin-off companies,

- search for research and technology personnel in Greece or abroad.

The main eligible costs relate to tangible assets (investment in fixed physical assets for the creation of a new establishment or the extension of an existing establishment) and intangible investment (investment in transfer of technology, know-how or unpatented technical knowledge).

The scheme is in full accordance with the EU policy on fostering enterpreneurship, innovation and employment in the European Union

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, all services

Name and address of the granting authority: General Secretariat for Research and Technology Ministry of Development Avenue Messogion 14-18 GR - 115 10 Athens

Other information: The aid is part-financed by the CFS 2000-2006

Aid No: XS 99/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Sicily

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Measure 4.03. Sub. B - New entrepreneurship for young people and women

Legal basis: Normativa regionale di riferimento: Legge regionale n. 32 del 23.12.2000, artt. 29, 30

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: A total of EUR 33370429,34

Maximum aid intensity: Maximum aid intensity: capital grant with a maximum of 35 % nge + 15 % gge

Date of implementation: 14 September 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: December 2006

Objective of aid: Aid for initial investment in the form of capital grants for SMEs operating in the Region of Sicily

Economic sector(s) concerned: - sport,

- entertainment,

- publishing,

- information and communication technologies,

- activities relating to the upgrading of cultural areas, leisure time, promoting cultural heritage and locally-generated resources,

- services to tourism,

- services for small and medium-sized firms,

- home help,

- childcare

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Siciliana Dipartimento Industria Viale Regione Siciliana I - 4580 Palermo

(1) A credit union is a financial cooperative owned and controlled by its members. The objectives of credit unions are defined by law in Section 1(3) of the Credit Unions Act 1979 as;

(a) the promotion of thrift among members by the accumulation of savings;

(b) the creation of sources of credit for the benefit of the members at a fair and reasonable rate of interest;

(c) the use and control of members' savings for their mutual benefit; and

(d) the training and education of the members in the wise use of money and in the management of their finances.

(2) All credit unions supported under this scheme meet the definition of SMEs in the Commission recommendation of 3 April 1996 (OJ C 107, 30.4.1996, p. 4).

(3) OJ L 10, 13.1.2001, p. 33.