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Based on the findings, the minister has decided to abolish the IPC scheme. The MIT scheme, which is important for SMEs and is a joint effort between the National Government and the Regions, will be extended by only 1 year instead of the usual 5 years. The minister stated: “Given the critical evaluation, I want to give the next cabinet the opportunity to revise the MIT scheme or provide a different approach to meet the goal of stimulating innovation within SMEs.” The report outlines two scenarios and makes various recommendations for this purpose.
The Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Innovation Promotion for Regions and Top Sectors (MIT scheme) has been promoting innovation in SMEs since 2013. The scheme consists of five sub-instruments, with the two main ones in terms of available subsidy budget, feasibility studies and R&D collaboration projects, being financed in collaboration with the provinces since 2015, and with regional submission requirements. Other sub-instruments include knowledge vouchers and two sub-instruments for the Top Consortia for Knowledge and Innovation (TKIs), namely budgets per TKI for innovation brokers and network activities.
The aim of the Innovation Performance Contracts (IPC scheme) is to enhance the innovation capacity of SMEs through increased collaboration and the use of external knowledge. Under the guidance of a lead partner, a group of ten to twenty SMEs can receive subsidies to work on an overarching innovation plan and their individual innovation plans within that framework.
Both reports and the accompanying letter from the minister to the House of Representatives can be found here.