Prepared by Energy Team
On March 23, 2022, the Ministry of the Ecological Transition (“MET”), published a call for tender concerning project proposals relating to research and development activities, to be financed within the Recovery and Resilience Plan (“RRP”), in hydrogen matters (the “Tender”).
The Tender is aimed at selecting and subsequently financing project proposals for industrial research and experimental development activities in the field of“Investimento 3.5 – Ricerca e sviluppo sull’idrogeno”, provided under mission no. 2 “Rivoluzione verde e transizione ecologica”, Componente 2 “Energia rinnovabile, idrogeno, rete e mobilità sostenibile”, of the RRP.
The funds available according to the Tender are equal to Euro 50,000,000.00 (fifty million) – divided into two different tenders for an amount equal to Euro 30,000,000.00 (thirty million) in favour of companies and to Euro 20,000,000.00 (twenty million) in favour of universities and research entities – and are taken from the amount allocated to MET for the implementation of the so-called Investment 3.5 – “Hydrogen Research and Development” of the RRP, as provided for in Article 1, paragraph 5, letter b) of the decree of 23 December 2021.
Pursuant to the provisions of Law No. 108 of July 29, 2021, at least 40% (forty per cent) of the amount of the Tender shall be allocated to finance projects to be carried out in their entirety, or for the majority thereof, at headquarters, branches, plants located in the Regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Apulia, Sardinia and Sicily. It is understood that in the event that the resources to be allocated to eligible projects located in the above-mentioned Regions are not enough to fully cover the 40% (forty per cent) quota, the unused funds will be made available to meet the needs of projects to be carried out in the other Regions.
With respect to the tender for a total amount of Euro 30,000,000.00 (thirty million), the beneficiaries shall be the companies that carry out activities related to the production of goods and/or services.
Such entities may also present projects jointly among themselves or with research entities, up to a maximum number of 5 (five) entities, including the lead entity, and upon express appointment of the latter.
Research entities may participate in the implementation of projects and benefit from the facilities only as co-proponents and act as external implementers.
The proposers, as of the date of submission of the application to the tender for a total amount of Euro 30,000,000.00 (thirty million) , must meet the following requirements:
- be properly constituted and registered in the companies register. Companies that are not Italian resident shall have a legal personality recognised in their country of residence, as resulting from the relevant companies register. In addition, without prejudice to the fact that at the time of the submission of the application to the Tender the companies must meet the other requirements required, they must also demonstrate, under penalty of forfeiting the benefit, the existence of at least one local unit in the Italian territory and the compliance with the requirements set out by the Presidential Decree No 581 of 7 December 1995.
- not be subject to insolvency proceedings, bankruptcy, liquidation, including voluntary liquidation, receivership, arrangement with creditors or any other equivalent situation under current law;
- be in ordinary accounting practice and have at least two approved and filed balance sheets or, in case of sole proprietorships and partnerships, have at least two filed tax declarations;
- not belong to one of the companies that have received and, subsequently, not reimbursed or deposited in a blocked account the subsidies identified as unlawful or incompatible by the European Commission;
- be in compliance with the repayment of any amount due in relation to measures of revocation of subsidies granted by MET; and
- not be a company in difficulty as defined in the GBER Regulation.
Pursuant to the provision set forth under Article 5 of the tender for a total amount equal to Euro 30,000,000.00 (thirty millions), the eligible projects shall, inter alia, provide for industrial research and experimental development activities, strictly related to each other in relation to the target of the project, aimed at the creation of new products, activities or services or at the significant improvement of existing products, processes or services
The applications shall be sent, under penalty of invalidity and inadmissibility, from the certified email of the proposer, or from the lead entity, to the following certified email rsh2B@pec.mite.gov.it from 10.00 a.m. of March 24, 2022 to 10 a.m. of May 9, 2022.
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