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

(2003/C 301/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 115/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Lombardy

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Priority 1 "Improving the competitiveness of the economic system in Lombardy"; Measure 1.5.C "Support for the setting-up of innovatory firms"

Legal basis: Docup Obiettivo 2 2000-2006 Lombardia; Approvato con decisione C(2878) del 10.12.2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: 2002 (Objective 2): EUR 2250000

2003 (Objective 2): EUR 1284979

2004 (Objective 2): EUR 1200000

2005 (Objective 2): EUR 800000

Maximum aid intensity: Small firms: gross intensity of 15 % of eligible costs.

Medium-sized firms: gross intensity of 7,5 % of eligible costs.

In the areas qualifying for exemption under Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty, the intensity is increased by 10 percentage points.

The total contribution must not exceed 30 % of costs

Date of implementation: 25 November 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: To assist the setting-up of new firms

Name and address of the granting authority: Region Lombardy

Aid No: XS 32/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Apulia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Aid to SMEs

Legal basis: Legge regionale 4 gennaio 2001, n. 3 così come modificata dalla legge regionale n. 23 del 10.8.2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: According to the 2002 budget the expenditure will amount to EUR 44084000

Maximum aid intensity: 35 % nge + 15 % gge with a maximum of 75 % net

Date of implementation: From the date of submission of applications following the issue of specific calls for applications and regulations

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: From the entry into force and until any subsequent amendment of Regional Law No 3 of 4 January 2001, as amended by Regional Law No 23 of 10 August 2001

Objective of aid: Promoting business startups, new investment programmes and the extension and modernisation of existing plants

Economic sector(s) concerned: Craft industry; industry; tourism; distributive trades; services in accordance with Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Puglia Via G.ppe Capruzzi n. 212 - Bari (BA)

Aid No: XS 58/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Yorkshire and the Humber

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Be There - Cultural Industries Supply Chain

Legal basis: Local Government Act 2000

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: 2003: GBP 175999

2004: GBP 175999

2005: GBP 175999

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of consultancy costs

Date of implementation: 1 April 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until December 2005

Objective of aid: Specifically the project will do the following: provide sector expertise for participating SMEs, help with business introductions and tendering into the cultural industries market, provide added-value specialist experience to enhance mainstream business support and diversification programmes, and coordinate and deliver business to business trading events within the Bradford International Festival which are specific to SMEs interested in the sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors bar those excluded under the SME regulation No 70/2001

Name and address of the granting authority: Bradford International Festival Business Innovation Centre Angel Way Bradford BD7 1BX United Kingdom

Other information: Zulfi Karim Business Innovation Centre Angel Way Bradford BD7 1BX United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 71/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Objective 2 Map United Kingdom

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Objective 2 2000-2006 SME Consultancy Support

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

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Annual expenditure of Objective 2 measures:

2003: EUR 193,08 million

2004: EUR 195,15 million

2005: EUR 126,43 million

2006: EUR 111,73 million

Total: EUR 626,39 million

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % towards the cost of consultancy from the combination of public sources. No one SME will receive more than EUR 15000000 in assistance

Date of implementation: 29 May 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: No award will be given after 30 June 2007

Objective of aid: The scheme will use targeted consultancy to improve the competitiveness of SMEs, fulfilling the definition in Annex 1 of the block exemption, within Objective 2 areas. Specifically the consultancy will focus on diversification, modernisation, new product development, expansions, human resource and management development and knowledge and technology transfer.

No assistance will be given towards consultancy for a company's routine expenditure such as tax consultancy services, regular legal services or advertising

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors excluding sensitive sectors: coal mining, steel manufacture, ship building, synthetic fibre production, motor vehicle manufacture and tier 1 suppliers, transport services and financial services

Name and address of the granting authority: Administering Authorities:

Government Office for the East of England

Government Office for the East Midlands

Government Office for London

Government Office for the North East

Government Office for the North West (Liverpool)

Government Office for the North West (Manchester)

Government Office for the South East

Government Office for the South West

Government Office for the West Midlands

Government Office for Yorkshire and Humberside

Welsh Assembly Government

Scottish Executive

Government of Gibraltar (Department of Trade, Industry and Telecommunications)

Contact for correspondence: Department of Trade and Industry Regional European Funds Directorate 3 Floor, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 72/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Objective 2 Map United Kingdom

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Objective 2 2000-2006 SME Grant Support Towards Investment

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

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Annual expenditure of Objective 2 measures:

2003: EUR 204,81 million

2004: EUR 208,05 million

2005: EUR 131,7 million

2006: EUR 118,27 million

Total: EUR 662,83 million

Maximum aid intensity: Outside of assisted areas:

7,5 % for medium-sized enterprises

15 % for small enterprises.

Within assisted areas the regional aid ceilings + SME top-ups will be observed. No one SME will receive more than EUR 15000000 in assistance

Date of implementation: 29 May 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: No award will be given after 30 June 2007

Objective of aid: To enable SMEs, fulfilling the definition in Annex 1 of the block exemption located in the Objective 2 region to invest in tangible and intangible assets. Costs of tangible investment will relate to land, building, equipment and machinery.

Investment in premises will be where intervention is required to ensure adequate provision of accommodation to allow for growth. Loans, venture capital and grants will be given to ensure that lack of access to finance is not a barrier to growth or start-up. The aid will be calculated on the basis of the costs of specific investments in land, buildings, machinery and equipment.

Target SMEs will be in areas of market failure where the private sector is not supporting such firms. Criteria will be as set out under the relevant measures in each Objective 2 area Single Programming Document and Programme Complement.

Intangible assets shall be the acquisition of new technology as defined in Article 2(d) of the Regulation

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors excluding sensitive sectors: coal mining, steel manufacture, ship building, synthetic fibre production, motor vehicle manufacture and tier 1 suppliers, transport services and financial services

Name and address of the granting authority: Administering Authorities:

Government Office for the East of England

Government Office for the East Midlands

Government Office for London

Government Office for the North East

Government Office for the North West (Liverpool)

Government Office for the North West (Manchester)

Government Office for the South East

Government Office for the South West

Government Office for the West Midlands

Government Office for Yorkshire and Humberside

Welsh Assembly Government

Scottish Executive

Government of Gibraltar (Department of Trade, Industry and Telecommunications)

Contact for correspondence: Department of Trade and Industry Regional European Funds Directorate 3 Floor, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 76/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Veneto

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Non-reimbursable grants towards the costs incurred by small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the assisted areas (municipalities located in Objective 2 and phasing-out areas) in acquiring consultancy services relating to quality, certification, technological innovation, safety, hygiene, environmental impact, the introduction of innovative business strategies, product marking and/or certification and voluntary certification

Legal basis: Legge regionale del Veneto n. 3 del 28.1.1997 e legge regionale del Veneto n. 16 del 10.4.1998

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Budget for 2001: EUR 3119240

Budget for 2002: EUR 3424718

Budget for 2003: EUR 3020776

Budget for 2004: EUR 2421458

Budget for 2005: EUR 2040682

Budget for 2006: EUR 1536614

Maximum aid intensity: Not more than 50 % of the costs of outside consultancy services, subject to a ceiling for each operation of:

- EUR 10000 for operations relating to quality,

- EUR 47000 for operations relating to technological innovation,

- EUR 15000 for operations relating to safety, hygiene and environmental impact,

- EUR 20000 for operations relating to the introduction of innovative business strategies,

- EUR 10000 for operations relating to product marking and/or certification and voluntary certification

Date of implementation: Earliest date from which the aid may be granted is 18 August 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Deadline for the granting of aid: December 2006.

Indicative date planned for payment of the last instalment: December 2008

Objective of aid: Supporting the dissemination of quality systems, technological innovation, safety, hygiene, environmental impact measures, innovative business strategies, product marking and/or certification and voluntary certification among SMEs operating in the assisted areas (municipalities located in Objective 2 and phasing-out areas) in Veneto

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, except for:

- activities linked to the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty,

- export-related activities,

- coal and steel industry,

- synthetic fibres,

- motor vehicle industry,

- transport (with the exception of Italian Statistical Office (ISTAT) Codes 602, 6021, 6022, 6023, 6024, 6025, 631, 6311, 6312, 632 and 6321),

- shipbuilding,

- fisheries

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Veneto - Giunta regionale Palazzo Balbi

Dorsoduro 3901

I - 30100 Venezia