The EU has established a recovery plan that will help countries, including Italy, to overcome the severe economic and social damage caused by Covid and the ensuing health emergency in recent years.
In this way, it aims to contribute to recovery and revitalization, laying the foundations to make the societies and economies of European countries more sustainable, resilient, and capable of addressing the challenges and opportunities of the ecological transition and digital transformation.
In this context, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan* (PNRR) and cohesion of Italy is included — a planning and execution tool that establishes goals, reforms, and investments to be implemented, thanks to the use of European funds, with the intention of making our country more equitable, green, and inclusive, and, above all, with a more competitive, dynamic, and innovative economy.
The original PNRR is structured around six “Missions” or thematic intervention areas:
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Digitalization, innovation, competitiveness, culture, and tourism
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Green revolution and ecological transition
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Infrastructure for sustainable mobility
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Education and Research
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Inclusion and Cohesion
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Health
The funds allocated for the Italian PNRR amount to 194.4 billion euros following the reprogramming on December 8, 2023, with a new mission dedicated to RepowerEU, the plan presented last May 18, 2022 by the European Commission with the goal of reducing the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels by accelerating the transition and building a more resilient energy system.
There are four actions planned by REPowerEU to respond appropriately to the energy crisis:
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save energy;
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diversify supply;
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rapidly replace fossil fuels by accelerating the European transition to clean energy;
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combine investments and reforms smartly.
What does the PNRR foresee for MIMIT?
In particular, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) is responsible for 14 investment projects and 2 reform projects, related to five of the seven Missions of the Plan:
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Digitalization, innovation, competitiveness, culture, and tourism
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Green revolution and ecological transition
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Education and Research
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Inclusion and Cohesion
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RepowerEU
The resources assigned to MIMIT for the implementation of investments amount to 28.842 billion, to which are added 7.68 billion from the Complementary Fund, for a total of 36.522 billion.
The Italian Government integrates and strengthens the PNRR content through the National Complementary Plan (PNC), allocating an additional 30.6 billion of national resources.
The complementarity of the PNC with respect to the PNRR manifests at the level of:
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project integration, combining resources for interventions already provided in the PNRR;
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mission or mission component, with additional investments contributing to the achievement of the PNRR’s objectives.
MIMIT is responsible for the following two interventions within the Complementary Plan:
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Polis: 800 million euros;
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Innovation agreements: 1 billion euros.
Furthermore, the PNC co-finances with national resources two interventions under MIMIT already funded by the PNRR: Transition 4.0 and Satellite Technology and Space Economy.
Where can I find the calls and incentives?
Our advice, to avoid wasting time and missing opportunities, is to contact us. At I.T.P. we have a team constantly updated on all government initiatives in the various sectors in which we operate. Alternatively, it is possible to search on the MIMIT website or other funding bodies, such as Invitalia, for all calls already open, expiring, or upcoming.
It is important to carefully evaluate the call, because, in addition to scientific aspects, it always contains important administrative information such as guidelines for expense reporting, the amount of funding available, and deadlines for submitting funding applications, as well as various clauses, footnotes, and attachments to be submitted, which should be carefully evaluated to avoid losing funding.
How to submit PNRR projects
The first step, when we collaborate with clients requesting consultancy for application submission, is building the project proposal.
Creating a project means, above all, carrying out a set of activities aimed at achieving objectives. In particular, these objectives must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound, i.e., well chronologically planned and with a predetermined budget.
We always conduct a preliminary study of the state of the art in the sector in which the project is included and indicate, exhaustively, the contribution of the project to the development of the sector itself.
Our goal is the drafting of a proposal that is, in every respect, clear and always consistent with the project’s objectives.
To support the project, we then evaluate which documents to present that illustrate the characteristics of the proposing entity, the structure and production units of the company, and data related to the economic-financial status.
Once the project proposal is prepared, we perform compliance checks, evaluate the drafting with the client, and give the go-ahead for submission.
The Ministry, upon receiving the application and related documentation, verifies the availability of financial resources and conducts administrative, financial, and technical assessments, during which it evaluates:
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The project’s compliance with national and European regulations;
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Technical feasibility, economic-financial sustainability, technical quality, and impact of the R&D project, and the existence of eligibility conditions;
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Relevance and consistency of the expenses and costs foreseen in the R&D project.
A winning project proposal must present:
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Formal quality, determined by compliance with the call’s criteria;
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Aesthetic quality, determined by readability;
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Substantial quality, determined by the project’s usefulness.
Furthermore, the project must also be sustainable, meaning it must be able to continue providing benefits for a long time even after the funding ends.
Finally, it is important to remember that approved projects receiving public funding are subject to financial reporting. Reporting is the collection, organization, and submission of documents justifying incurred expenses. Financial reporting must be accompanied by a project management report so that, with maximum transparency, it describes the outcomes, the consistency between actions and costs incurred, and justifies any deviations from the initially planned budget.
PNRR Project Consultancy
Today more than ever, to face current market scenarios and strong competition, it is important to look at state initiatives and calls in order to not miss the opportunity to obtain economic advantages to improve one’s business and drive innovation.
The PNRR is a huge opportunity for all companies!
To benefit from the incentives provided through the PNRR measures, however, the beneficiary must comply with a series of commitments and obligations, such as drafting a valid project and, if awarded the benefit, correctly implementing financial reporting.
I.T.P.’s goal is to support companies both in the project drafting phase and in financial reporting, helping to minimize errors, contributing to the program’s success and investment effectiveness, relying on skills and experiences in the sector gained over many years and with a highly specialized team of professionals.
A trivial mistake or a missed analysis can cancel the application and forfeit the funding. That’s why it’s necessary to rely on those who, like us, know how and what to present.
