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 69/13)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 34/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Yorkshire and Humber

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Advanced Metrology Manufacturing

Legal basis: Local Government Act 2000

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: 2003: GBP 22000;

2004: GBP 20000;

Total: GBP 42000

(ERDF + United Kingdom match funding).

The aid will not exceed GBP 2000 to any one company

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

Date of implementation: 10 March 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: To 31 December 2004

Objective of aid: To support the costs of an Advanced Metrology Manufacturing specialist advice service to SMEs intended to promote the use of on-line measurement equipment in the manufacturing process.

To give adviser support to companies in reviewing their existing systems with the objective of helping SMEs to access new markets and/or improve gross added value productivity

Economic sector(s) concerned: Manufacturing except those excluded under SME Regulation No 70/2001

Name and address of the granting authority: David Todhunter

Chief Executive Officer

Kirkdale Industrial Training Services (KITS) Kirkdale House

Armytage Road

Brighouse West Yorkshire HD6 1QF United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 91/01

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Scotland (Scottish Local Authorities (SLAs))

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Property support for SMEs (Scotland)

Legal basis: Local Government Scotland Act 1973; Section 171, Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: All costs arising from the scheme, including the costs of any guarantees called, will be met from the normal resources of SLAs. It is estimated that annual expenditure of approximately UKL 15 million will be required

Maximum aid intensity: Each award will respect the relevant aid intensity ceilings stipulated in Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 for investment aid (Article 4).

The amount of aid that can be awarded is variable, depending on an appraisal of the particular proposal that will assess the need for the aid and the form in which it may most appropriately be provided. Aid will be the minimum necessary for a project to proceed.

The aid will be limited to eligible expenditures directly and exclusively related to investment in the development of business premises, including:

Land: the actual purchase price or market value, whichever is lower;

Construction: the construction costs of buildings suitable for occupation by a range of businesses;

Infrastructure and services: the actual costs of providing infrastructure and related services specific to the property;

Development fee: a level of fee to the developer which is appropriate to the type and scale of development and the risks associated with development (the development fee is excluded where the developer is the owner or occupier of the premises or land);

Finance charges: interest or similar financing charges directly and exclusively related to the project;

Professional fees, etc.: all other costs, including design fees, marketing and promotional expenses, and sale or letting fees actually incurred in the course of the development, directly and exclusively related to the project.

Aid will be calculated as a percentage of eligible expenditures. The aid intensities must not exceed the following limits.

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Aid for a particular project may take any form permitted under EC guidelines including grants, low-interest loans or interest rebates, guarantees, equity in joint development projects and services at concessionary prices. Where aid is given in a form other than grants, the grant equivalent of the aid will be calculated in accordance with the relevant EC guidelines and notices.

Development grant:

The main type of aid to be provided by the scheme is the development grant, which is a "gap funding" grant aimed at bridging the difference between the market value and the actual cost of a project. Subject always to any award not exceeding the relevant aid intensity ceiling, the maximum amount of award for any project will be the gap between eligible costs and market value. Aid will be the minimum necessary for a project to proceed.

Prior to any offer of a development grant, an appraisal of market value and estimated costs will be made on behalf of SLAs by an independent chartered surveyor. Grants will generally be made on condition that all construction works are competitively tendered, where applicable in accordance with the EC public procurement rules. Where competitive tender is not possible or practicable(1), independent chartered surveyors will verify that the costs do not exceed market levels.

Joint ventures:

Aid may also be given in respect of joint venture projects carried out between SLAs and the private sector. Generally, SLAs will seek to act purely as a market investor sharing risks and rewards with the private partner on a commercial basis, as verified by an independent chartered surveyor or accountant. No aid is involved in these circumstances. However, there may be cases where, in order to secure private-sector participation, SMEs accept a share of the project returns which is lower than a market investor would accept. In such cases the grant equivalent of the aid will be calculated in accordance with appropriate procedures and verified by an independent chartered surveyor or accountant. The amount of the aid should be the minimum necessary to ensure private-sector participation and must not exceed aid intensity ceilings.

The private-sector partner must be selected through a competitive process unless the developer also owns or legally controls the site, in which case the amount of support necessary to enable the project to proceed must be verified by an independent chartered surveyor or accountant.

Development financing aid:

Grant or loan support towards the cost of financing developments which would not otherwise be economically viable. The aid is available for the lifetime of the project and can only contribute to financing eligible investment costs. The grant or loan must not exceed aid intensity ceilings.

Date of implementation: 15 October 2001

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

Objective of aid: SLAs have a number of statutory functions including furthering the development of Scotland's economy. The purpose of the property support scheme for SMEs is to stimulate private-sector property development and investment by SMEs, in furtherance of these functions. The scheme operates to address market failure in the provision of industrial and commercial property by supporting SME developers through a range of aid instruments. Both speculative and bespoke development may be assisted. Over the longer term, the aim is to promote a self-sustaining property market throughout Scotland.

Applicants assisted under the scheme will comply with the definition of SMEs contained in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 70/2001. SMEs are defined as enterprises which:

- have fewer than 250 employees,

- have either an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 40 million or an annual balance-sheet total not exceeding EUR 27 million, and

- conform to the criterion of independence defined in Annex I.

Where it is necessary to distinguish between small and medium-sized enterprises, the "small enterprise" will comply with the definition contained in Annex I

Economic sector(s) concerned: The scheme is aimed primarily at the property sector, in particular SME developers of "speculative" property where the occupier of the property is not known in advance of the development being carried out. In addition, "bespoke" development by SMEs for their own occupation may also be assisted.

Assistance will be provided to the following sectors only to the extent that there is no conflict with the relevant sectoral guidelines.

- motor vehicles,

- synthetic fibres,

- transport.

Assistance will not be granted under this scheme to the following sectors.

- agriculture,

- fisheries and aquaculture,

- shipbuilding,

- coal and steel

Name and address of the granting authority: Owen Wilton

Senior Executive

Renfrewshire Council Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1LL United Kingdom Tel. (44-141) 842 54 16 United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 107/02

Member State: Austria

Region: Carinthia (Wolfsberg/Lavanttal; Objective 2 area)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Contract of 26.9.2002/15.10.2002; Curat Immobilien GmbH and Thermalbad Weißenbach GmbH

Legal basis: Vertrag vom 26.9.2002/15.10.2002 zwischen der Stadtgemeinde Wolfsberg und der Curat Immobilien GmbH und der Thermalbad Weißenbach GmbH

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: 2003: EUR 157121 twice;

2004: EUR 157121

Maximum aid intensity: 37,39 % in accordance with EU competition law

Date of implementation: 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1. Part payment after 50 % completion of the project, no earlier than 31.3.2003

2. Part payment after 75 % completion of the project, no earlier than 31.8.2003

3. Part payment after 100 % completion of the project, no earlier than 31.1.2004

Objective of aid: Promotion of innovation

Economic sector(s) concerned: Other services

Name and address of the granting authority: Stadtgemeinde Wolfsberg Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Quai 1 A - 9400 Wolfsberg ( Kärnten )

Aid No: XS 115/01

Member State: Germany

Region: Saxony-Anhalt

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Guidelines issued by the Land of Saxony-Anhalt on grants to promote cooperation and networks

Legal basis: Mittelstandsförderungsgesetz (MFG) vom 27. Juni 2001 (GVBl. LSA Nr. 27/2001) Verwaltungsvorschriften zu § 44 der Landeshaushaltsordnung (VV-LHO, RdErl. des MF vom 9.8.1991, MBl. LSA S. 721, zuletzt geändert durch RdErl. des MF vom 1.2.2001, MBl. LSA S. 24)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 1,25 million

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of eligible expenditure

Date of implementation: Immediate

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

Objective of aid: Promotion of business cooperation while maintaining the operational independence of the firms. The assistance is provided as a grant in the form of consultancy and investment aid. Any additional expenditure incurred by the applicant for cooperation purposes is eligible. Expenditure incurred by the cooperating firms to cover their own outgoings during participation in cooperation arrangements is not eligible for assistance

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors covered by Article 1(1) of the exemption Regulation

Name and address of the granting authority: Ministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt Hasselbachstraße 4 D - 39104 Magdeburg

Other information: Grant recipients must submit the usual proof of the use of the aid required under the budget law of the Land of Saxony-Anhalt. The annual report must include information on the success of the measures and achievement of the aid objectives

(1) Wholly competitive procurement may not be practicable when companies have long-established working relationships with building contractors, professional advisers and suppliers. These companies may be willing to proceed with an investment only if they are able to work through their established relationships. Within the constraints of such relationships, much of the cost remains subject to competitive procurement in the selection of subcontracting arrangements. Independent experts verify the market value of the remaining costs. The Commission decision of 25 October 2000 on state aid No 656/99 accepts that, under such circumstances, wholly competitive procurement may not be possible.